History Making Female footballer Haley Van Voorhis is seen playing football on September 23, 2023
Haley Van Voorhis made history at the weekend by becoming the first female football player to appear in an NCAA football game outside of the kicker position.
Van Voorhis, a safety at Division-III Shenandoah University, came on with less than a minute remaining in the first quarter of her teams 48-7 victory over Juniata College on Saturday
The 19-year-old registered a quarterback hurry after tackling the Juniata QB just after he had released the ball, resulting in an incomplete pass.
Its 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.
Its a big moment. I made the impossible possible, and Im excited about that.
Van Voorhis, a 5-foot-6, 145-pound junior, was also the first girl to play high school football at Christchurch, according to the Washington Post, where she was named team captain.
University president Tracy Fitzsimmons called it an extraordinary accomplishment for women everywhere.
I am so happy for Haley because shes earned this. We always say were a place for opportunity at Shenandoah, and we proved it again today, Fitzsimmons said, per Washington Post.
Back in 2020, Vanderbilt kicker Sarah Fuller became the first woman in history to score in a Power Five college game when she successfully kicked two extra points against the University of Tennessee. (CNN)
NEWS EXPRESS is Nigeria’s leading online newspaper. Published by Africa’s international award-winning journalist, Mr. Isaac Umunna, NEWS EXPRESS is Nigeria’s first truly professional online daily newspaper. It is published from Lagos, Nigeria’s economic and media hub, and has a provision for occasional special print editions. Thanks to our vast network of sources and dedicated team of professional journalists and contributors spread across Nigeria and overseas, NEWS EXPRESS has become synonymous with newsbreaks and exclusive stories from around the world.