American LFL player “fell into” lingerie team role – Regina Leader

Heather Furr never planned to be a lingerie football player, but two years after her first crack at the sport she is a key player for two teams. When the Saskatoon Sirens host the Regina Rage this evening at Credit Union Centre, she’ll play both wide receiver and safety for the home team.

After playing college basketball at Valparaiso University and Elmhurst College, the native of Plainfield, Illinois was playing semi-pro hoops with an eye towards a professional career overseas. Then in 2010 the Lingerie Football League’s Chicago Bliss were looking for players.

“I kind of just fell into the tryout. My friend knew somebody who would be coaching the offensive side of the ball, and she said, ‘Heather, you have to try out,’ and I did,� said Furr.

At first she was worried about the league’s uniforms, which include bras, bikini bottoms and garters.

“That was my number one concern actually, but once I went to tryouts I knew this was going to be legit football,� she said.

She stuck with it, and not only made the team but was named the LFL’s MVP in her rookie season.

With two full seasons in Chicago under her belt, Furr is completely past her early concerns about the equipment.

“After you put on the uniform and go through the daily tasks on game day, taking pictures and basically walking around in it, you forget about it, especially when you step out on that football field,� she said.

While she admits there are some fans who have no interest in the football, and come just to see minimally-dressed women, she also said many people change their minds after seeing a game in action.

“I think for the majority of the fans, once they realize we are playing real football, they can still appreciate the fact that we are wearing lingerie, but on the other side of that coin, they also love the fact that we are hitting and playing football,� said Furr.

Furr is one of four American women who are flown in by the league to play for the Sirens. When she was first offered the gig she posted about it on Facebook, and was surprised to learn that two of her uncles, ironworkers from Illinois, actually live in Saskatoon and work at a nearby potash mine.

“I just knew they were in Canada, but Canada is huge!� she said.

Furr spends as little as one day with the team when it’s time for a game. It’s a challenging scenario in terms of team chemistry, especially given the amount of moving parts in a football team.

“It is tough, but you have to be able to trust the people you’re playing with. Everyone has their job, and as long as they do what they’re responsible for everything should go smoothly,� she said.

According to Sirens head coach Chris Lambiris, technology like Skype has made the situation a lot easier. Furr and the other imports still practice with their American LFL teams, who are in their off-season.

“Their teams (in the US) will actually run our plays in practice, and let them practise for our games, so they’re not missing out on practice time,� said Lambiris.

“It is a unique situation for me, one I haven’t been involved in, but it’s definitely worked out a lot better than I thought it would.�

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