The 2025 Super Bowl will go down in history for a number of reasons.
First, Kendrick Lamar delivered one of the most Black-centric halftime performances ever, leaving MAGA leaders scrambling to decode his not-so-subtle symbolism and imagery.
Second, the rapper took his ongoing feud with Drake to the biggest stage possible, turning Not Like Us into an unofficial Super Bowl anthem.
And third, Autumn Lockwood etched her name in NFL and Black history as the first Black woman to win a Super Bowl.
Now, if you’re not in the know, Autumn Lockwood first made history in 2023 when she became the first Black woman to coach in a Super Bowl.
At just 27 years old, she broke barriers as the assistant sports performance coach for the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.
It’s Super Bowl Sunday and we putting some respect on Autumn Lockwood’s name ???????? // ????: sportsbusinessjournal via TikTok pic.twitter.com/syF5iArZLB
— Blavity (@Blavity) February 12, 2023
and
THAT’S SUPER BOWL WINNER COACH LOCKWOOD TO YOU ???? #SuperBowlLIX pic.twitter.com/TgQkitCCja
— TOGETHXR (@togethxr) February 10, 2025
and
History maker. Super Bowl LIX champion. ????
Autumn Lockwood and the Philadelphia Eagles are NFL champions ???? #BHA pic.twitter.com/i4vgEcLYg3
— espnW (@espnW) February 10, 2025
Lockwood’s path to the NFL started at the University of Arizona, where she earned a degree in Exercise and Sports Science.
From there, she climbed the ranks in strength and conditioning at East Tennessee State and the University of Houston.
Her technique caught the eye of the Atlanta Falcons, where she gained experience through the prestigious Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship.
That opportunity set the stage for her move to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023, where she made history as the first Black woman to coach in a Super Bowl.
And now she’s cemented her legacy with a Super Bowl ring.
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Her groundbreaking win represents a tectonic shift in a league notorious for its lack of representation. In a sport where coaching sidelines have been dominated by the same faces (read: male and white), Lockwood’s success is a beacon for every Black woman who’s been told football isn’t a woman’s sport.
She’s living proof that Black women belong in every part of the game, not just as fans or cheerleaders, but as strategists, decision-makers, and leaders. Her win is a rallying cry for the next generation to step in, take up space, and change the game on their own terms.
