Janice Pettyjohn has become the first woman to be hired for a full-time football position at Howard University, her alma mater. The 22-year-old, nicknamed Hellraiser, has come a long way since her younger days, when she would spend most of her time focusing on her art.
“Ironically, I’ve always been artsy girl. So, painting, art, I still do to this day, that’s what my hobbies surrounded,” Pettyjohn told the Burlington County Times.
Although she had interest in sports as well, the New Jersey native faced health issues as a child. Still, Pettyjohn found ways to stay involved in extracurricular activities at school.
“No one wants to come right home after school; you want something to do,” she said, according to the Burlington County Times. “So I started managing the basketball team in seventh grade. Then I did it in eighth grade and it ended up just becoming something that I loved without realizing that I love because it just became second nature.”
Coach Janice Pettyjohn!!!
— MACCEXCLUSIVESAPPAREL (@maccexclusives2) April 6, 2022
At almost 23, the Rancocas Valley Regional High School alumna is reaching new heights for womankind, becoming the first woman hired for a full-time football position at Howard University. pic.twitter.com/wMv0Zcz8Fh
When she arrived at Rancocas Valley Regional High School, Pettyjohn became the football team manager.
“She was always organized, she took on a ton of tasks, and we never had to worry about game set up,” former head coach Dan Haussman said, according to the Burlington County Times.
The young woman also excelled in school.
“I watched Janice work really, really, hard because that’s a college level honors course,” Haussman, who also taught anatomy and physiology, said. “That’s when I really got to see the determination and the grit she exhibited as a student as well.”
After graduating from high school in 2017, Pettyjohn attended Howard University. The HBCU student soon joined the school’s sports medicine residency program. She also joined the Bison football team, working in an undergraduate position as a graphic designer and equipment manager.
“And then from there, my name just kind of started floating around. And next thing I know, I’m working with operations, I’m working with the color commentating people on the radio, I’m working with the (sports information) department,” Pettyjohn said. “I was always the person kind of with that mentality like that if it has to get done, I’m going to be the one that gets it done.”
After she graduated from Howard’s sports medicine residency program with a minor in sociology in 2021, Pettyjohn originally planned to attend medical school. But she ended up with a full-time offer with the Bison football team. After accepting the offer, Pettyjohn became the first woman to be hired for a full-time football position at the HBCU.
In her new role, the trailblazer is involved in the recruiting process, including giving campus tours to prospects. She also runs maintenance of the football facilities and assists with the coordination of events.
“I’m super grateful for this position,” she said. “Being 22 years old and getting a full-time position at Howard fresh out of college — its rare. Coach Scott really saw the potential in me.”
