Jennifer King: another woman that making hystory in the NFL

Women continue to make history in international sport: Jennifer King, 36, was recently named an assistant running back coach for the Washington Football Team, becoming the first woman to hold such a full-time role on the circuit . King served as a full-year training intern on the team and the challenge she faces now is totally an “unknown journey” for her.

His life was always linked to sports. “We were always at football games or watching them on television. But never in my life did I think I would be working in the NFL. I have played basketball, softball, tennis, and football. I coached basketball and softball, I am a huge sports fan and I love to play them, but I never thought this was an option , ”King said as compiled by ESPN.

Idols that motivated her

King's appointment spawned just weeks before one of his idols, boxer Claressa Shields made history in women's boxing. Shields defeated Marie-Eve Dicaire by unanimous decision to become the first female boxer since 2004 – the four belt era – both male and female, to be the undisputed monarch in two divisions .

It was thus that Claressa retained his WBC and WBO junior middleweight titles while claiming the IBF crown from Dicaire, as well as the vacant WBA world title . "I did it", said Shields in the ring after winning the fight.

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Aside from Shields, Jennifer has another role model in Zina Garrison, because she was one of the first black women she saw playing sports on television. "I started playing tennis because I watched her play on television as a child," added King.

The new Washington coach explained that Garrison sent her a message on social media shortly after being named assistant running backs coach for the capital team and that that gesture had been very special.

A long history with the NFL

King started out in this world of leadership with the 2019 Dartmouth as an offensive squad assistant . With the support of coach Ron Rivera and the people within the Washington Football Team organization, Jennifer has nothing to worry about and she has a lot to gain because the important thing is the growth of the team.

But what is the plan? “I want our group of running backs to be one of the best in the league, that is our goal. And that's just building on what we did last season . We had good numbers last year, but there is a lot of room for improvement. As we win more games, our confidence will increase ”.

She had the typical childhood dreams. When she was little, King wanted to be a professional athlete and a police officer . She did both. She played football professionally and later served as a police officer in High Point, North Carolina, between 2014 and 2016, in parallel with his training sessions.

She explains to the ESPN that “what I offer to the Washington Football Team goes beyond my basic skills as a coach. I interact with the players. I can communicate and be a voice of support for them ”.

The 36-year-old assistant understands the importance of the challenge ahead, which is why she immediately thanked Katie Sowers, who served as the 49ers assistant for four seasons, and was also one of the first people to open the door for women in the NFL.

That first opportunity came up with the Carolina Panthers. Washington running back JD McKissic thanked King for motivating him: "I always thought she was already the assistant coach. She played a pretty good role in my success … She helped me take the next step. It was just the little things like giving me pregame training, things she did with Christian McCaffrey in the past at Carolina, ” he said on NFL.com.