In February for Black History Month, USA TODAY Sports is publishing the series ’29 Black Stories in 29 Days.’ We examine the issues, challenges and opportunities Black athletes and sports officials continue to face after the nation’s reckoning on race following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. This is the fourth installment of the series.
In 2021, the Washington Commanders hired Jennifer King as an assistant coach, making her the first Black woman in NFL history ever to be a full-time assistant coach. She’s about to make history again.
King has been hired by the Chicago Bears as an assistant working with the running backs. The Bears say she’s the first woman assistant coach in the 104-year history of the team. The team hired its first full-time woman scout in 2021.
‘Jennifer King is an exceptional leader and passionate coach who will be a positive addition to the Chicago Bears,’ President & CEO Kevin Warren said in a statement on the team’s website. ‘As the first full-time Black female coach in the history of the National Football League, Jennifer has established herself as a hard worker, pioneer, and trailblazer.’
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‘Chicago is a great city, and the Bears organization is historic,’ King said. ‘I started paying attention to the Bears playing video games like Tecmo Bowl back in the day because Walter Payton was unstoppable in the game. I used to always play with them on there. Then obviously working for coach (Ron) Rivera, he’s been so important in my life and him being a part of those historic defenses with the Bears as well. It’s definitely an exciting time. Hopefully we can hit the ground running and get ready for 2024.
‘To be a first in such a historic organization is a special moment. To be a part of that culture that’s in the building is exciting. I think we’re going to do some really cool things and I’m definitely excited for the upcoming season.’
Why is this important? The story of race in the NFL is a huge topic but so is the story of gender. There’s no reason why a woman can’t be an assistant or head coach in the NFL. If you say wOmiN doNt plAE in tHE nFL well neither did Bill Belichick. Or Bill Walsh. I could go on.
Being a coach is more about brain power, schemes and motivation. Andy Reid played football at a community college; not in the NFL. What makes Reid special isn’t that he screams at players or throws chairs in locker rooms. It’s how he puts his players in the best position to win with his study and smarts.
It’s the same with front office positions.
But if you do want to talk about playing background, she has it. King played quarterback, receiver and defensive back in the Women’s Football Alliance.
One day soon we’re going to see a woman head coach in the NFL. It might be sooner than we think. Maybe within a decade. NFL owners can be backwards when it comes to race and gender but it won’t stay that way with all of them. Some owner will take a chance and we’ll look back at people like King as someone who paved the way.