Lauren Silberman's bid to become the first woman to play in the NFL
The 28 year-old Silberman hurt her right quadriceps while preparing for the try-out earlier in the week, and attributed her struggles to that injury.
"I tried staying off it and waited for today," she said. "I didn't even take kicks in warm-ups, and, it's pretty hard to know that you'll be in pain, and I wanted to work through it and I certainly tried to, but I just couldn't do it today.
"I'm just really happy I had this amazing experience. I might be the first woman trying out for the NFL, but I certainly hope I'm not the last."
With the 36 other kickers - all male - a handful of scouts and more than two dozen media watching in complete silence at the New York Jets' practise facility, Silberman winced as she attempted her first kick-off and the ball travelled only 19 yards.
She grabbed at her right leg, and then struggled for about 20 seconds to place the football on the tee before measuring her steps and trying a second kick. It went about 13 yards.
