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

PHOENIX — Eagles linebacker Christian Elliss is still waiting to see assistant sports performance coach Autumn Lockwood frown. He’s convinced it may never happen.

Since Lockwood joined the Eagles’ sports performance staff in August, Elliss said she’s taken the “kindness approach” to her day-to-day interactions with the players. From the field to the weight room, he’s never seen her angry, maintaining a consistent level of joy each day, no matter the circumstances. Vice president of player performance Ted Rath agrees with the linebacker’s assessment.

“I always say [defensive end] Brandon Graham leads the league in smiles,” Rath said. “I think it’s been dethroned by Autumn. Her positive attitude is infectious. She comes to work with literally the best attitude I’ve ever been around.”

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Lockwood, who was born in Chester, is set to become the first Black woman to coach in a Super Bowl when the Eagles face off against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. She will be the fourth woman to coach in a Super Bowl, joining former San Francisco 49ers offensive assistant Katie Sowers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers then-strength and conditioning coach Maral Javadifar, and former Buccaneers assistant defensive line coach and Temple alumna Lori Locust.

Javadifar is the Buccaneers’ director of rehabilitation and a performance coach, and Locust recently joined the Tennessee Titans as a defensive quality control coach.

The Eagles declined to make Lockwood available for an interview.

To make the moment even more special, Lockwood will make history in the state that played a role in her sports career. She played soccer at the University of Arizona, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in 2015. Lockwood went on to receive her master’s degree in sports management from East Tennessee State University in 2020.

Lockwood got her first taste of the NFL in 2019 when she joined the Atlanta Falcons as a strength and conditioning coaching intern through the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship for four weeks during organized team activities. After serving as an assistant director of basketball sports performance at East Tennessee State until February 2021, she joined the University of Houston as its coordinator of sports performance for the women’s soccer, women’s basketball, and softball teams.

But Houston director of Olympic sports performance Kevin McCadam had a feeling that football would be in Lockwood’s future. Her father, David, is a longtime college football coach who most recently served as the safeties coach at Appalachian State University.

“When this opportunity came up to go to Philly, it was kind of a no-brainer to encourage her to go,” McCadam said. “We hated to see her leave and [were] wanting to continue to help and watch her grow with our athletes. But it’s kind of hard to pass up when your dream opportunity comes your way.”

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As a part of the Eagles’ sports performance staff, Lockwood is not only helping the players improve physically — she’s also focused on making their mental health a priority. Every Thursday, the players fill out a questionnaire on their iPads that assesses their physical and mental state on that day. The questionnaire poses a variety of inquiries, gauging the players’ quality and quantity of sleep, their stress and soreness levels, and more.

Elliss said that in his short NFL career, which included stops at the Minnesota Vikings and the 49ers, he had not encountered a similar weekly survey. Lockwood makes sure to check on Elliss and his teammates depending on their responses.

“There’s been a few times this season where I clicked five, I’m not feeling so good,” Elliss said. “I’m kind of stressed, and they’re able to talk to you and just help you and help talk you through it. I think that’s the biggest thing. Because a lot of times, you feel like you can’t talk to anybody about it because you have to perform. But she’s just been great. She helps us with that.”

Lockwood also distributed journals to interested players, including cornerback James Bradberry. He has started doodling and writing down his thoughts in the journal, giving him a newfound opportunity to be introspective on a regular basis.

“I enjoy doing it, and I will say my biggest takeaways would be getting my thoughts out on a sheet of paper and kind of seeing them and reading them back to myself,” Bradberry said. “That definitely gives you more awareness of what’s going on and how you’re feeling.”

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Even in the midst of the football season, Lockwood gets to share her passion for soccer with the Eagles staff. On Fridays before practice starts, Lockwood kicks around a soccer ball with special teams coordinator Michael Clay and special teams quality control coach Tyler Brown to warm up.

Those few minutes passing the ball have helped Clay, a big soccer fan, get to know Lockwood on a different level.

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“It’s actually really cool to see how good her feet are and everything,” Clay said. “Just seeing that new quirk of her kind of coming out of her shell, like, ‘Hey, can I kick the ball around?’ Like, of course.”

Graham said he appreciates his conversations with Lockwood, even the ones that have nothing to do with football. Lockwood is his go-to source for restaurant recommendations in Philadelphia. His favorite spot that she introduced him to is LMNO in Fishtown.

After a season of hard work with the players, helping them improve mentally and physically, Lockwood has done her job in getting the Eagles prepared for the Super Bowl. Now, it’s up to the players to bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Philadelphia.

“It’s been a great year for us,” Graham said. “We’re hoping to get her her first ring.”

The Eagles are one win away from their second championship. Join Inquirer Eagles writers EJ Smith, Josh Tolentino, Jeff McLane, Marcus Hayes and Mike Sielski on Gameday Central Sunday at 4:30 p.m. as they preview the game at inquirer.com/Eaglesgameday.