A New King of the Field Has Arrived Just in Time for Black History Month
In the month of February, Black History Month, Jennifer King made history when she was hired by the Washington Redskins and became the NFL’s first full-time African-American female coaching intern.
King played basketball and softball at Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina. After completing her college career, she immediately began working towards a professional career in sports. Playing for the New York Sharks and the DC Divas, King gained experience in positions such as wide receiver, quarterback, and running back. The experience of playing football for 12 years served as a stepping stone towards coaching. King was an Assistant wide receivers coach for the Arizona Hotshots in the AAF (Alliance of American Football), the offensive assistant coach with Dartmouth College, and the head women’s basketball coach at Johnson and Wales University.
King’s coaching experience in Charlotte, North Carolina led her to meet former Carolina Panthers head coach, Ron Rivera. Rivera took her under his wing and allowed her to work as a wide receivers coaching intern for the Carolina Panthers. When Rivera was fired from his head coaching position at the Carolina Panthers he was hired by the Washington Redskins. Rivera brought King along with him and hired her as a full-time intern with the Washington Redskins. Rivera and King’s previous work history and chemistry are expected to change the Redskins program for the better.
In King’s new position, she has become a role model for many girls who want to have careers in sports. Her new position has opened up doors to a bigger world of possibilities and has demonstrated that you do not have to be a man to be able to coach at a high level in men’s sports. I can not wait to see the new journey that she has set out to take.