Spencer Homes Female Athlete Of Month For Tigers: Emma Birkenmeyer Makes Edwardsville Sports History By Signing To Play Flag Football

EDWARDSVILLE - Emma Birkenmeyer, who led the Tigers in many defensive statistics in helping the girls' flag football team to a very successful 15-2 inaugural season, has signed a letter of intent to play for Purdue-Northwest in Hammond, Ind.

Birkenmeyer made Edwardsville sports history by becoming the first player from the flag football team to sign to play in college, and she was a key player in helping the Tigers go to the IHSA state tournament, where Edwardsville lost to Chicago Perspectives/Leadership Charter School 14-13 on Oct. 17 of last year at Willowbrook High School in Villa Park.

Birkenmeyer was a linebacker and an anchor of the Edwardsville defense, and was second on the team in pulling off the opponents' flags, having 87 pulls, 85 of them solo efforts. She also picked off seven passes for returns of 79 yards, and also had a quarterback sack as the Tigers enjoyed a very successful first year.

Birkenmeyer had simple reasons for signing with the Lions to play flag football, an up-and-coming sport, not only in Illinois, but in the St. Louis area and across the nation as well.

"I have only been playing one season," Birkenmeyer said. "My high school coach (Taylor Hay) hosted a showcase, and so, I looked at schools, and I reached out to multiple schools, and Purdue was my very top school. I like the academics, I like the location, and I really liked how the coach (Micah Lewis) was. He came down, he talked to me, and then I went down to visit. It was kind of, like my biggest one, and I was a senior, and I didn't have a whole lot of time. But I'm very, very happy at Purdue-Northwest."

Birkenmeyer will bring much to the Lions, who went 6-3 during the past season.

"I think, as a linebacker, I bring very strong and secure line play," Birkenmeyer said, "and I'm really excited to help defend. I love defending; I defend in soccer, and I'm a goalkeeper. And I love being that stable presence, and I love to use my voice. And so, I can bring a lot of leadership and strong support for the team on the defensive line."

She considered other schools, but Purdue-Northwest was a college she had her mind set on from the start.

"To be honest, I didn't really consider a whole lot," Birkenmeyer said. "Honestly, it was mainly Purdue, and it's really limited right now. I'm pretty sure there is only, maybe, two Division-I schools in the entire country. But Division-II-wise, there was only a few in the area, and honestly, Purdue is my biggest option. If not, I would have been happy playing club football somewhere, but I'm very happy being at Purdue. So, I did have a lot of options," she said with a laugh.

She also plans to major in business management, with a minor in special education, while at Purdue-Northwest.

Being the first player to sign with a college is a major accomplishment for the Tiger flag football program, and Hay couldn't have been any prouder of Birkenmeyer's signing.

"It is, and especially for Emma," Hay said, "because she had made the decision she was not going to play any sports in college. She had her dream school picked out, and flag kind of changed that for her, in a good way. She actually committed on Dec. 4, and so, we obviously had to wait for the official signing date, but she made the commitment to go, and she's really happy, she's really excited. It's only four hours away, so we've got to get our Purdue-Northwest gear and make an appearance," she said with a smile and laugh.

Hay feels that Birkenmeyer will also bring much to the Lions' table as well.

"Probably the same thing she brought for us," Hay said. "She's a natural-born leader, and she has a way of making all her teammates feel very comfortable, making sure everyone's included, and also being able to control the game when she's on the field. So, I think that's what Purdue-Northwest was looking for, and that's what they're getting. So, they're very excited as well."

Going to the state quarterfinals in their first year was a fantastic thing to happen to the Tigers' program, and Hay is looking to match that in the fall of 2026 - and perhaps beyond.

"Oh, it was awesome," Hay said. "And obviously, we want to mimic that for 2026, but obviously, win the state tournament alongside it. But we are super proud of the inaugural season, we're looking forward to summer workouts, and the fall season."

Birkenmeyer does a great job in bringing her teammates together and helps to make them feel important and appreciated, among other intangible things. That trait will be Hay's favorite memory of her single season on the team.

"Emma does great at bridging the gaps between her teammates," Hay said, "teammates that will never talk to each other outside of football. She does a great job of bridging those gaps, and obviously, being a soccer goalie on a flag football field, diving for every flag, and getting them. Sometimes, when she dives, I'm like 'there's no way she's going to get that.' And then, she does. So, just being uniquely herself and being successful at it. We're looking forward to watching her. The college season is in the spring, so we'll be able to travel in the spring and watch her play."

For Birkenmeyer's part, she was very proud to be a player and have a key role in the first season of Edwardsville flag football, and is looking ahead to playing at the next level.

"I'm really excited," Birkenmeyer said. "Although it was said that I would only have it for one year, I'm really happy I was a senior. I got to meet and help so many young girls learn the sport with me. I loved the coaches, and my head coach, Taylor. I loved competing, and I'm really excited.

"I think there are a lot of girls who are going to try out next year, and it's going to be a very, very big thing at Edwardsville. It's growing in the country; it's really, really big, and it's going to start picking up, probably through my whole college season. I'm really, really excited to see where it goes, and I'm excited to see all my teammates on my college team, my high school team, and see how everybody ends up, and see how things go in football."

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