Sports

BC's Jen Welter First Woman to Become NFL Coach

The Arizona Cardinals hired Welter Monday.

Boston College graduate Jen Welter made history this week, becoming the first female coach in the NFL.

Welter, 37, was announced Monday as a training camp coach for the Arizona Cardinals. She’ll be working with linebackers. She said she’s “honored.”


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Welter has broken other barriers—in 2014 she was a running back and special teams player for the Texas Revolution, becoming the first woman to play a non-kicking position in a men’s professional league. Welter played rugby at Boston College, graduating in 2000.

“I met her, and I thought she was the type of person that could handle this in a very positive way,” said Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians in a statement. ”She’ll have a great opportunity.”

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Arians added his players are all ”cool” with Welter stepping in.


Also this year, Sarah Thomas became the first woman to become a full-time NFL official.

Top photo: Jen Welter when she coached the Texas Revolution. (Credit: Texas Revolution)

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