Dallas-area sports entrepreneur Odessa Jenkins may not be the only woman from Texas to make a major mark in the male-dominated professional football university.
As part of its ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion, the National Football League (NFL)will host its second annual Women’s Careers in Football Forum between Jan. 26 and Jan. 27 during Pro Bowl Week in Orlando.
Fifty women, selected from a pool of more than 400 applicants from all 50 states, Canada, Panama, Germany and Australia, will participate in the second-annual event in Orlando. The event helps the NFL identify qualified women to join its next generation of leaders.
The forum will feature panel discussions, and breakout and networking sessions aimed at educating and preparing women for careers in football operations. Some of those careers include ones in coaching, officiating, scouting, and football front office positions.
Twenty-two of the women who participated in the inaugural forum secured positions in football operations across the professional, collegiate, and high school levels — including nine who obtained internships in the NFL (see chart).
Odessa Jenkins returned coaching and into team ownership with the purchase of Dallas Elite Women’s Football in 2014. Three years later, she earned an internship with NFL franchise the Atlanta Falcons. Photo courtesy Odessa Jenkins
[su_pullquote align=”right”]2017 NFL Women’s Careers in Football Forum Participant NFL Football Operations Positions
Stephanie Balachko Pittsburgh Steelers Coaching Intern
Callie Brownson New York Jets Scouting Intern
Nausicaa Dellorto NFL Films Production Intern
Rachel Huhn New York Jets Scouting Intern
Stephanie Jackson Minnesota Vikings Scouting Intern
Odessa Jenkins Atlanta Falcons Coaching Intern, Bill Walsh Minority Fellowship Recipient
Marirose Roach New York Jets Scouting Intern
Phoebe Schecter Buffalo Bills Coaching Intern, Bill Walsh Minority Fellowship Recipient
Collette Smith New York Jets Coaching Intern[/su_pullquote]
The chosen few will have the opportunity to connect and learn from executives and industry experts representing the NFL, NCAA, Canadian Football League (CFL), Women’s Leaders in College Sports, among other organizations and academic institutions.
Featured speakers and presenters will include CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie, NFL Chief Football Administration Officer Dawn Aponte, Glazer Family Foundation Co-President Darcie Glazer Kassewitz (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Women’s Leaders in College Sports Chief Executive Officer Patti Phillips, Atlanta Falcons Assistant General Manager Scott Pioli.
Forum sessions include: “Career Paths in Football Operations,” “How to Succeed in the Culture of Football,” and “NFL, CFL, Collegiate and High School Football: Where Should I Start?”
In addition, each participant will create an action plan to help achieve the next steps in their football careers.
NFL Director of Football Development Samantha Rappoport, Carolina Panthers Head Coach Ron Rivera, Stanford University Head Coach David Shaw, and Minnesota Vikings Chief Operating Officer Kevin Warren are also expected to be on hand.
For more information on the NFL Women’s Careers in Football Forum and the league’s diversity initiatives, visit operations.nfl.com.
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