Shenandoah University’s Haley Van Voorhis became the first woman in NCAA football history to play at a position that wasn’t kicker or punter when she suited up at safety Saturday.
Wearing number 10, the junior checked into her team’s Division III game against Juniata College and rushed unblocked to Juniata quarterback Calvin German, forcing him to throw an incompletion, according to NPR.
History is made: Shenandoah safety #10 Haley Van Voorhis becomes the first female non-kicker to appear in a college football game at the NCAA or NAIA levels for #D3FB @SUhornetsFB.
The junior hurried the QB on the play: pic.twitter.com/0mW8K6WeDG
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) September 23, 2023
Wow. Imagine being German. Guarantee you the guy’s buddies will never let him hear the end of it. “Oh yeah Calvin? At least I didn’t let a GIRL pressure me into throwing it away.” (RELATED: Several Female Athletes Support GOP Ban On Men In Women’s Sports)
In all seriousness, it’s an amazing accomplishment for Van Voorhis. We’ve seen women take the college field before, most recently Vanderbilt’s Sarah Fuller, who kicked two extra points for the Commodores during the 2020 season. But this is the first time we’ve seen a woman take the field as a legitimate position player, even more shocking when you consider it’s at such a physically demanding position.
Listed as a free safety on Shenandoah’s official roster, the 5-foot-6 145-pound business major looked pretty scrawny out there, maybe the coaches can get her on a lifting plan or something. Of the four free safeties on the roster, she is by far the most petite, with the next smallest guy being 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds.
“It’s an amazing thing,” Van Voorhis told the Washington Post. “I just wanted to get out and do my thing. I want to show other people this is what women can do, to show what I can do. It’s a big moment. I made the impossible possible, and I’m excited about that.”
Shenandoah’s coach Scott Yoder touted Van Voorhis’ work ethic, telling NPR “She has been working hard and it’s great to see her take advantage of the opportunity she has earned.”
I’m all for letting women play in men’s sports if they’re up for it, especially considering smaller guys have found success in the NFL too, but maybe they should start at skill positions like receiver or returner before jumping right into the position played by fearsome giants like Sean Taylor and Earl Thomas.