| 1 | Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians talks to the media after an NFL football organized team activity Monday, June 1, 2015, in Tempe, Ariz. |
| 2 | TEMPE, Ariz. |
| 3 | (AP) -- The Arizona Cardinals have hired Jen Welter to coach inside linebackers through their upcoming training camp and preseason. |
| 4 | The Cardinals say Welter is believed to be the first woman to hold a coaching position of any kind in the NFL. |
| 5 | Welter played running back and special teams in 2014 for the Texas Revolution of the Indoor Football League, becoming the first woman to hold a non-kicking position for a men's professional sports league. |
| 6 | ''I am honored to be a part of this amazing team,'' Welter said on Twitter on Monday night. |
| 7 | Welter coached linebackers and special teams for the Revolution last season, becoming the first woman to coach in a men's pro football league. |
| 8 | Her general manager with the Revolution was 2015 NFL Hall of Fame inductee Tim Brown. |
| 9 | Welter played linebacker for more than 14 seasons in the Women's Football Alliance, mostly with the Dallas Diamonds, where she helped the team win four championships. |
| 10 | Welter holds a master's degree in sports psychology. |
| 11 | A rugby player at Boston College, she also earned two gold medals on Team USA at the International Federation of Football Women's World Championships in 2009 and 2013. |
| 12 | A news conference was scheduled for Tuesday to introduce Welter and Levon Kirkland, a former Pro Bowl linebacker who is the inaugural participant in the Bill Bidwill Coaching Fellowship established to give recently retired NFL players a chance to coach in the league. |
| 13 | He will work with outside linebackers for the next two seasons. |
| 14 | Four months ago at the NFL meetings, Arizona coach Bruce Arians was asked about the possibility of a woman coaching in the NFL. |
| 15 | ''The minute they can prove they can make a player better, they'll be hired,'' Arians said. |
| 16 | Speaking to azcardinals.com on Monday, Arians said: ''Coaching is nothing more than teaching. |
| 17 | One thing I have learned from players is 'How are you going to make me better? |
| 18 | ''I really believe she'll have a great opportunity with this internship through training camp to open some doors for her,'' Arians said. |
| 19 | It's the second such barrier to be broken in the NFL this year. |
| 20 | The league announced in April that Sarah Thomas would be the first woman to be a full-time NFL official. |
| 21 | In the NBA, Becky Hammon is an assistant coach with San Antonio and served as the head coach for the Spurs' team that won the Las Vegas Summer League championship. |