A famous slogan in the sports world is “Just do it.” Senior and defensive line left tackle Iliana Pedraza took these words to heart when her dream of playing football came alive when girls
were allowed to take the field her sophomore year of high school.
Q: What made you decide to play football?
A: I’ve always wanted to play football when I was younger, but I was not allowed to because it was for boys.
Q: Who is your biggest role model?
A: I don’t really have a role model; I just follow our motto of the year, “Be the Standard” (BTS). I’ve been through a lot of hardships and ups and downs, so it helped build up my resilience for this sport. For this sport, you really have to have that resilience, or else you would give up as soon as the first punishment drill happens.
Q: What is the best part about playing?
A: The best part about playing is being able to release pent-up anger or emotion through practice and drills. I’d also say my teammates are a great part of playing. We help keep each other up and in the right mindset; when one fails, we have each other’s backs to pick the pace back up and keep moving forward.
Q: Did anyone try to talk you out of playing football?
A: Some of my family tried to talk me out because my blood sugar would spike randomly during practice, causing issues with my ability to play at my full extent. They also worried about me getting hurt on the field.
Q: How do you deal with physical contact during games?
A: During the games, if the contact hurts, I just bite down harder on my mouthpiece and continue doing what I’m supposed to. I know it’s not safe to be doing that, especially because it can cause worse injury later on. When you are in the moment, you don’t want to leave it, so you power through till you hit the sidelines and then get assessed by the trainer if it really hurts.
Q: What is the hardest about football practice?
A: The hardest about practice is trying to keep up with the guys. Most of them have been doing this their whole lives and are really used to it. On top of that, they are really strong, while I’m really weak. I do know the plays; I know when to hit and follow through with it, but sometimes I’m lined up against some of our larger guys who I know can kill me if they really wanted to. Just by sheer force, it makes me blank and forget what I’m doing.
Q: What advice for other girls who want to play?
A: My advice for girls who want to play is to do it. Nothing’s gonna stop you from doing something you are passionate about. Don’t listen to all the negative people out there who say you
can’t. Ignore them and prove to them you can do it.
