Nineteen women have landed opportunities with pro and college teams since the program's inceptionSAM RAPOPORT
The NFL is holding its third annual Women's Careers in Football Forum around the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this week, a program "designed to promote and increase the number of women working in NFL jobs," according to Joel Erickson of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR. According to the NFL, 19 women have "landed a total of 26 jobs with nine NFL teams, six colleges" and three AAF teams in the first two years of the program, and 42 women in attendance this year are hoping to follow suit. NFL Senior Dir of Football Development Samantha Rapoport said, "We're seeing progress, we're certainly seeing a lot more women enter into the pipeline, but women are still vastly underrepresented. We want to help to give them career advice and ways to advance their careers." Colts GM Chris Ballard is one of five execs in attendance at the event, along with Giants Senior VP & GM Dave Gettleman, Rams GM Les Snead, Eagles VP/Football Operations Andrew Berry and Chargers Dir of Player Personnel JoJo Wooden, and Ballard is there because he "believes in the program's goal: increasing the number of women in NFL front offices." Ballard: "Diversity brings perspective, which ultimately gets us to the right answer. And that's what we want ... When you have knowledge, people will listen." Ballard offered Colts co-Owner & Vice Chair Carlie Irsay-Gordon as an "example as somebody who's brought a different perspective to the Colts organization by constantly asking the right kinds of questions" (INDYSTAR.com, 2/26).
