Howell's Friedman Nominated For Heart Of A Giant Football Honor

HOWELL, NJ — For years, Megan Friedman has heard that "girls can't play football."

"I knew if I showed up every day and worked as hard as I could, I could be a player equal to the boys on the field," said Friedman, a senior at Howell High School who started playing football in seventh grade. "I told myself I was playing a sport like any other athlete on the field and every day I gave it 100 percent."

The Howell defensive back, who ran cross country and track for three years before pursuing the game she loves this year as a senior, has been nominated for the 2019 USA Football Heart of a Giant Award. The program honors student-athletes who fulfill the program's key definitions of commitment, character, dedication, will and teamwork.

Friedman is one of the Week 2 nominees for the program, presented by Hospital for Special Surgery and the New York Giants.

Friedman was training and working to build relationships with her teammates and coaches when she tore her ACL and meniscus, ending her season.

"Megan has not wavered in her dedication to the team," Howell coach Luke Sinkhorn said. "She is at most of our events and practices outside of her physical therapy and has provided inspiration and motivation for the coaches and players to continue to work hard."

"To me, having the Heart of a Giant means standing strong and always having the will to believe in yourself. Many people told me 'girls don’t play football' and that I should continue to run cross country, where I would have been named captain, as I had done the past three years of high school. But football is a sport I love," Friedman said. "I never asked for easier tasks, or breaks or special treatment."

"The will and tenacity it required (to go out for the football team this year in the face of opposition) is as useful a skill off the field as it was on. When you’re dealing with an injury it’s difficult to not give in to all the negative thoughts, but I’ve been an athlete my entire life and that’s not going to change," Friedman said. "I’m going to stay positive, constantly rehab my knee and work hard so that I can compete in my last season of high school track, and hopefully continue my running career at the collegiate level."

"I believe that you can accomplish anything if you are willing to work for it," Friedman said, adding that she first started playing football in 7th grade.

"Everyone assumed I would be the weak link on the field. I trained hard, played harder. I listened, I learned and I became a really great asset on defense," she said, calling football "a great equalizer."

"It taught me that your fears will always follow you unless you stop being afraid. Once I realized that it didn’t matter if I failed but rather if I learned from the failure, I became one of the best players on the field," she said.

In addition to running varsity cross country and track for three years, Friedman played softball in the Howell Girls Softball League, and currently is a member of Howell High School's student government, student council, Key Club, C.A.R.E club (Caring Adolescent “Rebel” Enthusiasts ) and S.A.D.D (Students Against Destructive Decisions). She volunteers with Girl Scouts of Jersey Shore Troop 370 "to teach young girls that through hard work they can achieve anything," and assists with special needs riders in therapeutic horseback riding at Riding High Horse Barn.

She also volunteers with the Change The Statistics 5K and walk started by her classmate, Shane Reitsma, dedicated to suicide prevention by fighting bullying and helping those struggling with addiction, depression and PTSD.

The Heart of a Giant program honors athletes and their schools. Voting for Friedman will be open for 25 days with final vote tally determining each week's finalist. One grand prize winner will be selected from among six finalists based on video submissions stating why they have the Heart of a Giant. The grand prize winner will be honored on the field during a New York Giants’ home game. All six finalists and four honorable mention finalists will receive $1,000 for their high school’s football program, with the grand prize winner’s school getting an additional $9,000.

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