Leilani Armenta, India Pulphus & Haley Van Voorhis Make History as The First Women Players in HBCU Football
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Posted By: S. Moore on September 28, 2023 Leilani Armenta, India Pulphus & Haley Van Voorhis are three women making history in college football this season. These three student-athletes are making waves as the first women football players for their respective teams. Jackson State University freshman Armenta and Shaw University junior Pulphus are believed to be the first female college football players in HBCU history while Haley Van Voorhis made history as the first woman non-kicker to appear in a college football game. All three student-athletes are continuing the legacy of women football players defying the traditional contributions of the college football game. On October 18, 1997, Willamette University placekicker Liz Heaston made history as the first woman ever to score points in a college football game against then-fellow NAIA institution Linfield College. In 2003, Kate Hind, a kicker from New Mexico, made history by becoming the first woman to score in a Division I-A (FBS) game. In 2020, Sarah Fuller, a kicker from Vanderbilt, achieved another milestone as she became the first woman to play and score in a Power 5 football game for Vanderbilt. All three athletes have a unique story about their rise to prominence and the history they're making this season. India Pulphus India Pulphus is a Shaw University student-athlete who competes as a soccer and track athlete in addition to serving as a placekicker for the Bears. Pulphus was a kicker for her high school team in her senior year. “I played soccer, and my friend and I were joking around one day and said, ‘We should kick for the football team,’” she said in a feature published by HBCU Sports. “I kicked my senior year of high school, but I came to Shaw to play soccer and run track.” After a video of her kicking a field goal was seen by members of the Shaw University football team. She worked with Shaw University kicking coach Randy Grissom to work with her schedule to try out for head coach Adrian Jones. “I didn’t think the team was serious, but fast forward to spring, and they said, ‘We need a new kicker,’ so I showed coach Grissom one of my videos, and I got to track practice early to kick for them. After track practice, they said I made the team.” Pulphus understands the gravity of the moment, saying to HBCU Sports, “It means a lot to be the first female kicker in Shaw history,” she said. “Even though football is a male-dominated sport, if women want to do it and know they can, I don’t understand why we can’t do it.” Leilani Armenta Leilani Armenta, a freshman soccer player from Ventura, CA, has made history as the first woman to play football for Jackson State University. Armenta, who previously played varsity football as a punter and kicker at Saint Bonaventure High School, holds an impressive track record. During her time at Saint Bonaventure, she made 98 out of 105 PAT attempts, with 2 blocked, and successfully converted all 5 of her field goal attempts. Additionally, Armenta recorded a remarkable 3,552 kickoff yards, including 2 touchbacks and 3 onside kick recoveries, setting five county kicking records. Armenta spoke after the game, saying, “It means a lot to me, It opens up opportunities for girls at other schools to show what they can do. It shows what you can achieve with hard work and a willingness to learn and improve.” Armenta was responsible for two kickoffs during the game. Haley Van Voorhis Haley Van Voorhis, a junior at Shenandoah, made history as the first woman non-kicker to appear in a college football game. In the first quarter, Van Voorhis made her presence felt, pressuring the Juniata quarterback Calvin German and forcing an incomplete third-down pass by Calvin German of Juniata. Shenandoah secured a decisive victory, winning by a score of 48-7. In high school, Van Voorhis was both a football and basketball player. Van Voorhis has played football since she was younger, joining a coed flag football team in fifth grade per a feature profile on her via the Washington Post. She became the first woman to play high school football at Christchurch playing both wide receiver and defensive back. She was the team captain during her senior year. Van Voorhis was sought after and recruited by several Division III teams but chose to attend Shenandoah and compete for a spot on the team. Van Vooris in the feature gave advice to women who want to play football, saying, “I would just say, don’t listen to people who say don’t do it,” Haley Van Voorhis said. “Don’t be scared. Just go at it with everything you can.” SOURCE Clutch Points If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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