Sophomore Malini Dutta is making history as only the second female player to start on Deep Run’s team since Sarah Bradley played in 2009, and as the first female football player to start on the Wildcat offensive line.
Dutta was named one of the JV captains this year. The team treats her like one of their own since she played with them on JV her freshman year.
Dutta joined the football program not to make history, but because she wanted a sport that could make her stronger, and soccer wasn’t going to cut it.
“I played soccer until eighth grade. I stopped because I wanted to become more muscular, and soccer wasn’t getting me the result I wanted,” Dutta said.
To support her athletic performance in a male-dominated sport and continue to gain strength, Dutta made changes off the field too before the new football season began.
“I put myself on a strict diet, […] I ate more than the average girl,” Dutta said.
Since joining the football team, Dutta’s hard work and dedication has paid off.
“I knew I had a lot of work to do since I joined a little late into the season freshman year, but I knew if I kept being motivated, then good things would come, and so far it has,” Dutta said.
Dutta is proud of how far she has come, and her friends and family are even prouder.
“My biggest supporters are my parents and my best friend Elsa, who are all always there for me and help me get better,” she said.
The male players on the team have been supportive too.
“The guys are really nice to me, and I talk to them at school and practice,” Dutta said.
Dutta’s teammates echo this sense of acceptance.
“We accept her as part of our team. She’s just another player like us,” senior and varsity player Jahleel Miller said. “She’s a good player.”
Other players feel the support and camaraderie comes naturally because Dutta is talented.
“I feel like she’s a really good player and people underestimate her because she’s a female,” freshman and JV player Matthew Lwin said.
Although Dutta is the first of her kind on the varsity team, she’s still just one of the team on the field.
