Lena Gamble


	Season(s) Played with the Divas: 2013
	Other Experience: 2005 (New Orleans Blaze)
	Jersey Number: 11
	Position: LB	Age: 33
	Height: 5-6	Weight: 145
	Hometown: Washington, DC
	High School: Ballou HS (DC)
	College: Xavier University of Louisiana; University of Alabama at Birmingham
	Occupation: Biomedical Research Science – Field of Neuroscience, National Institutes of Health

Lena Gamble Q&A

Who was your childhood idol? Why?
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?
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?
Pat Summitt…the winningest coach in college basketball!
Who is your favorite NFL player? Why?
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?
Biking, reading, chess, and ultimate Frisbee.
What is your favorite food?
Pizza!
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Driven, disciplined, teachable.
What are your lifetime aspirations?
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?
Football…in the yard every day for years, then on the playground, and now with the D.C. Divas!
What is your sports background?
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?
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?
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?
Because it is fun, it’s exciting, and I’ve always wanted to play.