Bella Rasmussen of
Laguna Beach has become a trailblazer as a girl playing high school football. Earlier this year, she made news becoming the first girl to score two touchdowns in a California game. Now, she has signed a NIL deal, becoming the first female football player to do so.
"Football definitely gave me the platform," she told
On3.com. "It is what put me on the map. It's what gave me the attention. But I'd like to think that what is going to keep me there are my goals and things that are important to me."
Rasmussen's deal, worth an estimated $18,400, is with KeyWise, an app that acts as a fitness tracker for your brain.
"Mental health is important for anybody, not just somebody that's an athlete on an all boys' team as a girl," she said. "Being an athlete, there's a huge mental toll. That's not talked about a lot.
The Laguna Beach running back/defensive end scored two rushing touchdowns in a 48-0 win over Godinez Fundamental. Laguna Beach went 11-4, winning the Southern Section Division 9 title – its first in more than 70 years.
The senior doesn't have plans to play football beyond high school and intends to study psychology.
