Katie Hnida facts for kids
 |
|
| Position | Placekicker |
|---|---|
| Major | Psychology |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | May 17, 1981 |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight | 138 lb (63 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
|
| Bowl games |
|
| High school | Chatfield (Littleton, Colorado) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Katharine Anne Hnida (born May 17, 1981) is a former American football player. She made history by becoming the first woman to score in a top-level NCAA college football game. This happened on August 30, 2003, when she was a placekicker for the University of New Mexico Lobos.
Hnida was the third woman to score in a college football game overall. Before her, Liz Heaston scored for NAIA Willamette University in 1997. Then, Ashley Martin scored for NCAA Division I-AA Jacksonville State University in 2001. In 1999, while at the University of Colorado Boulder, Hnida was the second woman to dress for a Division I-A game. She was also the first to do so for a major bowl game.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Katharine Hnida (pronounced NIGH-duh) grew up in Littleton, Colorado. She went to Chatfield Senior High School. There, she was a member of the school's football team.
During her senior year, she was very successful. She made all three of her field goal attempts. She also made 27 out of 28 extra point attempts. A field goal is worth three points, and an extra point is worth one point after a touchdown. She was part of the varsity team. Teen People magazine even named her one of America's "20 most influential teens."
College Football Journey
After high school, Hnida went to the University of Colorado Boulder. Because she was so good at football in high school, she was invited to join the Colorado Buffaloes football team. She joined as a "walk-on" freshman placekicker. A walk-on player joins a team without a scholarship.
Playing for the Lobos
Hnida left Colorado in 2001. She then transferred to the University of New Mexico in 2002. There, she also joined the New Mexico Lobos football team as a walk-on placekicker.
While at New Mexico, she made history again. She became the first woman to play in a Division I-A bowl game. This happened in the 2002 Las Vegas Bowl against UCLA. Her extra point attempt was blocked in that game.
On August 30, 2003, Hnida achieved another first. She became the first woman to score points in a Division I-A game. She kicked two extra points against Texas State University. This happened in the fourth quarter of a game New Mexico won 72–8. She finished her college studies in December 2004.
Life After Playing Football
After her college football career, Katharine Hnida continued to be an important voice. She often speaks at colleges and universities. She shares her experiences and helps raise awareness about important issues. She has worked with groups like The Joyful Heart Foundation. She also works with the Voices and Faces Project. She lives in Los Angeles and manages her speaking events.
Her father, Dave Hnida, is a doctor. He is also a medical reporter for a TV station in Denver. He wrote a book called "Paradise General."
In 2006, Hnida wrote her own book. It was called Still Kicking: My Journey as the First Woman to Play Division One College Football. The book shared her story and experiences.
Professional Football and Health
In 2010, Hnida became a kicker for the Fort Wayne FireHawks. This team was part of the Continental Indoor Football League. She was the first female player in that league. She was also only the second female professional football player ever. The first was Patricia Palinkas, who was a placeholder. Hnida played in the first three games of the season. However, she had to leave the team later that year. She developed a blood clot in her kicking leg.
In 2018, Hnida became very ill. She had a bad reaction to medicine. This caused her kidneys and liver to fail. Her bone marrow also stopped working. She had to be admitted to an intensive care unit and needed emergency dialysis.
See also
- Tonya Butler, the first female to score a field goal in an NCAA game
- Sarah Fuller, the first woman to score in a Power Five conferences football game
- Liz Heaston, the first woman to score in a college football game, done in the NAIA
- Ashley Martin, the first female to score in an NCAA game, and the first to score in a Division I game
- Haley Van Voorhis, the first female to play a non-kicking position in an NCAA game at any level
- List of female American football players
Images for kids
-
Katharine Hnida
