Females in the NFL, Who Would’ve Imagined This?
Females in the NFL, Who Would’ve Imagined This?
By: Alejandra Puente
Week 3’s matchup between The Washington Washington Team and Cleveland Browns ended in a 34-20 win for the Browns. Baker Mayfield passed for 156 yards and two touchdowns with 0 interceptions. Dwayne Haskins passed for 224 yards and two touchdowns but with three interceptions. This game was not the best for the Washington Team in general. On the other hand, Mayfield got to showcase his arm and his star receivers. Yet, all these stats were not the headline that turned heads. The names Sarah Thomas, Callie Brownson, and Jennifer King were highlighted all over different sports media, and are the names of women who just took the NFL one step closer to gender equality.
Sarah Thomas (middle), has been an NFL referee since 2019. Thomas was the first NFL female referee and currently the only one in the league. Before the NFL, she would referee high school football games in her hometown. She never thought she would make it into the professional league, but she did it.
Callie Brownson (right), is the first female chief of staff for Browns head coach Kevin Stafinski. Brownson was a part of the Women’s Football Alliance. She played for eight seasons as a safety, slot receiver, and running back for the D.C Divas. She has built herself as a player, and she is now getting a taste of what it is to be chief of staff in the game she has loved playing.
Jennifer King (left), is the first African American woman to be a full year Coaching Intern in the league. King had already been in contact with coach Ron Rivera 2 years ago about possibly going into football. At the time, she was weeks away from coaching a collegiate female basketball team to a championship. After Rivera moved to Washington, he knew he wanted King in his coaching staff one way or another.
The sports world is heavily male-dominated, so a woman trying to get in, whether it is the minor leagues or the major leagues, is highly tricky and intimidating. The presence of women is not high enough in many workplaces, especially those involved in sports. As women, we can hustle and do the exact caliber of work as males but are still underrepresented in many industries. In an injury timeout, what gender are the doctors? Usually male. Broadcasters, who are they? Men who most likely are retired players in their sport. The cameramen on the sidelines, who are they? Men, it comes in the name already. The sports world was built around men, but it is not exclusively just them.
As an aspiring female sports journalist who hopes to work in the NFL someday, seeing three women on one football field was powerful. I witnessed history. The type of account that has given me more ambition and inspiration to keep moving forward. Personally, that was never possible. In my culture, women traditionally are homemakers. College was always a big dream that I never thought was possible. Thus, being a female journalist in a male-dominated field was an even bigger dream. I never thought I would be chasing. This is all surreal: being in college, seeing other women succeed in male-dominated fields, and even writing this blog post. However, Sarah Thomas, Callie Brownson, and Jennifer King showed me I could too. They proved in week three that women belong in the NFL just as much as men.
These women all contain more than enough credentials that have earned them a spot in one of the most prestigious sports leagues in the world. Sports are evolving, and the NFL is growing along with society. It is not about helmets or players’ safety anymore. It is about giving a woman a chance, disregarding that they are a woman, and only looking at her credentials. Sarah Thomas, Callie Brownson, and Jennifer King each took their opportunity. They made NFL history in their unique way, not only as coaches and referees but also as females. These ladies now serve as role models for other leagues, sports organizations, other women, and me.