Haley Van Voorhis, a female safety at Shenandoah University, made big headlines on Sept. 23, when she became the first female non-kicker player to take the field in an NCAA game.
Van Voorhis, a junior at the Division III college, came onto the field with under a minute remaining in the first quarter and helped contribute to her team’s 48-7 victory over Juniata College. Shenandoah routed Juniata in dreadful weather due to Tropical Storm Ophelia.
The 19-year-old stands at 5-foot-6 and weighs 145 pounds, severely undersized compared to her fellow teammates.
Van Voorhis took the field on a third-and-long and successfully rushed the Juniata quarterback, contributing to the ever-evolving history of the NCAA.
Van Voorhis had been patiently waiting for this opportunity for over two years. Her role in the special defensive package was to push up to the line and blitz the quarterback.
Not only did she manage to get through the line, but she also disrupted the quarterback. Van Voorhis hit Juniata QB Calvin German just after he managed to get rid of the ball on what was an incomplete pass.
An ESPN film crew was in attendance at Shentel Stadium and got to watch Van Voorhis make NCAA history in this blowout game. Also in attendance was university president Tracy Fitzsimmons, who was visibly thrilled after Van Voorhis came onto the field.
According to the Washington Post, ever since Van Voorhis joined a coed flag football team in fifth grade, she has only ever played against boys. She was the only girl on that team, and she has continued playing the game she has loved from the first day she stepped between the lines.
The article further explains how she was the first girl to play high school football at Christchurch, a boarding school located about an hour east of Richmond, Virginia. Here she saw considerable action at both wide receiver and defensive back and even got named team captain her senior year.
Scott Yoder, head coach at Shenandoah, has been impressed with her in practice and has even indicated that she will receive more playing time in the future.
Many are wondering what this means for female college football players in the future.
“She definitely proved that it is possible for a woman to play football,” said Tucker Sutton, a senior accounting major.
“I think it will take a while before we start to see it on a regular basis,” Sutton said. “If these small steps keep occurring, then I could certainly see a future with women in college football.”
Denise Fajardo, a junior exercise science major, was thrilled when she saw Van Voorhis’s historic play.
“No one can deny that she actually made a good play and didn’t just stand there,” Fajardo said. “She showed what she is capable of, and I can’t wait to see her play more.”
Not everyone is completely on board, however, as many people are bringing up the potential dangers of allowing females to play contact football with men.
“I’m all for women getting treated more equally in sports, but there has to be a line,” said Alex Paparo, a junior philosophy major. “I just know the day will come where she takes a big hit, and I just really hope nothing bad happens.”
