Southern Scribes: The Pursuit of Excellence
4/2/2024 12:30:00 PM | Football
Two GS football staff members highlighted by the NFL
INDIANAPOLIS — From Feb. 27 to 29, the NFL hosted its eighth annual Women's Forum during the NFL Combine. This event is designed to facilitate and support female jobs within the National Football League. The NFL selected 40 women working at the collegiate level to participate in this invitation-only weekend of learning and working toward making a difference for women in football.
Two current members of the Georgia Southern football program were among the 40 women hand-selected by the NFL this year. Genevieve "G" Humphrey, an assistant strength and conditioning coach for football, and Elease Ryals, a graduate assistant working with operations and recruiting, were selected to attend this three-day event.
The Women's Forum aims to create more openings and opportunities for women wanting to become leaders in football and work within the NFL. They have a series of panels, seminars, and hands-on sessions led by women working in the League and NFL head coaches.
We asked both Georgia Southern women to tell us about their experiences and how this program has impacted them and will continue to impact other women in the football community.
Genevieve Humphrey:
"It was an amazing experience! To be able to hear about women's experiences and how they hold a space in the NFL was extremely impactful. It was incredible seeing women hold the exact positions I aspire to have one day. Getting to meet and talk to them about their experience built my confidence in myself that I'm just as capable as them. A forum like this allows women to get exposure to show the NFL who they are and what their value is in a way that may not have been as easily accessible. Even if immediate opportunities don't come out of the forum, it allows you to start relationships with women in all departments of the NFL. You never know who will pass your name off to someone else, giving you an opportunity down the road you may have not otherwise gotten. I thought this was amazing to be a part of, and even if you don't exactly know what you want your next steps to be, going to a forum like this can help you answer questions that can get you closer to figuring out your next steps."
Elease Ryals:
"Going into the forum, I had heard about it, but I had no idea how much exposure I would actually be getting. I was able to be in the same space as many of the NFL execs as they were preparing for the combine. We heard from different speakers, and I got to meet and bond with a really cool group of women who all love football—just like me. I was honestly amazed at the number of women that coach in the game [that were] represented there. That was probably the biggest shock to me, as I have personally only worked in support staff roles. However, I heard their stories and experiences and I know they will be great coaches in college football or the NFL someday! For my personal benefit, I think the forum helped me to hear how football operations work in the NFL and what different areas of each organization's staff do on a daily basis. I also was able to learn and talk to the execs about different opportunities for future jobs there were for me. Lastly, I was able to network with all the women who were selected for this year's forum. We found sisterhood in this group of women, and I can carry that into any role that I move forward into, whether that is in college football or in the NFL."
Two current members of the Georgia Southern football program were among the 40 women hand-selected by the NFL this year. Genevieve "G" Humphrey, an assistant strength and conditioning coach for football, and Elease Ryals, a graduate assistant working with operations and recruiting, were selected to attend this three-day event.
The Women's Forum aims to create more openings and opportunities for women wanting to become leaders in football and work within the NFL. They have a series of panels, seminars, and hands-on sessions led by women working in the League and NFL head coaches.
We asked both Georgia Southern women to tell us about their experiences and how this program has impacted them and will continue to impact other women in the football community.
Genevieve Humphrey:
"It was an amazing experience! To be able to hear about women's experiences and how they hold a space in the NFL was extremely impactful. It was incredible seeing women hold the exact positions I aspire to have one day. Getting to meet and talk to them about their experience built my confidence in myself that I'm just as capable as them. A forum like this allows women to get exposure to show the NFL who they are and what their value is in a way that may not have been as easily accessible. Even if immediate opportunities don't come out of the forum, it allows you to start relationships with women in all departments of the NFL. You never know who will pass your name off to someone else, giving you an opportunity down the road you may have not otherwise gotten. I thought this was amazing to be a part of, and even if you don't exactly know what you want your next steps to be, going to a forum like this can help you answer questions that can get you closer to figuring out your next steps."
Elease Ryals:
"Going into the forum, I had heard about it, but I had no idea how much exposure I would actually be getting. I was able to be in the same space as many of the NFL execs as they were preparing for the combine. We heard from different speakers, and I got to meet and bond with a really cool group of women who all love football—just like me. I was honestly amazed at the number of women that coach in the game [that were] represented there. That was probably the biggest shock to me, as I have personally only worked in support staff roles. However, I heard their stories and experiences and I know they will be great coaches in college football or the NFL someday! For my personal benefit, I think the forum helped me to hear how football operations work in the NFL and what different areas of each organization's staff do on a daily basis. I also was able to learn and talk to the execs about different opportunities for future jobs there were for me. Lastly, I was able to network with all the women who were selected for this year's forum. We found sisterhood in this group of women, and I can carry that into any role that I move forward into, whether that is in college football or in the NFL."
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