King first cracked an NFL coaching staff as an intern under Rivera in 2017 when he was the head coach of the Carolina Panthers. Last December, the Redskins appointed Ron Rivera as their new head coach. Once the season was over with, she could turn her passion to football. Stay on current site or go to US version. I saw the team compete and pursue excellence. She had to learn. "[King's] knowledge of the game was impressive," Ross told ESPN last year. Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com. I guess you never know (when youre going to break into the NFL), King said. If she wasnt doing those two things, she was going to games. Previously, she covered the Washington Commanders for The Athletic. Jennifer King makes history by joining Redskins. Part of that ability to remain calm in tough situations was derived from Kings two years working as a police officer in the domestic violence division in High Point, N.C., where staying vigilant and being calm can help in high-stress environments. "It's a double standard when it comes to sports with females and men.". Washington plans for King to work through the regular season. King will continue to assist Randy Jordan with Washington's running backs as she enters the next phase of her coaching career. Under her leadership as the team's quarterback, the Phoenix went undefeated in 2013 and finished the year by winning the IWFL Championship. "It helps us in a lot of ways. I think its also helped me coaching football as well, building those relationships and that trust with the guys, and after that its all about playing hard.. Click hereto download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports. Their 22 touchdowns accounted for nearly half of team's touchdowns (48%). Fans have questions, and we have answers with less than a week until the NFL Scouting Combine begins. The Washington Redskins announced Jennifer King as a full-year coaching intern on Monday. That was important. Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC. By the time the league shuttered in April, Arizona was tied atop the West Division at 5-3. I was asked about her being the first African American female coach in NFL history. That's why she was very valuable for us. Click During that time, she helped former Redskins receiver Rashad Ross develop into one of the most recognizable stars in the league. In her final season with the team, the Pride went 10-5 in the USA South before falling in the first round of the conference tournament. Kristen catches up with coach Jennifer King, a new offensive assistant on the Washington Redskins. Football has been King's main passion for her entire life. Everything you need to know for Chiefs-Eagles: Predictions, in-depth preview and nuggets. The time that she put in, she was basically a coach, Teevens said. I just got a DM from Billie Jean King. Last week, King watched one of her friends -- San Francisco 49ers assistant Katie Sowers -- become the first female assistant coach to reach the Super Bowl. They already had an assistant wide receivers coach. What made her a good basketball player is that she knew how to play, she knew the fundamentals, simple stuff that nobody teaches. Locust and Sowers are two of Kings closest friends in the league, and if she has needed any advice or thoughts, she has reached out to them for their insight and knowledge. She'd report to head coach Ron Rivera as an offensive assistant, according to ESPN. She also was an offensive assistant with Dartmouth College this past fall. She could hear the crunching of pads as players collided, the harmony of the coaches whistles as the team ran through drills, the screams of the coaches as they doled out instructions to players. During the summers at the Division III level, we can't work with kids. Follow Rhiannon on Twitter @InstantRHIplay, Ron Rivera reached out to Jennifer King in January with a proposal: come up to Ashburn, Va., to chat. She has a history of coaching solid wide receiver groups. Multiple sources said she met with members of the organization before the Super Bowl. She was very good about separating herself from being a player and becoming a coach. On Monday, the Redskins announced that they were hiring an assistant that would make history. King would join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Lori Locust (assistant defensive line coach) and Maral Javadifar (assistant strength and conditioning coach) and the San Francisco 49ersKatie Sowers (offensive assistant) as the only active full-time female coaches in the NFL. 3y John Keim. Without a head coaching gig, Rivera wasnt reaching out about a job, but he wanted to remain in touch, and for King, that reinforced that their relationship was still in good standing. What she saw that afternoon was someone who is very competitive, has a calm demeanor and exhibits leadership, and Lacey felt that that was what Johnson & Wales needed. 32 lingering post-draft questions: Will Lions have regrets? During her time in the AAF, King helped coach former Redskins receiver Rashad Ross, who is now playing for the DC Defenders of the XFL. Teevens reached out to Brownson and few other contacts before going to King, wondering if shed be interested in joining his staff. She spent much of the season watching the Panthers practice, with the tarp covering the iron-rod fence along South Cedar Street and West 3rd Street only mild deterrents. "There was never, like, a black superhero, and now that there's a black superhero, it's like, 'Holy cow! ", Last year at a Women's Careers in Football Forum, Rivera said that female coaches were "an untapped source. She's a great teacher, and that's the big thing about Jennifer. She wants to be a role model for young girls with NFL aspirations. Bills ink vet Murray after passing on RBs in draft, LB Barrett's 2-year-old daughter drowns in pool, Deion 'ashamed' after only 1 HBCU player drafted, Sources: NFL eyes May 11 to release schedule, Jets coach Saleh: Rodgers making 'presence felt', Cowboys scout emotional as team drafts his son, Rams use 'Mr. Here are five things to know about one of the team's newest defensive ends. King strayed to other jobs, such as being a personal trainer, police officer and basketball coach. Ten months before, she wanted a shot to get back in the NFL, and here she was on the precipice of it.