Female NFL tryout ends amid accusations it was business promotion

Lauren Silberman’s try for the NFL consisted of two kicks and the aggravation of an old leg injury. Then she went home.

And now people are saying she was just trying to drum up business for her business, USA Today Sports reports.

Ms. Silberman is a former MIT student who announced last week she was going to try out for the NFL as a kicker. She joined the ranks of 37 male kicker competitors on Sunday — and quit after two kicks, totaling 30 yards, USA Today reports. After her second, she slumped to the ground and asked to see a trainer. Following a 10-minute consultation, and the revelation she had aggravated an old soccer-related quadriceps injury, she gave up.

“I did the right thing by my body by resting it. It would be very dangerous for me to keep pushing my quad if the muscles would continue to tear,” she said, in the USA Today report.

But many suspect a promotional stunt. She spent much of the lead-up to her Sunday tryout promoting her business during various media interviews. And on the field on Sunday, she reportedly gave minimal effort. She didn’t take any practice kicks and actually asked three other kickers how best to approach the ball during the kicks, USA Today reported.

And then there’s this: Any NFL hopeful kicker and punter can take part in a regional combine by paying $275 for an entry fee, USA Today reports.