At 5-feet-6, 145 pounds, Lisa Horton carries a small frame, but she's building a big legacy.

The former Slippery Rock University graduate student and assistant softball coach finished second in passing in the 37-team National Women's Football Association this spring. She threw for 1,274 yards, 10 touchdowns and only three interceptions for the Pittsburgh Passion.

Horton's football season didn't end when the Passion's season did. She went on to play for the Pittsburgh Colts, a men's semi-pro team, this summer.

"I never expected to get into a game with them," Horton said. "I took part in their practices primarily for the conditioning, to make myself better for the Passion."

Horton dressed as the Colts' No. 2 quarterback for a few games and played in two. She completed five of eight passes for 52 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

The touchdown pass was 20 yards to Dennis Biggs against the Michigan Renegades - and it was the first touchdown pass ever thrown by a woman in a men's semi-pro football league in the United States.

"Someone made me aware of that the week after it happened," Horton said. "It's kind of cool."

Horton linked up with the Colts through assistant coach Joe Fishel. A Butler resident, Fishel coaches tight ends and wide receivers for the Passion and special teams for the Colts.

Colts head coach Ed Brosky saw Horton play in a Passion game and asked Fishel to talk to her about joining the Colts.

"She was hesitant at first," Fishel said. "Lisa tends to think of the worst possible scenarios when it comes to something like this.

"I had to talk her into it. I think she's glad I did. That touchdown pass is special. A woman kicked an extra point in a (men's) semi-pro league something like 35 years ago. That's been it," he added.

Fishel said Horton was not designated the team's No. 2 quarterback when she joined the Colts.

"Our second-string quarterback was from New York City and had just graduated from Robert Morris with a master's degree," he said. "He wasn't always available for games. When he wasn't, Lisa was the No. 2.

"She knew she wasn't going to start. She just wanted to play more football."

Horton said she was well received by her new teammates.

"The guys have been nothing but supportive," she said. "They treated me the same as any other player. They were impressed by the fact I played in front of 3,000-plus people."

The Passion averaged 3,500 fans per home game last season. The Colts averaged between 500 and 1,000.

Horton played and coached softball at SRU. She coached softball at Thiel College. She is the health and wellness director for the YMCA in downtown Pittsburgh and developed the Passion's strength and conditioning manual.

Horton threw for only 300 yards in 2003, when the Passion finished 2-6. She led the team to a 6-2 record this spring.

"The first year was like we were all freshmen starting a new sport," Horton said. "We got our feet wet, learned some plays, then got a lot better under a new system this past year.

"Now everybody knows the system. The next goal is the playoffs."