Photo: Instagram/agentnicolelynn
(Podcast length 5:45 mins)
Like many other professional sports leagues, the NFL has seen an increase in women in leadership roles, but there's still plenty of room to grow. In the 2021 season, women made up 38.8% of the NFL league office, 25.3% of teams' senior administration, 3.1% of team CEOs and presidents and 1.5% of team assistant coaches (TIDES report card).
1. Amy Trask became the Oakland Raiders' chief executive and the first woman of that rank in the NFL in 1997. After nearly 30 years with the team, Trask now serves as an analyst for CBS. In an interview, Trask recalled a story about a reporter asking her Hall of Fame offensive lineman Gene Upshaw what it's like to have a girl on the team. Upshaw replied, "She's not a girl. She's a Raider." TRUTH
2. For Sarah Thomas landing the role as the first female referee in the NFL in 2015 wasn't easy. In 2021, Thomas became the first woman to officiate at the Super Bowl. Thomas paved the way for other women like Maia Chaka, who, in 2021, became the first Black female official in the NFL. Having women referees drove the league to change the name of one of the officiating positions from Head Linesman to a gender-neutral title of Down Judge. GAME ON
3. Move over, Jerry Maguire; Nicole Lynn is here. Lynn, 33, became the first Black woman to represent a top-five NFL draft pick. Before the draft, she took to the internet to figure out what other women agents had worn. She found no inspiration because only two women have ever previously represented players in the draft. Lynn continues to grow her roster of clients and has even written a book to inspire women to become their most effective advocates. In addition, Lynn serves as the President of Football Operations for Klutch Sports Group, led by basketball agent Rich Paul (aka singer Adele's beau). TAKE YOUR SEAT AT THE TABLE
4. Jen Welter, a former women's pro player and two-time Team USA Olympic medalist, became the first female to coach in the NFL when the Arizona Cardinals hired her in 2015. Following in the path Welter blazed, Jennifer King made history in 2021 as the first Black woman to become a full-time coach in the NFL. King said, "I never ever, literally never, thought about being a first. I just wanted to coach football." DREAM JOB
5. These women are also making history in the Super Bowl. Katie Sowers became the first openly gay female full-time NFL coach in 2021 and the first to coach in the Super Bowl. Sowers was in the Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers and now coaches for the Kansas City Chiefs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers coaches Lori Locust and Maral Javadifar were the first female NFL coaches to win a Super Bowl. CHAMPIONS
Sports Curious, presented by Last Night's Game, is here to take the awkward out of the conversation and help you join the sports conversation, even if you don't know the first thing about sports. We break down what's happening in sports in an easy-to-understand, fun way without all of the statistics and jargon, so you never have to exit stage left when the chatter at the office, dinner table or networking event switches to sports.
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