Cleveland Browns: Callie Brownson inspiring women in sports
By Kayli Long
When Kevin Stefanski and the Cleveland Browns hired Callie Brownson at the beginning of January 2020, they likely had no idea of the impact she would be making inside and outside of the organization — and while on the field. Callie was hired in January as the Cleveland Browns’ Chief of Staff.
Having previously played football with the D.C. Divas as well as being named the first full-time coach in D1 football history, she had already achieved so much as a woman in sports, but there was much more to come. This was only the beginning of Callie’s influence on young women aspiring to enter the world of “men’s” sports.
As the Chief of Staff, you are thrown right into the mix of decisions being made by the head coach, and Brownson has surely lived up to the expectations set out. Not only has Brownson lived up to the expectations of her role as Chief of Staff, but the length of her impact was also beyond measure during the Browns late-season run.
Everyone around the league — and even some beyond the NFL — began to take notice of Callie when she became the first woman to coach a position group during an NFL regular-season game. In the Week 11 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Brownson stepped in to fill the role of tight ends coach, while Drew Petzig was out.
Her impact didn’t end in Week 11 though. Callie went on to fill the role of wide receivers coach in the matchup against the Steelers, when the Browns were being plagued by COVID-19 throughout the locker room, with both a variety of players and staff missing key games. The headlines of Brownson’s impact really began to cause a ripple effect across the sports world, as the push for diversifying professional leagues has been at the center of attention in recent years.
The increased role that women have begun to have in the National Football League is setting an example for young girls across the country. In recent years women across the league have been breaking the barrier of a “men only” stereotype.
Women have begun having impacts in front office positions, staff positions, coaching opportunities, and even serving as referees in-game. With several organizations having offseason hiring to complete, women will likely continue to fill key roles across the league, while serving as role models for all of the aspiring girls that want to impact the world of sports.
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The Cleveland Browns are lucky enough to have Callie Brownson at the forefront of that influence.