Haley Von Voorhis is the first female (non-kicker) to play in an NCAA football game
During a recent NCAA football game against Juniata, Haley Van Voorhis, a safety for Division-III Shenandoah University, made history as the first female non-kicker to participate. She entered the game in the first quarter when Shenandoah was leading by 26 points and managed to register a quarterback hurry on third down.
Van Voorhis expressed her exhilaration after the match, stating to The Washington Post, “It’s an amazing thing. I just wanted to get out and do my thing. I aim to demonstrate to others what women are capable of and to show my own capabilities. This is a significant milestone. I turned the impossible into the possible, and that thrills me.”
Shenandoah ultimately defeated Juniata with a score of 48-7.
Standing at 5-foot-6 and weighing 145 pounds, this junior player had previously spent two seasons with the junior varsity team. The Plains, Virginia-born athlete attended Christchurch for high school, receiving a 2019 all-state honorable mention. Unfortunately, her senior season was called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Apart from football, Van Voorhis showcases her athleticism in Shenandoah’s track and field team as a sprinter.
