First Female Non-Kicker Makes D-III Shenandoah History
In a season marked by historic moments, Haley Van Voorhis, a 5-foot-6 junior, etched her name into the annals of college football history. On Saturday, she became the first woman to play a position other than kicker or punter in an NCAA college football game, bringing unprecedented progress to Division III Shenandoah University.
Hailing from The Plains, Virginia, Van Voorhis made her groundbreaking debut during the first quarter of the Hornets’ dominant 48-7 victory against Juanita College. Her impact was immediate, as she blitzed on a crucial third down, causing a quarterback hurry and hit, ultimately leading to an incomplete pass.
Van Voorhis had honed her skills over the last two seasons on Shenandoah’s JV team and displayed her versatility as a member of the track and field squad, excelling in sprints and relays. Additionally, her high school basketball prowess at Christchurch School earned her the distinction of being a two-time MVP.
While women have made strides in college football, such as Vanderbilt’s Sarah Fuller scoring points in a Power Five game in 2020, Van Voorhis’s foray into safety, a position renowned for players like Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed, represents a remarkable milestone.
Notably, in 2014, Shelby Osborne made history by becoming the first woman to make a college football roster as a non-kicker at NAIA Campbellsville, though she never played in a game. The future of women in football appears promising, with a 2018 study by the National Football League revealing a five-fold increase in girls playing high school tackle football over a decade.
Re-reported from the article originally published in The usatoday
