In a weekend that has already seen history in the making with the first female player in a Power 5 game. We have now witnessed another historic moment for women in sports as Callie Brownson became the first woman as coach of a position group in the NFL.
Women Make History
After the world was greeted with Sarah Fuller from Vanderbilt, as she performed a squib kick for the team, Callie Brownson made history for the NFL as she went on to coach the Cleveland Browns TE position. This was due in part to the current Browns TE coach, Drew Petzing, not being available for Sunday’s game as his wife was giving birth. For Brownson, her resume speaks for itself as she played eight seasons as a safety, running back, and slot receiver for D.C. Divas in the Women’s Football Alliance. She previously worked with the Buffalo Bills in 2019 after turning an internship with the team into a full-time position under their coaching staff.
On Sunday, the Cleveland Browns went up against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who gave them a battle to the end. The Browns would end up winning the game 27-25 which was a nail bitter for fans from both sides, as Jacksonville saw their quarterback, Mike Glennon, keep up with Browns’ quarterback Baker Mayfield. But as for Tight Ends, Brownson did an excellent job coaching the position as TE Austin Hooper scored a touchdown and picked up 13 yards. TE Harrison Bryant also made a catch which resulted in 13 yards but fumbled the ball which resulted in the only mistake at that position.
Time will tell if Brownson stays at coaching that position, but there’s no doubt that she can help the team any way she can. After the game, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said “She’s a great utility player for us and she can fill in anywhere. I’m proud of her and proud of her journey and it’s going to continue here.”
The Future
This shows that Brownson still has a future in Cleveland. Having that kind of utility shows that she could break even more barriers with her success. She has the talent and experience to stay at that position if Cleveland needed her too, her utility that Stefanski mentioned could also land her a different position to coach, but rest assured she’ll be able to handle it.
This weekend was tremendous for women in sports as support has continued to grow in all types of media. Brownson and Fuller are just the building blocks of what could be in the future and they are great examples for anyone trying to get into sports. This all comes down to the accomplishments they’ve made so far and their experiences which have made them more than capable of their jobs on the field. We’ll see what the future has next for both of these fantastic athletes and what else the future will bring us in terms of breaking barriers around the world of sports.