Tonya Butler facts for kids

Tonya Lynn Butler (born October 20, 1980) is an amazing American athlete. She made history as the first woman to score a field goal in a college football game. This big moment happened on September 13, 2003. Tonya was playing as a placekicker for the University of West Alabama Tigers. Her team was part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II.

Tonya Butler's Football Journey

Tonya Butler's journey in football began in high school. She then went on to play in college, making history along the way.

High School Football Years

Tonya grew up in Fayetteville, Georgia. She played the placekicker position for Riverdale High School. She became the main kicker in her tenth grade year. Before that, she was the kicker for the junior varsity team as a freshman.

As a sophomore, Tonya was very successful. She made seven out of eight field goal tries. She also made 28 out of 31 extra points. She was the first girl to be named to the all-area team for Clayton and Henry Counties. She also received an honorable mention for the Class AAA all-state team. This team was chosen by the Georgia Sportswriters Association.

In her junior year, Tonya made five out of ten field goals. She also made 20 out of 23 extra points. As a senior, she made seven out of thirteen field goals. She also made 64 out of 65 extra points. By the end of her time at Riverdale, she had scored 165 points. This placed her second all-time in points scored for the school. Because of her great playing, Tonya was named to the 1998 Class AAA all-state football team. She was the first female ever chosen for this honor. She also played soccer in high school.

Playing College Football

During her last year of high school, many colleges were interested in Tonya. Over two dozen schools wanted her to be their placekicker. In January 1999, Tonya announced she would play college football. She chose Middle Georgia College and signed a national letter of intent. This meant she received a football scholarship on February 3, 1999. This made Tonya the first female to earn a football scholarship at a state school.

For two years at Middle Georgia, Tonya continued to play well. She made 36 out of 42 extra points. She also made one field goal for the Warriors team. After getting her associates degree from Middle Georgia, she didn't get any more scholarship offers for kicking. She then went to Georgia Southern and graduated in 2003.

Making History at West Alabama

After graduating from Georgia Southern, Tonya got another chance to play football. Her former coach from Middle Georgia, Randy Pippin, was now coaching at West Alabama. He offered Tonya a scholarship to be the placekicker for the Tigers. She still had two years of college eligibility left. She enrolled as a graduate student and became the starting placekicker for the 2003 season.

In the very first game of the season, Tonya made history. She kicked a 27-yard field goal against Stillman. This happened with 9:41 left in the first quarter. At first, the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) didn't confirm it right away. This was because their records didn't separate players by gender. But it was later confirmed that Tonya was the first female player to score a field goal in an NCAA college football game.

Tonya played as the placekicker for West Alabama in both the 2003 and 2004 seasons. During her college career, she made 13 out of 19 field goal attempts. Her longest kick was 39 yards. She also made 48 out of 53 extra point attempts. In the 2003 season, her 50 total points led the team. She was also named special teams captain in both her years at West Alabama.

In 2004, Tonya was named Academic All-Gulf South Conference. This means she was excellent in both sports and academics. She graduated in 2005 with a master's degree in psychology and counseling. In January 2006, her West Alabama helmet, jersey, and cleats were put on display. They were shown at the NCAA Hall of Champions in Indianapolis. This honored her amazing achievements as a student-athlete.

Tonya held the record for the most points scored by a female college football player. She had 87 points through the 2010 season. Later, Brittany Ryan from Lebanon Valley College set a new record.

Other Female Football Players

Tonya Butler is one of several pioneering women in American football. Here are a few others:

• List of female American football players
• Sarah Fuller: The first woman to score in a Power Five conferences football game.
• Liz Heaston: The first female to play and score in a college football game.
• Katie Hnida: The first woman to score in a FBS game.
• Becca Longo: The first woman to receive an NCAA football scholarship to a Division II or better school.
• Haley Van Voorhis: The first female to play a non-kicking position in an NCAA game at any level.