Mount Vernon Native Works As First Female NFL Position Coach

MOUNT VERNON, VA — One of Mount Vernon's own made history as the first women to serve as a position coach in a regular season NFL game Sunday.

Callie Brownson, 31, achieved this milestone by filling in the Cleveland Browns' tight ends coach while tight ends coach Drew Petzing was out for the birth of his first child, according to NFL.com. The Browns defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-25 on Sunday.

Brownson assumed the interim role after being named chief of staff for head coach Kevin Stefanski earlier in 2020.

Mount Vernon High School is where it all started for Brownson. Although she opted to play softball rather than football in her high school years, Brownson went on to play eight seasons with the D.C. Divas of the Women's Football Alliance, including five as a captain and four as an All-American. She is also a two-time gold medalist with Team USA Women's Football, winning in 2013 and 2017.

Brownson's first coaching experience was at Mount Vernon High School. She got her first chance in the NFL as a college and professional personnel scouting intern for the New York Jets in 2017. After serving as a coaching intern and offensive quality control coach at Dartmouth College in 2018, she became a coaching intern for the Buffalo Bills in 2019.