Bills special teams quality control coach Kathryn Smith is doing her best to concentrate on the preseason opener against the Colts.
But during her first training camp as the league’s first full-time female coach, she also understands she’s breaking barriers.
But she told the Associated Press she didn’t think she’d be alone for long.
‘That’s not been my focus,’' Smith said of the attention she’s generating. ''But, at the same time, if that shows somebody if you work hard that you can do whatever you set your mind to, and if that’s the message that’s getting across to girls, boys, whoever it is, then I think that’s a good thing. . . .
''I don’t think it’s as far down the road as maybe other people do. I might be the first. But I don’t think I’ll be the only one for very long.’'
The Cardinals brought Jen Welter in as a training camp intern last year, and Sarah Thomas took the field last season as the first full-time official. But Smith’s working on the ground floor of the NFL coaching system, so she’s trying to keep her head down at the moment.
''I’m the QC, so I’m at the bottom of the totem pole, and I’m just trying to get my work done, and do it as best as I possibly can,’' she said. ''My focus right now is this year, this season, Indy on Saturday, Week 1. I can’t really look too far beyond that right now.’'
It’s hard to see the history as it’s happening, but Smith is clearly making it, representing a tremendous breakthrough for coaching diversity.
