Lena Gamble
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Season(s) Played with the Divas: 2013
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Other Experience: 2005 (New Orleans Blaze)
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Jersey Number: 11
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Position: LB
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Age: 33
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Height: 5-6
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Weight: 145
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Hometown: Washington, DC
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High School: Ballou HS (DC)
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College: Xavier University of Louisiana;
University of Alabama at Birmingham |
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Occupation: Biomedical Research Science – Field of Neuroscience,
National Institutes of Health |
Lena Gamble Q&A
Who was your childhood idol? Why?
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I loved Barry Sanders because he was simply phenomenal. I also loved Monica Seles because she was a great athlete. I had a great respect for several black authors – such as Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, and Maya Angelou – who wrote about the struggles that they endured growing up in a segregated America. All of these people, who were successful in their own niches, inspired me to find my niche and be successful, regardless of any hurdles I might have to overcome to do so. |
Who is your biggest supporter?
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My dad! He has always been supportive of everything that I do. He is especially supportive of me playing football. |
Who is your female sports idol?
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Pat Summitt…the winningest coach in college basketball! |
Who is your favorite NFL player? Why?
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Art Monk has always been my favorite player…I grew up watching the Redskins as my home team. I saw him week after week make incredible catches and work hard. I met him when he visited my elementary school, and he was very nice (and very tall!) I just loved watching him play. |
What are your favorite hobbies or special interests?
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Biking, reading, chess, and ultimate Frisbee. |
What is your favorite food?
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Pizza! |
How would you describe yourself in three words?
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Driven, disciplined, teachable. |
What are your lifetime aspirations?
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In the next five to six years, I will be living my dream of practicing medicine in a rural (probably Third World) setting. I am finishing my training for this goal now. |
What was the first sport you ever played?
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Football…in the yard every day for years, then on the playground, and now with the D.C. Divas! |
What is your sports background?
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I played football as a child until ninth grade, when the boys got bigger, taller, and faster with larger muscles and I didn’t! Then I played flag football a little in college. I played a season with the New Orleans Blaze in 2005 just prior to Hurricane Katrina. I have looked forward to returning to my hometown of DC and playing with the Divas since 2006. |
What is your favorite sports memory?
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I remember the first time I suited up with the New Orleans Blaze. We were practicing tackling drills, and I was a little scared because I had actually never played tackle before. However, once I got hit, I sat on the ground for a few seconds, and the thought that went through my head was, “That didn’t really hurt. This is going to be fun!” |
How did you hear about women’s football?
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I saw an ad in New Orleans, and I had to play…it’s what I’d wanted to do my entire life! I knew a girl who played on my high school team, but I was too small to play full-contact with the boys so that wasn’t an option for me. |
Why do you want to play women’s football?
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Because it is fun, it’s exciting, and I’ve always wanted to play. |