With Super Bowl LIV less than a week away, the halftime performance featuring Jennifer Lopez and Shakira is all the buzz. However, Her Campus decided to spotlight a lesser-known talent, but someone who is blazing trails, Katie Sowers, the offensive assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers. Sowers will be the first female and first openly gay person to coach in a Super Bowl when the 49ers take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV.
At a young age in Hesson, Kansas, Sowers started playing backyard football with her twin sister Liz and neighborhood boys. Throughout high school and college, she competed in a variety of sports, but football was the one she’d originally loved the most. Eventually, she went professional, playing tackle football for eight years in the Women’s Football Alliance and was featured on the U.S. national team. In 2016, and as a direct result of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship which was designed to get more minorities into NFL coaching roles, Sowers launched her career into the NFL by interning with the Atlanta Falcons. Later during the offseason and also as part of the fellowship program, she took on a position with the San Francisco 49ers. That same year, she was hired as a seasonal offensive coach, making her the second woman to hold a full-time coaching position in the NFL.
Sowers is in her fourth season with the NFL and her story has prompted more women to enter the NFL coaching ranks. For instance, Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians hired Maral Javadifar and Lori Locust, making the Buccaneers the first NFL team with two full-time women on the coaching staff. Katie is leading the charge for gender inclusivity and equity on a huge stage, though some have criticized her hiring as a publicity stunt. Nonetheless, she’s a legitimate asset to the team, having proven herself to the other coaches and players who fought to keep her. According to CNN, Katie publicly credits Scott Pioli, the Atlanta Falcons’ assistant general manager, as being her mentor and has emphasized his role as a pivotal one who saw her worth and value, beyond her gender.
In her early career, Katie experienced much rejection due to her sexual orientation. She was told that being gay is not something teams wanted around the players. Though tough to hear such words, Sowers rose above the nonsense and if anything, it has made her stronger and more persistent in her fight for inclusivity. Sowers’ influence isn’t limited to the LGBTQ community as she is inspiring the younger generations, specifically young, athletic girls who aspire to take on leadership roles in male-dominated fields just like Sowers is doing. Among the countless inspirational tweets that Sowers has tweeted, this one has touched many:
Courtesy: @KatieSowers on Twitter
Many are inspired and validated by Katie’s words.
Courtesy: @jeremyd_green on Twitter
Sunday’s Super Bowl matchup will no doubt be one of Sower’s biggest moments yet. And to make it even more special is the fact that her opponent is the NFL team that is based closest to her hometown. So, keep an eye out for Katie Sowers on the 49ers’ sideline and be ready to hear a lot more about her. She’s making history and reshaping the future and, oh yes, she quite possibly could be the first female and first openly gay person to coach a Super Bowl championship team.
Follow Katie’s social media:
Twitter: @KatieSowers
Instagram: @KateSowers5
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