Krystal Gray first turned heads as a football player when she was 4 years old. That’s not about to stop when she suits up in the Lingerie Football League.

Gray, 23, is the quarterback for the New York Majesty, one of the 10 franchises in the Lingerie Football League that single-handedly redefines fantasy football.

The league kicks off a 22-game regular season in September of seven-on-seven contact football between women dressed in bikini tops and shorts.

That gives Gray little time to iron out the struggles involved in learning the position. She is mastering drop backs and learning to scramble.

Luckily, she’s used to playing safety.

“Before I was reading the offense,” she said. “Now I’ll be running it.”

Gray is referring to her previous 12-year career in youth football, which began with Niagara Wheatfield Amateur Athletics.

When Gray was 4 years old, her brothers Sean and Bill began playing youth football. Krystal couldn’t look away, and she wasn’t content with watching. So her dad put her in the NWAA, where the sight of her first football uniform attracted plenty of attention.

Gray started at defensive end or safety every season in the youth leagues until she graduated from Niagara-Wheatfield High School. For all but one season, she was the sole female.

“When I was younger the boys gave me a really hard time,” she said. “But it was either to show me everyone has to earn their spot, or they wanted me to quit. That just made me better.”

Her brother Sean’s got the bruises to prove it. He recalled lining up on the defensive line, hearing the snap and missing a run up the middle. He took a hard hit and an even harder look at his aggressor.

Krystal had decided to make a guest appearance on the offensive line that day.

“There were a few times I was a little nervous,” said her mother, Valerie Clayton. “But she played like she was a boy, and she just gave it right back to them.”

Gray thought her football career had run its course when she attended Niagara County Community College before enlisting in the Air Force Reserve. During her time in the military, Gray attended Wright State University in Ohio, where she studied psychology.

The military helped develop her leadership skills, Gray said. The university helped her develop a plan.

“I actually want to work with little kids,” she said. “My family was divorced when I was younger, and a major part of what helped our family turn out normal were the professionals involved.”

But for now, she has let that dream take a back seat to the backfield. She has returned to her uniform and pads, albeit less of both. Her father has only one piece of advice: Don’t forget to use the sticky spray.

And her mom?

“What can you expect from any mother?” Clayton said. “I wasn’t too sure about it, but I decided that if it’s something she wants to do, I’m proud of her. I just hope she goes all the way.”

Her mom is referring to the fame of Friday night lights. For Gray, going the distance has a slightly different destination.

“I really want to make it to the Lingerie Bowl,” she said. “Maybe have an MVP on my team.”

Among the women in the league, Gray is a rarity, she has played football. About half of the girls hail from modeling backgrounds. All of them look like they might.

Interested girls submit photos to creative director Heather Thiesen, who screens the candidates and brings in some for tryouts.

But Gray’s brother argues it does not hurt the legitimacy of the game.

“It’s not just about being pretty,” Sean said. “Just wait and see a 110-pound girl throw 40 yards in the wind.”

Gray doesn’t need an argument. Only a question.

“Come on,” she said. “Who doesn’t want to see beautiful women play football?”

How about in Buffalo? League representatives have floated Buffalo as a potential site for a future team.

“It’s a strong possibility,” said Stephon McMillen, director of media relations. “We know the level of support the fans give their pro teams there.”

McMillen said the league has engaged in preliminary talks with HSBC Arena as a host site and three “prominent groups” interested in bringing a franchise to Buffalo. Representatives at HSBC Arena said it is against company policy to comment on prospective negotiations.

In the meantime, New York Majesty coach Mark Aquino has been busy teaching his team about the fundamentals of football. LFL football differs substantially from the NFL, aside from the obvious.

There is no kicking or punting, so teams must decide on either one- or two-point conversions. Accordingly, teams must also go for the first down on every fourth down.

“This is real football, and these are real athletes,” Aquino said. “Anyone who doubts it, I want them to watch our first game.”

Gray said she considers herself both a player and an entertainer, and has no problem embracing both roles.

“I personally think this is an amazing opportunity for women to show you can be beautiful and smart and athletic,” she said. “I’m a grown woman who stands up and says we can do everything guys can do.”

Gray added that she is playing full contact, wearing fewer pads and she feels no inferiority to her male counterparts.

She wasn’t kidding. There’s no need to alarm Trent Edwards, but Gray has already taken it upon herself to appeal to Buffalo’s newest wide receiver via Twitter.

“Im a QB,” Gray’s message to Terrell Owens reads. “Lets practice.”