Recognizing Women in Sports: Haleigh Blocker, second female Football Director of Operations at Texas State

Amira Van Leeuwen | Staff Reporter

SAN MARCOS — Growing up, Haleigh Blocker attended Texas State University football games and tailgates with her family. Little did she know that she would, later on, be Texas State’s second female Football Director of Operations in program history.

Blocker grew up in a small town in south Texas called Fall City where she was immersed in the world of sports. She played basketball, ran track and was a cheerleader. She was surrounded by coaches 24/7. 

“I always knew that I wanted to work in sports,” Blocker said.

Once she arrived at Texas State, Blocker was finally able to “get her foot in the door” and understand what goes on to make a college program work.

During her undergraduate career, she started out at the front desk, answering the phone.

Blocker said she wasn’t looking for pay.

“I was up here every moment that I wasn’t in class, every weekend, whatever because I just knew that’s what I wanted,” Blocker said.

Blocker said she was really excited and took a lot of pride in that. After a year of sitting at the front desk, answering the phone she began helping more with the recruiting side of football which included official visits, junior days and camps. Then she began helping with the operations side of things where she realized that is what she wanted to pursue after college.

She interned for three and a half years with Texas State Athletics and graduated in May of 2019 after earning her bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sports Science at Texas State.

Following her graduation and after Texas State Football Head Coach Jake Spavital arrived at the program, Blocker was hired on as Assistant to the Head Coach. A few months later she received a call from Spavital.

“I want you to take the operations role,” Spavital said.

Blocker said she’ll always be grateful for him.

“Just kind of looking back and at the time, he believed in me more than I believed in myself,” Blocker said.

“I’ll forever be thankful for that because he gave me an opportunity at such a young age,” Blocker said.

As Texas State’s Director of Football Operations, Blocker is in charge of team travel, assisting the coaching staff with day-to-day operations of the program, helping manage the head coach’s schedule and assisting with social media interviews. She is also responsible for assisting with summer camps and organizing team meals.

Blocker said it was “crazy” because she had never traveled with the team before and wasn’t exactly sure what the operations position was supposed to look like.

“Now, I kind of look back and I’m like ‘Oh my gosh,’ like my first year compared to now it’s like night and day,” Blocker said. 

“I love what I do,” Blocker said. “It’s like I have a bunch of big brothers and it’s funny. They’re all super respectful and they’re good people.”

Blocker also said it’s cool to see the freshmen players come in and not just play football, but watch them go through college at Texas State and enjoy it just as she did.

Blocker looks up to former University of Texas Football Director of Operations Tory Teykl, who is now working as the Football Director of Operations at Temple University in Philadelphia. Teykl would send Blocker plane manifest templates, what meeting rooms looked like, etc. Another role model for Blocker is the Los Angeles Rams Football Director of Operations Sophie Harlan.

Blocker’s advice to women who want to pursue a career in sports is to be confident.

“I know, sometimes from the outside looking in it can be intimidating and you’re entering a man’s world and whatever. But times have changed a little bit, and I think, at the end of the day, I don’t think people look at it as like, ‘You’re the woman in the room,’” Blocker said.

“I think if you show them what you have to offer, and what you bring to the table, and you show that you’re going to help make the program better, there’s going to be no question,” she said.

Blocker isn’t quite sure what she’s going to do next.

“I think obviously, the NFL world would be a step up. But at the end of the day, I love college football too. They’re two totally different worlds. So right now, I think I’m just a strong believer in being where your feet are. And that’s kind of how I’ve taken the approach of just being where I’m at, work hard, where I’m at, and take pride in what I’m doing every day and then doors will open when they’re supposed to,” Blocker said.