Jen Welter: What You Need To Know About The NFL’s First Female Coach

In case you haven’t heard, head coach Bruce Arians and the Arizona Cardinals made history this week, signing a woman named Jen Welter as an assistant coaching intern for the team’s training camp and preseason. She’s believed to be the first female coach of any kind in the NFL’s grand and illustrious history. 

The job is a paid two-year internship and she’ll only be coaching linebackers, but it’s a noteworthy novel step for the world in which we live in, and it’s a positive one leading in the right direction. After all, why the heck can’t girls play and coach football?

Jen Welter has been asking herself that question her whole life. Just listen to her press conference interview.

 So what else is there to know about the 37-year-old? A lot.

Here’s a brief rundown of the captivating figure. 

• Welter was a two-time captain for her high school soccer team and was valedictorian.
• She hoped for a scholarship to play at Stanford but the offer never arrived. Instead, she played rugby while earning her business degree at Boston College.
• After college, Welter played 14 seasons in the Women’s Football Alliance, mostly for the Dallas Diamonds, leading them to four championships. Her 2004 championship season brought her a check for $12.
• Welter then won gold with Team USA at the International Federation of American Football’s Women’s World Championship in 2010 and 2013. 
• In February Welter became the first female coach in a men’s professional football league when she was hired by the Texas Revolution as a linebackers and special teams coach.
• She helped lead the Revolution to an Indoor Football League championship. The team’s GM? Hall of Fame wideout Tim Brown.
• In February of ’14, Welter became the first female to play a non-kicking position in a men’s professional football league when she played special teams and running back for the Revolution.
• Oh ya, she also has her Masters degree in sports psychology and a PHD in psychology as well.

Here are just a few snapshots from her social media.

The San Antonio Spurs hired the first female coach in NBA history last year during their summer league games. She’s still coaching and doing very well at it. Don’t be surprised if Welter follows suit. This is just the beginning fellas.

Josh Helmuth is the editor of CraveOnline Sports.

Photos via Jen Welter on Facebook and Twitter.