Autumn Lockwood has made history yet again, this time as the first Black female coach to win a Super Bowl.
After joining the coaching staff of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023, the trailblazer became the first Black woman to coach in a Super Bowl, paving the way for her future in the NFL.
Fox10 Phoenix reports that the Media, Pennsylvania native began her career with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022 as a strength and conditioning associate and was promoted to associate performance coach in 2023.
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Before joining the Eagles, she worked in sports performance at the University of Houston between 2021 and 2022 and East Tennessee State between 2020 and 2021.
In 2019, Lockwood participated in the NFL’s Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship with the Atlanta Falcons. The Atlanta Falcons hired her as a strength staff intern, giving her her first NFL experience.
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Lockwood holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Arizona and a master’s degree in sports management from East Tennessee State.
Lockwood, from Morgantown, West Virginia, played soccer at the University of Arizona. After her graduation from the university, she worked as a student sports information director and Olympic strength and conditioning paid intern at the university, according to West Virginia News.
In 2023, she became the fourth woman to coach in the Super Bowl.
Given that there are just six Black coaches and women are still underrepresented in the league, Lockwood’s accomplishment indicates the NFL may have better years ahead of it.