Now in its fifth year, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have named the recipients of the 2024 Buccaneers Girls in Football Scholarship. Created in 2020, the scholarship is a first-of-its-kind, designed to benefit graduating female high school football players pursuing a career in sports. This year's scholarship winners are Clarissa Davis (Missouri Southern State University), Rachel Drake (University of Georgia), MeKalah Haywood (Ohio State University) and Danielle Musry (Bowdoin College).
"The Buccaneers Girls in Football Scholarship is one of the many ways that we work to keep young women in the game of football," said Buccaneers Chief Impact Officer Kourtney Sanchez. "It is incredibly gratifying to play a small part along their educational journeys and we could not be more excited for these four exceptional young women as they begin their college careers."
On the field, Davis was a 2x NFL Flag National Championship qualifier as a member of the Kansas City Shockers. As a senior, she served as the Vice President of Communications for Missouri HOSA, an international student organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for future health professionals and served as the President of her school's chapter. She was also named the Staley High School Valedictorian for the Class of 2024.
A native of Buford, Ga, Drake played linebacker on the Mountain View High School flag football team for four seasons, earning Scholar Athlete honors. She also served as the Editor-in-Chief of her school's news magazine and a member of BETA Club, a nationally recognized honor society where she held multiple leadership positions and was eventually named President.
A graduate of Addison Trail High School in Addison, Ill., Haywood was instrumental in her school offering girls flag football, identifying both players and coaches on the way to forming their inaugural team. She served as team captain, earning All-State and All-Conference honors. She also served as the President of the Letterman's Club and was a Co-Founder of the school's Black Student Union.
Rounding out this year's recipients, Musry is a Tampa native and graduate of Sickles High School, serving as the captain of the program's flag football team. In addition, she held multiple leadership roles on the Hillsborough County Youth Leadership Council, including serving as President. While at Sickles, she participated in the Buccaneer Girls Flag Football Preseason Classic on three occasions.
The Girls in Football Scholarship, made possible through a $250,000 commitment from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Foundation, was established for graduating high school seniors participating in a form of organized football with plans to enroll in a full-time accredited four-year college or university. Candidates were required to have earned a minimum 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) during their high school academic career and were asked to submit essays on how they planned to use their future career to make a positive impact in the sports industry.
The recipients of the fifth annual Buccaneers Girls in Football Scholarship:
Clarissa Davis (Kansas City, MO)
Attending: Missouri Southern State University (Exercise Science and Psychology)
High School: Staley High School
Future Plans: Davis will be pursuing a degree in exercise science with the hopes of becoming a Doctor of Physical Therapy working predominantly with female athletes.
Rachel Drake (Buford, GA)
Attending: University of Georgia (Sport Management)
High School: Mountain View High School
Future Plans: Drake wishes to pursue a career in sports law and eventually establish a charitable foundation that supports girls in lower income communities who are interested in playing sports.
MeKalah Haywood (Addison, IL)
Attending: Ohio State University (Computer Science)
High School: Addison Trail High School
Future Plans: Haywood hopes to obtain a degree in Computer Science and to eventually develop software to ease the burden on officials across football and basketball.
Danielle Musry (Tampa, FL)
Attending: Bowdoin College (Law)
High School: Sickles High School
Future Plans: Musry will attend school on a pre-law track with the ultimate goal of opening her own law firm focused on civil and sports law.
