George Mason alumna and trailblazer Callie Brownson making her mark in the male-dominated world of professional football

She’s already made history in the NFL, and now George Mason alumna Callie Brownson has her sights set on international football competition, including the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

As USA Football’s senior director of high performance and national team operations, Brownson will be a key member of the staff charged with selecting and leading the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams that represent North America on the global stage, including flag football’s upcoming Olympic debut in Los Angeles.

“It’s kind of an over-arching job, but it’s exciting,” said Brownson. “It’s really about evolving every year, continuing to build, and evaluating our processes and how we’re doing things so that we’re giving our coaches and players everything they need to be successful.” 

Brownson joined the Cleveland Browns in 2020, making history by becoming the first female chief of staff in NFL history when coach Kevin Stefanski appointed her to that role. Later that same year, she made history again by becoming the first female position coach to oversee tight ends during an NFL game. In 2022, she added assistant wide receivers coach to her duties, and in 2023, she transitioned into a full-time role as assistant wide receivers’ coach.

The decision to leave after spending five years on the Cleveland Browns staff was the culmination of Brownson’s decade-long relationship with USA Football, dating back to her own playing days as a two-time gold medalist with Team USA Women’s Football. Brownson served as the head coach of the 2022 Women’s U.S. Tackle National Team that claimed the program’s fourth consecutive world championship.

“I’ve had this ongoing relationship with USA Football because I’ve played and coached for the national team,” said Brownson, 35, who arrived in New Orleans earlier this week to attend Super Bowl LIX, “and I know what it means to represent your country internationally.”

The Alexandria native credited her sport management program within George Mason’s College of Education and Human Development for preparing her and making her success possible. Brownson, in particular, cited professors Charley Casserly, Craig Esherick, and the now retired and former interim College of Education and Human Development dean Robert Baker for their counsel and valuable insights into the sports world.

Casserly, a former NFL general manager with both the then Washington Redskins and the Houston Texans, remembered Brownson as a very bright and driven student who was already coaching high school football while attending college. “She never stopped pursuing it,” Casserly said. “She never stopped pursuing her dream.”

Brownson credited the many coaches and organizations who have been supportive in giving her an opportunity. “I know it’s a male-dominated arena,” she said, “but there are so many great people in the NFL who just want the best people and the best for their organizations–I was so lucky to work for a bunch of them.”

Brownson said she took great pride in knowing that’s she’s possibly played a role in creating opportunities for women coming behind her, and pledged to continuing advocating for others.

She offered this simple advice for those considering following her footsteps: just keep going.

“It’s not easy,” Brownson said. “There are really, really good moments, and there are really, really hard moments. If you’re ready and you stay dedicated, when those doors open, you’ll sprint through them. It’s not going to always be easy, but you can’t expect it to be. It’s worth it—you just have to stick with it.”