Jen Welter (Photo : Twitter/ Arizona Sports 98.7)
The National Football League has made a new milestone after it welcomed its very first woman football coach. Dr. Jen Welter will be the newest NFL intern for the Arizona Cardinals. And while many question the capability of a woman to lead a team of grown men, it has been revealed that Welter may actually be overqualified.
The Cardinals announced this week that Welter will be joining them as one of the seven recently hired interns to help the team during the training camps and in the upcoming 2015-16 NFL season.
While there are supporters welcoming her in the league, including US Vice President Joe Biden, there are also those who doubt her capacity to teach and lead. However, reports reveal that Welter could be considered overqualified for the job.
According to Time, Welter has a master's degree in Sports Psychology and has a Ph.D. in psychology, making her a doctor at that. Notably, she has played 14 years of professional football as a linebacker with the Dallas Diamonds in the Women's Football Alliance, ESPN noted.
For those who say she's only good for women's football, think again. Welter is only the second woman ever to play a non-kicking position in a men's professional league, playing as a running back for the Texas Revolution in the Champions Indoor Football League, ESPN reported.
She also coached the Texas Revolution's linebackers and special team.
While her background proves she knows enough about football, Welter admits that there are challenges to her new position.
"The biggest obstacle is ... it's yet to be determined," she told ESPN, as quoted by USA Today.
"You have to earn the respect of players. But the thing I know from being an athlete and having played the game for a long time is that nobody wants to want to dislike a coach and they don't want to not learn. But that doesn't come from head to head ... it comes from seeing you and work and seeing your passion."
She also added that she wants to be a role model for young girls that gender is no issue for what they can achieve.
"I want little girls to grow up knowing that when they put their minds to something, when they work hard, they can do anything."
