Lauren Silberman will participate in the regional combine as a kicker, becoming the first female participant.

Silberman was a club soccer player at Wisconsin and subsequently wrote a Master's thesis at MIT on how athletes use video games to improve their own performance.

"I was not aware that I was the first female registrant," Silberman told NFL.com on Tuesday. "I was actually hoping that the 2012 historical milestone rule, to allow women to play, would prompt more women to attend tryouts this year. But for me, what's important is to finally have a chance to fulfill my dreams by trying out to play in the world's most competitive football league."