Division III Safety Becomes First Female Non-Kicker to Play in College Football Game

Haley Van Voorhis of Shenandoah University in Virginia made history Saturday afternoon.

College football history was made Saturday afternoon in Winchester, Va., as Division III Shenandoah recorded a 48-7 win over Juniata.

Haley Van Voorhis—a safety for the victorious Hornets—entered the game with a little over a minute left in the first quarter, becoming the first female non-kicker to appear in a college football game at the NCAA or NAIA level. Van Voorhis appeared to hurry Eagles quarterback Calvin German into an incomplete pass on her first play.

Van Voorhis, a junior from The Plains, Va., played football in high school and was an honorable mention all-state selection in 2019.

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

The business major also runs sprints for Shenandoah’s track team.

Van Voorhis adds a new dimension to the list of women who have played college football, most notably including New Mexico kicker Katie Hnida and Vanderbilt kicker Sarah Fuller. Hnida kicked two extra points for the Lobos in 2003, and Fuller did likewise for the Commodores in 2020.