Cardinals’ Welter blazes trail for women NFL coaches

Welter, 37, joined the staff of the Arizona Cardinals as assistant coaching intern, becoming the first female coach in NFL history, the team announced. In February 2014, she became the first female to play a non-kicking position in a men’s professional football league when she played running back and special teams for the Revolution.

Welter will be working as an inside linebacker coach intern for camp training and preseason.

After meeting her, Arians said, “I thought she was the type of person that could handle this in a very positive way for women and open that door”. She also won gold with Team USA at the worldwide Federation of American Football’s Women’s World Championship in 2010 and 2013.

Solomon says the biggest challenge Welter may face is dealing with veteran players but has not questioned her coaching ability. In no way does it seem she is looking to completely take over the NFL, but in her aspect, she certainly feels right at home being one with the boys.

Welter knows Arians was at the forefront of her hire but that it only came to pass with support from ownership, the front office and the other coaches.

SOMERS: Various places. It looks like the latest – it was actually an indoor men’s league in Texas, and then she became a coach this past year in the spring.

Welter, a professional football player and current free agent, is not new to breaking records. The skill level is nothing like the National Football League, yet, the competition is just as fierce. He welcomed Welter to the team on Monday as part of the newly commissioned Bill Bidwill Coaching Fellowship.

“I didn’t even wish that it also appeared to be possible”, she let it be known at information webinar at Cardinals center of operations Tuesday. This makes her the first woman to ever coach in the NFL.

“If you can make me better, I don’t care if you’re the Green Hornet, man. I’ll listen”, said Arians.

During training camps, offseason workouts, and minicamps, candidates are given opportunity to observe, participate, gain experience, and eventually gain a full-time coaching position in the NFL, as mentioned by the program’s official website.

“What I love is that this changes the dynamic of the dreams that little girls who love football can end up having from this day forward”, Welter said.