The last stand, the last tackle

“I’m Grubby, I’m 51. I’ve played football for 11 years and I couldn’t imagine my life without it”

Carol’s story is a tale of football and resilience. Her teammates simply know her as ‘Grubby’. She locked down a starting middle linebacker job after just two weeks of practice back in 2001, when women’s tackle football was in its infancy.

“Football for the most part defines who I am”

A sporting genesis that ‘Grubby’ evolved through love and passion, sacrifices and suffering. Hundreds of tackles and one brief retirement later, she was back for one final season with the Philadelphia Firebirds.

Steve Boyle in these images and short film portrays the last moments of her career. These are the faces and words of the girls who were inspired by Grubby.

“Her (Grubby’s) shoes are too big to ever fill”