Football
Scripps Howard News Service 18y

Hnida's memoir details time as college kicker

Former University of New Mexico football player Katie Hnida is
adding another chapter to her comeback story.

Hnida, who was a Lobos backup kicker from 2000-03, recently completed her memoir. In it, she chronicles the abuse and sexual assault she endured while on the University of Colorado football team -- then the redemption of transferring to UNM and becoming the first woman to score a point in a Division I football game.

The book, titled "Still Kicking: My Dramatic Journey as the First Woman to Play Division One College Football" is scheduled to be released Nov. 21 by Scribner, a division of the Simon and Schuster
publishing house.

Hnida's agent Bob Barnett took her to meet with a series of New York publishers after she completed her eligibility at New Mexico in December 2004. NCAA rules precluded her from accepting any book or movie deals while she was still playing for the Lobos.

Barnett also represents Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton whose books
Scribner has published. That set up a natural partnership for Hnida
and the publishing house.

"We all fell in love with Katie almost immediately," said Beth
Wareham, vice president and director of lifestyle publishing at
Scribner. "We had all read her material and a very resilient, tough
voice came through the work that we all liked enormously. She's been
through a great deal and doesn't feel sorry for herself. She is a
woman breaking a barrier; she is a fighter."

Wareham declined to release any details about Hnida's contract with
the company, including how much she was paid for the memoir.

She said Hnida wrote the book, accepting comments from Scribner
editors. Now the memoir is being typeset and promoted nationwide.

The publishing company's Web site lists $24 as the price for the
hardcover edition of Hnida's 242-page book.

In addition to working on her memoir, Hnida has spent the past two
years delivering lectures about her experience and urging others to
speak out against sexual assault. She won an award from the National
Organization for Women for her work.

Scribner representatives said Hnida, now 25, is still pursuing her
goal of playing professional football.

Hnida first turned heads as a prolific kicker at Chatfield High in
Littleton, Colo. She seemed to lead a charmed existence as homecoming
queen and football star.

Her success was chronicled by Sports Illustrated columnist Rick
Reilly. She was named Colorado Sportswoman of the Year and one of the
20 most influential teens in America by Teen People.

Former Colorado coach Rick Neuheisel invited Hnida to try out for
the Buffaloes, but he left for Washington before she arrived on
campus. His successor, Gary Barnett, told the Albuquerque Tribune in
August 2003 he reluctantly honored Neuheisel's offer.

"If I had it to do over again, I would have said 'No,"' Gary
Barnett said.

Hnida kept her tumultuous experience at Colorado quiet initially,
but she spoke up about it when other women said they had been raped by
CU players.

She eventually revealed that she was verbally and physically abused
by her Colorado teammates. She also said a teammate, whom she trusted
and considered a friend, raped her.

After Hnida's allegations, Barnett said he was never told about the
negative climate she faced on his team. He responded to a reporter's
question about Hnida's ability as a kicker, "It was obvious Katie was
not very good. She was awful. You know what guys do? They respect your
ability. You can be 90 years old, but if you can go out and play,
they'll respect you. Katie was not only a girl, she was terrible. OK?
There's no other way to say it."

Hnida never identified her attackers and no criminal charges have
been filed in connection with her allegations. Last year, Gary Barnett
accepted a $3 million buyout at Colorado.

Hnida left Colorado after one season, and walked on at New Mexico
in 2002. She said she was immediately embraced by the Lobos and never
had any problems with her new coaches and teammates.

Hnida became the first woman to attempt an extra point in the 2002
Las Vegas Bowl, but she missed.

She redeemed herself by nailing a pair of extra points during the
Lobos' 72-8 rout of Texas State-San Marcos in August 2003.

Hnida petitioned the NCAA for another year of eligibility to make
up for the hardships she endured at Colorado. Her request was granted
and she was on the roster for the 2004 season but never played again.

"I can't even begin to describe what it meant for me to come to
New Mexico and be part of this team," Hnida said in December 2004.
"They really helped me heal. They gave me such inner strength I never
imagined was possible. It was a beautiful experience that I am sad to
leave behind but will never forget."

Hnida's memoir is expected to include more details than previously
revealed about her experiences at Colorado and New Mexico.

"Since her leaders and teammates were all men, that made it even more interesting," Wareham said. "You look at coach [Rocky] Long at the University of New Mexico and coach Barnett at CU, and it is
a black and white portrait of how to lead and how not to lead.

"It's the same with her teammates. The players in New Mexico were committed to her and her goal and operated like a team. The players at CU threw footballs at her head ... In the end, it's not men versus women, it's an exercise in humanity and what is possible."

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