Former Hamilton Resident a Football Star ... And it's Not Mark Murphy

RFH 2010, Cover Stories, News

Sun, Feb 06, 2011

Mark Murphy -- who once played football for Colgate and then was its athletic director after a great NFL career -- is not the only former Hamiltonian in the pro football spotlight these days. Murphy is president of the Green Bay Packers, who play the Pittsburgh Steelers this evening after a week of bad weather and non-stop hoopla.

And, while today's Super Bowl may be the biggest show in sports at the moment, former HCS student Liz Gorman is also making a name for herself on the gridiron. She is also helping establish her team as one of the best in the sport.

Gorman, who spent her early high school years here, was last year's defensive player of the year in the LFL, the Lingerie Football League. The Lingerie Bowl is a pay-per-view event to air from Las Vegas during halftime of the Super Bowl tonight.

Stop snickering.

Gorman said she prefers to think of the LFL as the Ladies Football League, and suggests others do too because it is a lot more than gorgeous women in scanty uniforms.

"A uniform is a uniform," said Gorman. "It doesn't make the sport and it doesn't make the player. We want to be known for our athletic ability and not what we look like."

Gorman plays defense -- safety and linebacker -- for the very successful Tampa Breeze, one of the top teams in the league made up of 10 teams in two divisions spread around the country. Her Facebook page and the team and league's websites feature her prominently, sometimes flying thru the air to make a tackle.

Yes, a tackle. The LFL is full contact and very similar in nature to Arena Football. It is played indoors with seven players per side and most of the teams are coached by former NFL players or coaches. Gorman and her teammates on the Breeze are coached by Yo Murphy, an NFL journeyman receiver who also did a stint in the XFL.

LFL players wear hockey-style helmets and shoulderpads. And, their uniforms are a bit like Victoria's Secret meets Under Armour. Hence, the league's name. But, Gorman, who was an athlete for HCS while she lived here, dismisses the uniforms as a gimmick to get fan attention.

"This is just like any other sport," said Gorman. "It's just a different uniform. It still requires discipline and structure and hard work.

"I'd like to see some NFL player out there in pads and a Speedo," jokes Gorman, who also works for an office equipment company and models. In fact, it was her work as a model that sparked her interest in the LFL.

"Another model I know was on the team and I thought it would be a good workout, just a way to stay in shape," she said.

But, the competitive spirit Gorman developed at HCS in 2000-2001 and in college took over. After HCS, Gorman moved to California where she graduated from high school and played soccer in college there and then transferred to Florida Southern.

And, today, being an LFL star does not mean she is even close to being on a par with her NFL counterparts. Working three jobs, Gorman is up and out out the house by 7:30 a.m. and after work, model assignments and practices with the Breeze, she returns well after 10 p.m.

Still, it's worth it. Gorman said that playing football -- and "having scars all over my body from the turf -- is more than worth it.