CLEVELAND – Cleveland Browns chief personnel officer Callie Brownson will lead the club’s tight ends on Sunday against the Jaguars in Jacksonville – a first in team history.
Brownson, who was hired by Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski shortly after arriving in Cleveland earlier this year, will replace coach Drew Petzing. The latter did not travel with the team to Florida since his wife, Louisa, gave birth to the couple’s first child on Saturday.
Brownson is one of the few women to hold a coaching position in the NFL. Usually, she’s responsible for all of the Browns’ coaching staff.
Earlier this week Stefanski, who entered the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings in a Brownson-like role, praised his ability to adapt to sudden changes in the schedule due to the coronavirus pandemic. The team has had to close its facilities three times due to positive coronavirus diagnoses.
“I have very good coaches around me. Days like today, where we’re trying to add a few extra meetings, Callie does everything to make our lives easier. She is our star, and she always performs her duties successfully, ”Stefanski said on Wednesday.
“I’m very lucky to be able to count on such good coaches around me,” he repeated.
Brownson made history earlier this season in a Browns game against the Washington soccer team, which featured a coach for each team as well as a referee.
Brownson was serving as a full-time intern on the Buffalo Bills coaching staff last year. She also served as an intern with the New York Jets scouts, before joining the Dartmouth coaching staff in 2018.
