Burn runs past Phoenix in season-opening victory

Football is traditionally a man’s game, but Roman rushes for the Baltimore Burn of the National Women’s Football Association.

On Saturday, the Burn opened its seventh season and beat the Philadelphia Phoenix, 6-0, thanks to a 38-yard third-quarter touchdown run by Roman.

“It’s all about having fun,” Roman said. “I played basketball all my life and just came out and saw what I could to do.”

The Burn rely on players who have regular jobs during the day, practice two times a week and play in games on Saturdays.

“We have dentists on here, correctional officers, loan officers, people from every walk of life,” head coach and owner Adrian Mobley said. “We even have a pediatrician on the team. They are athletes, they look for the next challenge and this is it.”

Life would be more convenient without playing football, but the players love the feeling of the hits under the lights. They love the feeling of watching Roman break free to score the game-winning touchdown, and they love it so much they will go to their day jobs mangled because they ignored injuries and played.

On Saturday, one player who showed this passion was defensive end Cynthia Tyson, who also kicked, made tackles and even blocked a key punt.

“She had a real good game, but she played with a shoulder dislocated and a twisted ankle,” defensive coordinator Ato Grice said. “That’s the type of heart you have with the ladies out here on this team … it’s definitely hard to work a nine to five and it’s definitely hard to play football, so to do both is outstanding.”

The score on the rainy night was low, but for the couple hundred fans in attendance at Southwestern High School and for the women playing, it was football. And for the players whose sole income comes from elsewhere, making football plays and competing with their teammates is enough fuel to keep coming back.

“Once an athlete always an athlete,” Roman said. “I love it, we’re not just a team, we’re a family.”