Pro Football Hall of Fame recognizes women’s impact

Aug 5, 2022, 1:49 AM | Updated: 1:51 pm

This photo shows a display with Jen Welter's blue-and-pink jersey, Friday, Aug. 5, 2022 in Canton, ...

This photo shows a display with Jen Welter's blue-and-pink jersey, Friday, Aug. 5, 2022 in Canton, Ohio. A 15-year-old boy made his way through the The Pro Football Hall of Fame museum on Friday, checking out the memorabilia and bronze busts before stopping to take a picture of Jen Welter’s blue-and-pink jersey to send to his younger sister. (AP Photo/Rob Maaddi)

(AP Photo/Rob Maaddi)

CANTON, Ohio (AP) — A 15-year-old boy made his way through the the Pro Football Hall of Fame museum on Friday, checking out the memorabilia and bronze busts before stopping to take a picture of Jen Welter’s blue-and-pink jersey to send to his younger sister.

“She will love this,” said Zach Fleming, a Pittsburgh Steelers fan in town with his dad for the first time. “I want her to know girls can make the Hall of Fame, too.”

Welter became the first woman to coach an NFL game in 2015 when she joined the Arizona Cardinals as an assistant coaching intern for training camp and the preseason.

The shirt, pants and sneakers she wore on the sideline in all four exhibition games are on display at a new exhibit in the Pro Football Today area of the museum.

Welter’s game-worn Texas Revolution jersey, her Dallas Diamonds helmet and a commemorative helmet signed by Team Australia during her time as head coach of the national team is also displayed in a separate glass enclosure.

The “Women’s Impact on Football” exhibit debuted ahead of this week’s enshrinement festivities. It features artifacts from women who have played, coached, officiated and broadcast the game at its highest level.

“There’s a lot of women involved in pro football and we wanted to recognize their contributions and tell their stories,” said Ben Ankrum, assistant curator at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “We’ve had other exhibits featuring women in pro football and it got to the point where we could do something larger and more permanent.”

Other items on display include:

–Callie Brownson’s game-worn jacket and a signed ball from the game in which she became the first woman to serve as a position coach for an NFL regular-season game with the Cleveland Browns on Nov. 29, 2020. Brownson filled in as the tight ends coach when Drew Petzing didn’t travel with the team after his wife gave birth to the couple’s first child.

–Katie Sowers’ 49ers polo from the 2017 season, when she became only the second woman to serve as a full-time NFL coach. San Francisco hired Sowers as an assistant for the 217 season. Kathryn Smith was the first female full-time coach with the Buffalo Bills in 2016.

–The shoes Buccaneers assistant defensive line coach Lori Locust wore when she and assistant strength and conditioning coach Maral Javadifar became the first female coaches to win a Super Bowl after Tampa Bay’s victory over Kansas City on Feb. 7, 2021.

–Maia Chaka’s referee uniform and penalty flags. Chaka became the first Black woman to officiate an NFL game in 2021.

–Six-time national champion quarterback Allison Cahill’s signed jersey from her MVP performance in the Boston Renegades’ victory in the 2021 Women’s Alliance of Professional Football National Championship Game played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

–Hannah Storm’s and Andrea Kremer’s headsets from 2018, when they became the first all-female broadcast team to call an NFL regular-season game.

___

Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter at https://twitter.com/robmaaddi and his work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/robmaaddi

___

More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

3 months ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

3 months ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

3 months ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

3 months ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

3 months ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

3 months ago

Pro Football Hall of Fame recognizes women’s impact