Eagles’ Autumn Lockwood among 6 female coaches at the NFL Women’s Forum discussing their experiences

INDIANAPOLIS — The NFL Women’s Forum offered women an opportunity to learn from and connect with not only NFL coaches and general managers but other women currently coaching in the NFL as well.

One woman participating in this initiative on Tuesday was Eagles strength and conditioning seasonal associate Autumn Lockwood, who was joined by five other coaches to discuss their experiences and hardships in breaking through the NFL barrier in front of 41 women seeking a seat at the table.

Lockwood, who had yet to speak publicly since coming aboard the Eagles staff, revealed some of the challenges adjusting to the NFL as a first-year coach, prompted by a question by moderator MJ Acosta-Ruiz of the NFL Network.

“The things that I’ve learned the most in my first year is definitely learning how to walk in and observe an already successful environment and then seeing where I can add value,” Lockwood said. “The importance of relationships, I think it’s super huge, and I knew they always mattered but you walk in some place and see a staff that’s already developed those relationships as a new girl ... just making sure I’m open to learning everything.”

» READ MORE: Eagles’ Autumn Lockwood set to become the first Black woman to coach in a Super Bowl

A Chester native who became the first Black woman to coach in the Super Bowl, Lockwood received high praise from her boss, Ted Rath, the Eagles’ vice president of player performance, leading up to the game, calling her positive attitude “infectious,” with players Brandon Graham and James Bradberry among those expressing their appreciation for her perspective.

Asked by a program participant what she felt like her strengths and areas of improvements were, Lockwood said, “Just trying to be as even-keeled because I don’t have the stressors that my head coaches do or even my coworkers do. Everybody experiences different stressors, so if I can stay even-keeled and be a light, that only makes everybody else’s light that they have shine brighter too.”

Lockwood noted that she was a participant in the forum in 2020 and 2021, while she was the assistant director of basketball sports performance at East Tennessee State University (2018-2021) and the University of Houston’s coordinator of sports performance for women’s soccer, women’s basketball, and softball. She also thanked Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, coach Nick Sirianni, and Rath for allowing her to be herself within the team’s culture.

Lockwood wasn’t the only coach on the panel with local ties, as Tennessee Titans defensive quality coach Lori Locust, a Philadelphia native and Temple alumna, also talked about her journey as an NFL coach after spending her first four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Locust, who was a participant in the first NFL Women’s Forum seven years ago, met Mike Vrabel through the Women’s Forum and offered insight on how she navigated being a part of the recent coaching carousel after losing her job in Tampa and becoming the Titans’ first full-time female coach.

“One of the things I was told and reminded about is you’re not really a coach in the league until you get fired, so that was not the best feeling in the world, and it’s a little bit scary,” Locust said. “I was very fortunate to have good connections, good relationships. I reached out on my own; I had a lot of people in my corner to help bridge it, but it’s not an easy transition.”

» READ MORE: Philly-born Temple product Lori Locust makes history as a female NFL coach even if that wasn’t her goal

The panel also consisted of Jennifer King, the assistant running backs coach for the Washington Commanders, Angela Baker, an offensive quality control coach for the New York Giants, Callie Brownson, the assistant wide receivers coach for the Cleveland Browns, and Maral Javadifar, the Buccaneers’ director of rehabilitation and performance.

The two-day forum kicked off with a panel that included NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, head coaches Vrabel and Brian Daboll, GMs Andrew Berry and Brandon Beane, along with Buccaneers owner Darcie Glazer Kassewitz and NFL executive vice president, chief administrative officer Dasha Smith.

Moderated by NFL senior director of diversity, equity and inclusion Sam Rapoport, the panel also discussed the opportunities the forum provides for female coaches in the league. According to the NFL, 26 teams have hired past forum participants, and more than 225 opportunities have emerged for women in all levels of football since the forum’s inception in 2017.

Goodell told program participants, “Every single one of you have a really important perspective that can make the league or franchises better.”

“You’re going to have relationships that you are meeting today, but you’ll also develop relationships for other people that are here, including clubs and league officials,” Goodell told the room. “Those relationships come back all the time, they will come out throughout your life.”