Haley Van Voorhis
Haley Van Voorhis (born 2003 or 2004)[1] is an American football player for Shenandoah University. She is one of the first women to play a position other than kicker in an NCAA football game, at any level.[2][3] She accomplished this as a safety for the Shenandoah University Hornets on September 23, 2023.[4][5]
| Shenandoah Hornets – No. 10 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Safety |
| Class | Junior |
| Major | Business |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | 2003 or 2004 (age 19–20) The Plains, Virginia, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
| Weight | 145 lb (66 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
|
| High school | Christchurch |
Early life and high school
Van Voorhis grew up in The Plains, Virginia. She attended Christchurch School near Urbanna, Virginia where she was a member of the football, basketball, and lacrosse teams. She was 2019 All-State Honorable Mention in Virginia, playing wide receiver and defensive back.[6] Her senior season at Christchurch was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Van Voorhis' coach reported she would have been a team captain and starting receiver that year.[7]
College career
Before starting college, Van Voorhis played strong safety in the Pro division of the Women's Football Alliance for the D.C. Divas in Washington D.C., recording 21 tackles in five games.[8] On Saturday, September 23, 2023, she entered the game in the first quarter for the Shenandoah Hornets against the Juniata Eagles and recorded a quarterback hurry.[1]
See also
- Tonya Butler, the first female to score a field goal in an NCAA game
- Sarah Fuller, the first woman to score in a Power Five conferences football game
- Liz Heaston, the first woman to score in a college football game, done in the NAIA
- Katie Hnida, the first woman to score in a NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football game and the first woman to dress for a bowl game.
- Ashley Martin, the first female to score in an NCAA game, and the first to score in a Division I game
- List of female American football players
References
- Grez, Matias (2023-09-25). "Haley Van Voorhis makes history as first female non-kicker to play in NCAA football game". CNN. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
- Geoffrey C. Arnold (26 September 2023). "Taylor Crout, not Hayley Van Voorhis, may have been the first female non-kicker to play in a NCAA game: Report". The Oregonian. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- Leonard Shapiro (23 September 2023). "Virginia woman makes college football history by stepping on the field". The Washington Post. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
In fact, cornerback Taylor Crout entered a game for Fitchburg State earlier this season, and it is uncertain whether there have been others.
- "Div. III safety is 1st woman non-kicker to play". ESPN.com. 2023-09-23. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
- Alex Scarborough (26 September 2023). "Haley Van Voorhis' journey into college football history". ESPN. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- "Safety Haley Van Voorhis becomes first woman non-kicker to play in NCAA football game". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
- Niedzwiecki, Robert (2021-04-08). "Female defensive back/wide receiver commits to play football for Shenandoah". The Winchester Star. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
- Brewington, Peter (2021-08-22). "HALEY PREPARES TO MAKE HISTORY: Van Voorhis begins freshman year as Shenandoah U. defensive back". Fauquier Times, PrinceWilliamTimes.com. Retrieved 2023-09-27.