A first crack in the NFL gender wall?
The Arizona Cardinals have become the first NFL franchise to hire a female coach after naming Jen Welter to their staff.
The 37-year-old will work with the team’s inside linebackers as an intern during training camp, which begins on Friday.
Ignoring her gender, Welter is plenty qualified for the role, holding a masters degree in sports psychology and playing 14 seasons of semi-pro women’s football and the 2014 season as a running back with the Texas Revolution of the men’s Indoor Football League, becoming the first woman to feature in a non-kicking position on a men’s pro league, where she also began coaching the Revolution linebacking corps.
She also played rugby during her time in university at Boston College.
Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians believes Welter’s gender won’t be an issue. He said: “One thing I have learned from players is, ‘How are you going to make me better? If you can make me better, I don’t care if you’re the Green Hornet, man, I’ll listen.’”
“I really believe she’ll have a great opportunity with this internship through training camp to open some doors for her.”
Welter’s appointment comes just weeks after San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon led the Spurs to victory in the NBA Summer League, marking her out as a possible future NBA head coach.
