Jennifer Welter Becomes First Woman to Play Men's Pro Football

She said it's her hope that Michael Sam, the first-ever openly gay NFL prospect, "gets treated half as well by these men on the [Texas Revolution]"

By Rebecca Macatee Feb 18, 2014 9:01 PMTags
Jennifer WelterCal Sport Media via AP Images

Jennifer Welter is five-foot-two and weighs 130 pounds, but this football player can hold her own against guys twice her size.

And that's just what the 36-year-old running back did on Saturday when she became the first woman to ever play in a men's professional football game.

Per the L.A. Times, the women's pro football veteran signed with the Indoor Football League's Texas Revolution in January. While she didn't have her most amazing game this weekend, she did see her first action with the team in a 64-30 win over the North Texas Crush.

But Welter isn't making a big deal about having made history on Saturday. "If you're a football player, you're a football player," she said, per Fox Sports. "When you play the game well, it doesn't matter if you're male or female."

In the third quarter, Welter took the ball from the quarterback, but her opponents quickly gained in on her and she was knocked back for a loss—hard. That's not going to deter her, though.

"I said 'Is that all you got?'" Welter asked six-foot-four, 245-pound Crunch defensive lineman Cedric Hearvey. "I didn't want them to think I was intimidated."

As for Welter's teammates? "These guys have been what I would have hoped for in a perfect world," she said. "They're the best guys I've ever been around."

She said it's her hope that Michael Sam, the first-ever openly gay NFL prospect, "gets treated half as well by these men on the revolution."

And while Welter has yet to officially make the final cut of the Texas Revolution, team owner Tommy Benizio said he wants her "to be a part of this team in some capacity," saying, "Whether it's on the field or off the field, I hope she will become part of the Revolution family for the long term."