Florida teen gets her chance to play QB
PLANTATION, Fla. — The third-string quarterback for South Plantation High School wears No. 13 as a tribute to Dan Marino, and her parents met at a Miami Dolphins game. She has been known to play football in parking lots.
She also has a ponytail sticking out of her helmet.
Here are Erin Dimeglio’s stats from Friday night: No passes, no yards, no touchdowns, and that’s all irrelevant. The senior is believed to be the first female to play quarterback for a Florida high school team, after taking two snaps — handing the ball off both times — in a 31-14 win over Nova High.
“To us, she’s a pretty humble, regular kid,” said Kathleen Dimeglio, Erin’s mother.
Humble, maybe. Regular, that’s debatable.
Dimeglio’s typical day goes like this: Awake at 6 a.m., out by 7:15 for high school, over to nearby Broward College — she’s taking 12 credits this fall, after earning 15 last year, meaning she’ll be a college sophomore before long — around midday, back to high school for football practice, and home at 8:30 p.m. Homework until 10:30. Then sleep.
After the family dinner, dishes await her. No special treatment for the quarterback when it comes to family chores.
Frankly, she doesn’t want special treatment, anywhere.
“I’m just out here to prove myself,” said Erin Dimeglio, a babysitter when she’s not studying or playing quarterback. “I’m going to prove it by doing it on the field.”
