Faithful Ellen DeGeneres fans on campus got a treat Tuesday when LSU senior soccer goalkeeper Mo Isom strode on stage during “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”
Isom discussed her attempts to join the LSU football team, yet it was never mentioned that she didn’t make the cut this spring.
The segment began with a clip of Isom on a field, talking about her dream to land a spot on the football team, as well as shots of campus monuments.
“When I realized I could kick the skin off a football, I decided to try. The guys took me under their wing right away,” said Isom, who will re-audition for a spot on the team this fall. “It’s so much fun. It’s a whole other level of intensity.”
Isom told DeGeneres she wanted to join the team because she was raised to love football as a child.
“I grew up in a football culture,” she said. “I’ve always loved sports; my dad was a football player. I’ve always been competitive and athletic.”
Isom said she enjoys trying to “pull off the impossible,” but it took her a while to learn the new skill.
“It’s very different from kicking a soccer ball,” she said. “It’s completely different mechanics.”
Isom said she received positive responses from the team’s coaching staff and players, and they were “too excited” to get involved right away.
“I hope a lot of young women are listening to this right now,” DeGeneres said. “You don’t want this to seem like a publicity stunt; you really, really want to make this team.”
Isom’s segment ended with shots of her kicking field goals on a studio lot. She gave the audience a final piece of advice before the show came to an end.
“The only thing more dangerous than allowing others to put limitations on what you can achieve is allowing yourself to believe them,” she said. “Go where your passion is.”
 
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Contact Rachel Warren at [email protected].