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She's a Warrior
First-year coach Natalie Randolph, 26, is believed to be the only woman on a varsity football coaching staff in the Washington area.
(P. Keres - The Post)
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"With her knowledge of being a professional -- I don't care if it's with a women's league -- it's going to help us," said Fuller, who's team is 4-3 heading into Friday's game at Eastern. "She's a great resource."
Randolph grew up in the District and ran track for Sidwell Friends, earning honorable mention All-Met honors in 1996 and 1998. On scholarship at the University of Virginia, Randolph was all-ACC in 2003, placing second in the 400-meter hurdles at the ACC championships.
But Randolph always had a passion for football.
"She wanted to play on Sidwell's team and she was actually faster than anyone on the team," said her father, Nathaniel Randolph. "But then I told her, 'You know, some of them may try to hurt you because you're a girl.' "
Nathaniel Randolph runs his own physical therapy practice in Northeast, and in June 2003 had one of the Divas, Carrie Pecover, as a patient. He put his daughter in touch with Pecover, and the following week, the Randolphs went to a Divas playoff game. Natalie was invited to try out the following November, and has been a Diva ever since.
Peter Roby, director of the Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University, said Randolph is establishing an important precedent.
"The old stereotype of [football coaches] being a bunch of old guys sitting around can't be anymore," Roby said. "There are issues with it being a highly masculine sport. I don't think that's the case anymore. You look in the stands [at football games] and now there are women watching football."
Randolph had no aspirations to coach when Fuller approached her. She thought Fuller just wanted her to help out on occasion.
"I came out and he said [to the players], 'This is our new wide receivers coach,' " Randolph said. "I was like, 'Wow.' "
It certainly surprised some of the players.
"We got a girl for a coach? You don't see that everyday," senior running back D'Andre Johnson said when he was told Randolph would be one of the Warriors' coaches. "But she must know something about football if she's going to coach it."
Randolph kept a low profile the first couple of practices, watching the other assistants and trying to find her niche. The players already knew her as Ms. Randolph, the science teacher.
