J.P. Stevens' Marcella Iversen gets last dance as Marisa Rose Bowl all-star player

An accomplished dancer who trained at the Joffrey Ballet School, Marcella Iversen traded in her pointe shoes for a pair of cleats to fulfill a burning desire to play football.

The J.P. Stevens High School senior stopped dancing her sophomore year during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

“It just wasn’t the right fit for me,” she said. “I’d still go to classes here and there, but once I stopped dancing, I figured I‘ve been wanting to play football for so long, I might as well start now.”

Iversen hit the weights hard to build her slight 140-pound frame and went to the field almost daily with her father to practice in preparation of securing a roster spot.

She made the varsity team as a junior and one year later made history, becoming the second female student-athlete in New Jersey football lore to score a two-point conversion in a regular-season game.

Iversen will make history once again when she becomes the first female to play in the Bellamy and Sons Paving Marisa Rose Bowl on June 29 at Woodbridge High School’s Nicholas A. Priscoe Stadium.

Formerly known as the Snapple Bowl and Autoland Classic, the charity all-star football game has raised $736,000 for children in need since its inception in 1994.

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“Being selected to play in an all-star game that’s been going on so long is really an honor to me,” Iversen said. “I really don’t think about being the first (female player) but being able to open a door for other girls in the sport lets others know, if she can do it, I can do it.”

Iversen said her years of training in myriad genres of dance prepared her well for the position of wideout, which she will play in the Marisa Rose Bowl. Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Lynn Swann credits years of ballet lessons with helping him become one of the game’s greatest receivers.

“Ballet definitely helped with my agility for sure,” said Iversen, noting the art form demands other skills that transfer to the gridiron including discipline and body control. “Football footwork came easier because of my dance.”

Beyond a single cut, Iversen didn’t need to make any other fancy steps when she scored on a two-point conversion run during a game against South Plainfield last season.

“Everybody did their job,” Iversen explained of the offensive line on the inside zone run. “I had a wide-open hole and I just booked into the end zone. (Teammates) were all over me. It was a really big moment and one I’ll remember forever.”

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Iversen said she expressed a desire to play football in the fourth grade, telling her mother she wanted to join the Shamrocks, North Edison’s Pop Warner program.

Seven years later, Iversen got her chance. The Hawks immediately embraced Iversen, who was as committed and dedicated as any player on the squad. She earned the respect of teammates and coaches with a tireless work ethic and relentless desire to learn.

“I was really welcomed in,” Iversen said. “I didn’t have any problems on my team with anybody being disrespectful. I was really fortunate. The coaches treated me the same and so did my teammates.”

Joe Rovito, who coached Iversen for two years at J.P. Stevens, recalled her arriving in the weight room for the first time as a rising junior.

“She was the only female there,” Rovito said. “I told her, ‘If any of these guys make you uncomfortable, let me know.’ She said, ‘Coach, I can handle myself. I’m good.’ Right then and there I knew we were good to go. She doesn’t want to be treated any differently, which I think is awesome.”

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All those years of dancing clearly paid off for Iversen, whose lower body strength impressed teammates and the coaching staff. Rovito said Iversen’s leg strength “was just as strong as the guys,” noting she box squatted 405 pounds.

Rovito said Iversen, who he also employed as a defensive back, learned pass routes with the skill of an experienced dancer quickly grasping choreography. In addition to practicing with the team, Iversen also trained on her own time with a former NFL player.

Iversen was nominated for a USA Football Heart of a Giant Award, which honors tri-state area football players who demonstrate dedication, commitment, character, teamwork, and an unmatched love for the game.

As a finalist for the award, Iversen secured a $1,000 grant for the J.P. Stevens football program and was invited to attend a regular-season New York Giants game as an honoree.

Iversen continued her fancy footwork during the outdoor track and field season, excelling in the triple jump and long jump, events for which her dance training also prepared her well.

Iversen said she wants to represent the J.P. Stevens program strong in the Marisa Rose Bowl, but understands the all-star game is about more than shining on the field.

She particularly likes the charity component of the contest, from which all proceeds will benefit The Marisa Tufaro Foundation, PSE&G Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick and the Edison-based Lakeview School, a program of the New Jersey Institute for Disabilities.

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“Giving back to different charities is something I’ve always done,” said Iversen, who has supported food banks, animal shelters and other causes. “I’m happy to be a part of something that gives back to people who need it most.”

Playing alongside high school teammates Saket Pabba and Curtis Good on Team Rose in the intra-Middlesex County all-star game against Team Marisa will give the J.P. Stevens trio a final chance to win a game. The Hawks are in the midst of a 30-game losing streak with their last victory coming in 2018.

“I’m proud of them,” Rovito said of his three all-stars. “During their high school careers, they didn’t get the opportunity to experience a win. Going through tough times teaches life lessons. That’s what we talked about as a team.”

Owner of a weighted 3.9 grade-point average who took several advanced placement courses, Iversen will attend Louisiana State University this fall in pursuit of becoming an entrepreneur with the hope of one day establishing her own athletics wear brand.

For now, Iverson seems content to have traded her tutu and ballet slippers for shoulder pads and a helmet.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: J.P. Stevens' Marcella Iversen gets last dance at Marisa Rose Bowl