Junior at Division III school becomes first woman non-kicker to appear in college football game

A woman made history in a Division III college football game Saturday.

Haley Van Voorhis, a safety at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Va., became the first woman to appear in an NCAA football game at a position other than kicker.

She registered a quarterback hurry on a third down in the first quarter.

She became the eighth woman to appear in an NCAA football game.

Van Voorhis, who stands 5-foot-6, 145 pounds, spent the last two years playing for the JV team at the university. She was an All-State honorable mention in high school, playing for Christchurch in Virginia.

She also is a member of the university’s track and field team.

Van Voorhis, a junior, was interviewed by ESPN in 2021, and she spoke about being a young woman playing football.

“There’s definitely people out there who see the story and think, ‘This girl’s going to get hurt,'” she said. “I hear that a lot. Or, ‘She’s too small, doesn’t weigh enough, not tall enough.’ But I’m not the shortest on my team, and I’m not the lightest.”

Shenandoah coach Scott Yoder praised her work ethic in the interview.

“What has really helped me has been when you peel everything back, it’s about a young person who wants an opportunity, who works for it and has earned an opportunity,” he said. “For 21 years, I’ve been fortunate to be on the coaching side of that. And at the core of this, it’s no different.”

Shenandoah defeated Juniata, 48-7.