This Black History Month, one coach, one agent and two players will break barriers at Super Bowl LVII with historic firsts.
Autumn Lockwood, Philadelphia Eagles assistant performance coach, will be standing on the sidelines at the big game on Sunday Feb. 12 -- the first Black woman in history to coach in a Super Bowl.
Grateful for these ladies and for all women in sports that have led the way and have been the light for me and so many others! 🫶🏽👑
— Autumn Lockwood (@AMLockwood_) February 1, 2023
Happy National Women and Girls in Sports Day 💚 pic.twitter.com/KsImuw2RJ2
Lockwood, who was hired by the Eagles in August 2022, is only the fourth woman to coach in a Super Bowl overall, with offensive assistant Katie Sowers coaching for the San Francisco 49ers at Super Bowl LIV. Sowers was the first woman and the first openly gay coach in Super Bowl history.
MORE: Rihanna to perform during 2023 Super Bowl halftime showMaral Javadifar and Lori Locust -- then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' strength and conditioning coach and assistant defensive line coach, respectively -- followed, coaching in Super Bowl LV. Both women became the first women on a Super Bowl-winning coaching staff.
Javadifar is currently the Buccaneers' director of rehabilitation and performance coach.
NFL referee Sarah Thomas also made history that same year as the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl.
At the start of the 2022 NFL season, there were a total of 15 women throughout the league who were in coaching positions. This number of women coaches is the most in any professional men's league, according to the NFL.
The Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs matchup on Feb. 12 will also feature a legendary battle between Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. This is the first time both Super Bowl teams are being led by Black quarterbacks.
MORE: Mom to watch her sons compete in Super Bowl LVIIHurts, 24, is also one of the youngest quarterbacks in history to reach a Super Bowl.
Super Bowl LVII is going to be special 🙌 pic.twitter.com/fjtDTySqr2
— ESPN (@espn) January 30, 2023
Other historic firsts at this year's Super Bowl include Nicole Lynn, Hurts' agent from Klutch Sports Group, who will be the first Black woman to represent a starting quarterback in the event's history.
Brothers Travis Kelce (Kansas City's tight end) and Jason Kelce (Philadelphia's center), meanwhile, will become the first pair of siblings to compete against each other during a Super Bowl game.
