A woman's place? On the field

Army Reservist savors chance to suit up for Wolves

Scott Shafer  —  6/11/2008 5:47 am

A suited-up Tiffany Loomis stands outside the locker room watching the dark clouds swirl to the north. Unlike some of her teammates, she's not playing amateur meteorologist.

"I'm ready to play. I want to get out there and hit someone," says Loomis, releasing the hearty laugh she gets chided for. "McGee (Steffes) and I got a bet going on who's gonna get the dirtiest. The cleanest has to buy the other a beer."

Loomis takes the wet field ahead of her Wisconsin Wolves teammates for what could be her final home game as a professional football player. An Army Reserve specialist when not breaking up passes, Loomis is a likely candidate to be deployed.

"I'm not worried about it," says Loomis, who enlisted in 2003 and has three years left on her eight-year commitment. "I was more anxious about it after training when all you heard was that you'd be deployed right away, but I'm ready if or when it happens."

Due to a tornado warning in Madison, the start of the game against the Kansas City Tribe has been delayed 30 minutes. Loomis and her teammates stretch as a second storm builds to the south. Moments later, the sky opens up and the siren sounds, sending the players, coaches, and fans scrambling for cover.

A 5-year-old Loomis fell in love with football while playing with her male cousins and neighbors in Decorah, Iowa. She played organized football in middle school and considered playing at high school.

"I was going to play my freshman year, but the guys all grew 6 inches and gained like 50 pounds. At that point, the head coach wasn't into letting women play football, so I just let it go," says the 5-foot-3 Loomis, whose success in high school softball led to an athletic scholarship at Iowa Central Community College.

Loomis, a third-year veteran with the Wolves, has the assignment of covering Tribe wide receiver Rusty Sowers, a former Division I basketball player at Southeast Missouri State, and the 2006 MVP for the Iowa Crush.

The Tribe goes three-and-out on its first series without a passing attempt. Loomis remains on the field to play offense as a receiver, something she always does somewhat reluctantly.

"I was so mad last year when they made me play offense," says Loomis, who ironically dislikes it because she could be hit. "I would rather hit than get hit any day. When you're going to hit somebody you can plan for it. If I was bigger, I would want to be a linebacker. I like to hit people."

Loomis was talked into playing offense by her defensive backfield partners, Stacy Dodge and Steffes, who also play both sides of the ball. Dodge's season is over after an early-season injury. Loomis talks about the two as if they are family.

"It's a bond that I can't even explain," Loomis says. "I get creamed and Dodge is there laughing at me. I dislocate my pinkie and I yell for her to come over and then she yells for McGee, who puts it in place for me."

"In all honesty, I won't likely be playing next year. We don't play football for each other, but having them there makes that decision to show up every day for practice easy. We see each other every day and when we're not together, we're on the phone-- usually talking football."

"It's going to be hard. It's going to be really hard for me," Dodge says before the game about Loomis' likely departure. "It's not something we talk a lot about; I think next week will bring it home a little more because it will be the last game. It's going to be hard, really hard."

Despite her preference to play defense, Loomis makes an immediate impact on offense, pulling in a fourth-down pass on the Wolves' first possession to move the chains and keep the drive alive.

Two plays later, Steffes slips free in the end zone and catches a Petra Olsen pass to put the Wolves up 7-0 after the kick.

On the ensuing kickoff, Loomis makes the tackle, finally getting her uniform dirty. Four minutes later, Olsen again finds Steffes open in the end zone to extend the lead to 13.

On the touchdown, Wolves lineman Heather Kusel goes down and isn't getting up. After a long delay she's eventually carted off the field and taken to the hospital for precautionary measures. Loomis watches alongside defensive coach Willie Hull.

"I've aged in my three years. I have to tape both my ankles now," says Loomis, 29. "It's intense. After a game day, sometimes even Saturday night, I feel like I've been in a car accident, repeatedly."

The penultimate play of the first half sees Loomis catching a pass over the middle, dragged down by four Tribe players. Loomis ends the half with two catches, two passes knocked down and having held Sowers to zero receptions.

As the teams file out of the locker room for the second half, Loomis is not among them.

With 13:55 remaining in the third quarter, Loomis emerges from the locker room, helmet on, flanked by an inactive teammate and the team's head athletic trainer, Sheri Almquist.

"I might be done," she shouts, her red gloves off. "It's my left knee; I hurt it on that last play over the middle."

Her limp is more noticeable as she gets closer to the bench.

Teammate Rachael Fishman, out of breath from the previous play, runs over to Loomis. "What happened?" she says.

"It's my knee," Loomis answers. "I think I'm done. It hurts. I think I hyperextended it."

They are words Loomis will repeat to about five other teammates. Fishman's colorful language lets her know she'll be dearly missed.

Loomis bends to test out her throbbing right knee, wincing on her way up. "I can't even bend it, but if it (the game) gets close, I'll need to reconsider." Almquist shakes her head at Loomis' optimism as she walks away to grab some ice.

Deep in their own territory, Loomis' assignment, Sowers, catches a 15-yard slant pass in front of Steffes to keep the Tribe's drive alive.

Loomis takes a seat on the empty bench to have her knee wrapped. Wolves co-owner Mary Dearth joins her as Almquist tends to the injured player.

"Well, this is only the first time I've hurt it this year," Loomis says to Dearth. Loomis has had an MRI exam on both knees since joining the club in 2005, four years after moving to Madison.

Neither team scores as the third quarter comes to an end. Loomis wanders around the sideline, her helmet still on.

During another injury timeout early in the final quarter, an exhausted Steffes makes her way to the bench, looking for water. Loomis joins her and dispenses some advice.

"She only does two breaks. Play her 5 yards off. Backpedal and read the play," suggests Loomis, who spends her free time reviewing game tape sent over by the opponent.

Loomis doesn't know it yet, but the Tribe is about to score, her advice perhaps not heeded.

A quick pass underneath to Sowers, now covered by Loomis' backup, Val Vechinski, has Loomis up and shouting out instructions.

Two plays later, Sowers gets behind Steffes for a score. The Tribe is within six after the kick. Loomis walks over to Almquist, who helps remove the bandage and takes the now-melted bag of ice. Just under eight minutes remain in the game.

Loomis puts on her red gloves as the defense takes the field.

Three consecutive running plays produce a first down for the visitors. Loomis can't stand still.

The Tribe is driving, and at the two-minute warning, it has a first-and-10 on the Wolves' 35-yard line, down six points.

An offensive penalty and a timely blitz force the Tribe to go for it on fourth-and-5. Second-year player Brigid Mullen, who stepped into the starting lineup for Dodge earlier this year, breaks up the pass to preserve the 13-7 victory.

"I said, 'Sheri, if they get in that red zone I'm going in," says a relieved Loomis, letting out her boisterous laugh.

After greeting the fans that braved the unpredictable weather, Loomis makes her way over to Steffes, who is talking to Dodge. They compare uniforms. "You still owe me a beer," she shouts to Steffes, whose jersey is surprisingly cleaner. All three are laughing.

Loomis is not ready to be sentimental about the season ending and the possibility of never playing with Steffes and Dodge again.

"It really hasn't sunk in yet," says Loomis, who hopes her knee will be good enough to go this week against the undefeated Chicago Force. "It's going to be sad. I'll be riding down with these guys (Steffes and Dodge), though."

Loomis finally takes off her helmet and her gloves, which she borrowed from Steffes. The three continue to talk football as they walk off the field.

Scott Shafer  —  6/11/2008 5:47 am