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Boss Files with Poppy Harlow

Kathryn Smith: NFL's First Full-Time Female Coach

Boss Files with Poppy Harlow

CNN

Business, Entrepreneurship

4.6538 Ratings

🗓️ 8 January 2018

⏱️ 33 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Kathryn Smith became the first full-time female coach in the NFL last season for the Buffalo Bills. She didn't set out to be a "trailblazer," but hopes more women will follow in her path. Why she says coaches and players aren't focused on gender at all, how her father's support helped her achieve her dream, and the future of her coaching career. Produced by Haley Draznin, CNN.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

In this episode of Boss Files, you know, you don't set out to be a trailblazer,

0:04.0

and I didn't know that that's where my path was going to lead me, so it's still, it's surreal almost.

0:09.0

The NFL's first full-time female coach, Catherine Smith.

0:13.0

At just 32 years old, she shattered the NFL's glass ceiling,

0:18.0

signing on as an assistant coach to the Buffalo Bills last season.

0:21.6

Players want to win, they want to play, they want to be their best. So to them, if they feel

0:27.7

that you're someone that can help them, they embrace it. And that was all that mattered.

0:32.5

Plus, how her father's support brought her to tears. And the importance of being told by her parents, she could always accomplish the same things as her brother.

0:43.2

So does she dream of being a head coach in the NFL one day?

0:47.1

Of course she does.

0:48.6

Here's my conversation with Catherine Smith.

0:51.5

Catherine Smith, thank you for being here.

0:53.5

Thank you for having me.

0:54.5

You have a great first name.

0:56.0

Thank you.

0:57.0

My first name is Catherine.

0:58.0

Oh, is it?

0:59.0

People don't know that.

1:00.0

I've gone by Poppy since I was born, but legally it's Catherine.

1:03.0

Thank you for being here.

1:04.0

You are a trailblazer in so many ways, namely the first full-time female coach in the NFL. When you hear that, what goes through your head? It's crazy. It's crazy. It really is because I wasn't, you know, you don't set out to be a trailblazer and I didn't know that that's where my path was going to lead me. So it's still, it's surreal almost. Is it even though you've already coached a season oh yeah well

1:28.2

it's surreal to hear it in that way you know to hear Trailblazer hear the first um those those things

...

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