The Arizona Cardinals announced Monday that they have hired Dr. Jen Welter, Ph.D., to coach in its training camp/preseason, which makes her the first woman to hold a coaching title in the NFL.
Welter, 37, will work with inside linebackers in her capacity as coach. She was hired by Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians, who said that his team was "all very cool with it," and that "it's not going to be a distraction in any way," according to AZCardinals.com.
This isn't the first time Welter has been a pioneer. She has played in men's and women's professional football leagues, and was the first woman to hold a non-kicking position when she played with the Revolution as a running back last year. In addition to playing for the Revolution, she also worked as a linebackers coach for the team, according to SI.com.
"I am honored to be a part of this amazing team," she wrote on Twitter on Monday. Congratulations poured in on social media, including one from the NFL:
Welter has a strong advocate in Arians, who said, "I really believe she'll have a great opportunity with this internship through training camp to open some doors for her."
The team's first training camp practice will be August 1.
Follow Helin on Twitter and Instagram.
Helin Jung is a writer and editor based in Los Angeles. She was formerly the executive lifestyle editor of Cosmopolitan.com.
