Dr. Jen Welter is the first woman to coach in the NFL. She earned the respect of players at the top tier of one of the most physical leagues in the world, but when you talk to her what she is most excited about is moving forward.

Welter has always pushed herself to accomplish big things. She escaped an abusive relationship, worked through a doctorate degree, and is now touring a book and running a flag-football camp for girls. In 2015, Welter became the first woman to play in a men’s professional football league when she joined the Dallas Diamonds as a running back. Later that year she was hired by the Arizona Cardinals as a linebacker coach for the preseason, making her the first woman to coach in the NFL.

The players had seen her film and immediately respected her taking tackles on the field from men. On a tough stage, she showed that NFL players would accept and learn well from a woman coach. When a rookie asked about her coaching, veteran linebacker Lorenzo Alexander said, “You need to listen to her because what she told you is exactly what you need to do.”

Many women are NFL fans, approaching half of the fanbase and the fastest growing segment of the NFL’s retail is geared for women, but very few women are involved in the upper echelons of team organizations. Jen didn’t just want to be the first woman to do the job, she wanted to be good. She knew that “It was important to me to be great. Not good, great. The last thing I wanted to happen was for the NFL to say, “We tried a woman once, and it didn’t go so well.” That would be a potential barrier for other women later.”