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Kathryn Smith always wanted to pursue a career in sports, and that goal translated to the historic move of becoming the first full-time female coach on an NFL staff. Curtis Martin Jersey . Earlier this year, she was named the special teams quality control coach for the Buffalo Bills.We talked to Smith about her role in the Bills organization, how women can break into coaching in the NFL, and how she handles being the first full-time female coach in the history of the league. Also, what would she do to improve womens standing in the league if she were commissioner for a day?This interview has been edited for length.espnW: Do you think players treat you differently from the other coaches?Kathryn Smith: I really dont. Its not like I see them interacting with other coaches in a certain way and then being completely different when they interact with me. I feel I get a mutual amount of respect. You know, Im quality control, Im on the lower rung, so Im not out there yelling at players to do this or that. But if Im asked my opinion or if I see something I want to point out, I can say it, and its not like its dismissed. I feel like my opinion is valued.espnW: What is your typical day like?KS: Its mostly breaking down film of our previous game and film of our future opponents, getting the game plan ready for meetings, and helping out the special teams coaches in practices. Basically, I assist them in all the prep work. Its a one game, one week, one season at a time kind of approach.espnW: What has been the most difficult part of being the first full-time female NFL coach?KS: Honestly, all of the added attention. Its odd, being an entry-level coach, because Im just trying to get my work done -- not that its been necessarily bad, but its been something that other men in my position havent had to deal with on a regular basis.When I step back and look at it, the reaction is understandable, but its not what we expected. I think it was a bigger deal outside of the [Bills] organization because no one knew who I was. Here, it wasnt a big deal. Id worked with [head coach] Rex [Ryan], and some of the other players and coaches before.espnW: How do you shut out negative comments you hear from fans in visiting stadiums?KS: As much as you cannot hear it, I dont hear it. But at the same time, fans are heckling everybody. I havent felt like its been extra worse for me, and its not like Im the only one getting heckled. Theyre yelling at all of us as we come out of the tunnel. All you can do is tune it out and focus on the game.espnW: How does your presence on the coaching staff make the Bills better than or different from other teams? What makes having you on staff unique?KS: My hope is that its the work ethic that I bring -- doing my job and paying careful attention to detail. If I can do that better that someone else in my position, then were at an advantage.espnW: What advice would you give to a woman whos trying to break into NFL coaching?KS: My advice would be: Get in where you can and do what you can to the best of your ability; work hard and be persistent, but also be patient because its not going to happen overnight. I know I keep saying this, and it sounds cliché, but its important: If you do the best job, thats whats going to help you advance. Its all about whos doing a better job, because ultimately teams just want to win.espnW: If you thought it would improve your chances to get into the NFL, would you go the college coaching route?KS: I think for anyone, if you think something is going to help you advance your position then, yeah. Really, at any level, if its going to get you more experience and get your foot in the door, its definitely worth it. For me, Ill always look at each opportunity as it comes up and see what makes the most sense, and what would be the best fit.espnW: If you could be commissioner for a day, what would you do to give women more opportunities in coaching?KS: To me, its important that its an equal footing thing. I think women should get the same opportunities for doing the same amount of work to get there. You shouldnt not get a job because you are a woman, but at the same time you shouldnt just get a job because you are a woman.I think I would do something at the entry-level side of things, like internships, to help women grow and develop the same way men get to. I think in the long run that would be the best way to do it because it would be a more organic way to progress.espnW: Do you think there are opportunities for women to break into NFL coaching staffs?KS: When you look around the league and other organizations, youre seeing more women on the field. Maybe not necessarily on coaching staffs, but as trainers and in a variety of departments at the organization level. Im not the only woman on staff here who works with the players. Its growing. You can see it more at the college level, and its translating to the NFL. And I think it will continue to grow and move in that direction.espnW: Does the public have a misinformed opinion of what locker rooms and coaching staffs are like?KS: There are women around the players in all aspects, and its not as extreme as its made out to be. There are incidents here or there that get all the attention, and thats not the way it is for most of the time. It hasnt been my experience with the players. They are great guys.I mean, if you have 53 guys on a roster, maybe one guy says or does something. But you could take 53 of any type of the population and the overwhelming majority act like adults and are professional. Wholesale Jets Jerseys . They reached the 100-point plateau for the fourth time in five games, bested the visiting Trail Blazers by 34 in the paint and scored 19 of the final 25 points in regulation. Joe Klecko Jersey . Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before. http:///...c-dennis-byrd-jersey . Robinson finished with 17 points, all but two in the second half, and Lawson had 14 after halftime and finished with a game-high 11 assists as the Nuggets handed Dallas its first home loss in eight games this season. J.J. Hickson led Denver with 22, and Kenneth Faried added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Donnie Tyndall has filed an appeal to reverse the 10-year show cause penalty he received from the NCAA in April for violations that occurred while he was coaching Southern Mississippi.Tyndall confirmed Wednesday he was seeking a full overturning or reversal of the penalty and that he would take the case to court if the appeal isnt granted.The NCAA said in April it gave Tyndall the show-cause penalty for orchestrating academic fraud designed to land recruits as well as other misconduct that included trying to cover up payments to athletes and potential evidence. Tyndall was fired as Tennessees coach in March 2015 due to the possibility the NCAA might penalize him.Tyndall said he should have received nothing more than a nine-game suspension, the penalties Syracuses Jim Boeheim and SMUs Larry Brown received after NCAA investigations of their programs.I should have never lost my job at Tennessee, Tyndall said. It should have been just what Jim Boeheim and Larry Brown got. We want a full overturning or reversal of the decision, and thats what it should be.The NCAA ruled in its 47-page report in April that Tyndall acted unethically and failed to promote an atmosphere for compliance when he directed his staff to engage in academic misconduct while coaching Southern Mississippi from 2012-14.Southern Mississippi self-imposed a two-year postseason ban that took effect in 2015. The program is under probation until 2020 and will lose four more scholarships over the next three years.Tyndalls show-cause penalty -- which essentially makes him unemployable at the NCAA level -- runs through April 7, 2026. Even if he is employed after that date, he must sit out 50 percent of his teams first full season.Tyndall said that much of the NCAAs case depends on the testimony of Adam Howard, a former assistant coach on his staff. He also says Howard had changed his story after originally indicating no knowledge that Tyndall had been involved in academic fraud.Howard worked with Tyndalls staff at Southern Mississippi and followed him to Tennessee before resigning in November 2014 for what the school described at the time as personal reasons. Howards departure camee less than three weeks after Southern Mississippi announced the NCAA was reviewing its program. Joe Namath Jersey. Thats not what our country is about, Tyndall said. Theres nobody who should lose their job and career based on what one person says with no proof or evidence. Its that simple. So Im going to fight for the next group of coaches. Hopefully they never have to go through something like this.Howard didnt immediately respond to a text message seeking comment. Southern Mississippi athletic department spokesman Jack Duggan said the school declined comment on the appeal. Tennessee athletic department spokesman Tom Satkowiak said it wouldnt be appropriate for the university to comment on the matter.The actual NCAA report filed in April withholds the names of people involved in the investigation. Even Tyndall himself is referred to as a former head coach.Included in the report were allegations that Tyndall directed members of his staff to complete fraudulent coursework for seven prospects so they could be immediately eligible to compete. The NCAA also said three staff members were told to travel to two-year colleges to complete the coursework.According to the report, the former head coach also facilitated cash and prepaid credit card payments to two prospects from former coaches. The report said that one former high school coach mailed the money directly to the former head coach, who would then deliver the money to the student-athlete for university bills.The NCAA report also said Tyndall also deleted emails relevant to the investigation. The report cited phone records indicating Tyndall made call after call to others being interviewed by the NCAA.Three assistant coaches from Tyndalls Southern Mississippi staff also were penalized in April. One was hit with an eight-year show cause, one has a seven-year penalty and the other was six years.Tyndall went 56-17 at Southern Mississippi and reached the NIT each of his two seasons at the school before leaving for Tennessee. He went 16-16 in his lone season at Tennessee. Wholeslae Jerseys NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NBA Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Cheap College Jerseys Cheap Football Jerseys Cheap Basketball Jerseys Cheap Baseball Jerseys ' ' '