The Arizona Cardinals recently made history by hiring Jen Welter as a training camp/preseason intern working with the team's inside linebackers. As reported by Shutdown Corner, she is believed to be the first woman to hold an NFL coaching position of any kind.

Back in March, Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians was asked about the possibility of female coaches in the NFL.

"The minute they can prove they can make a player better, they'll be hired," was his response.

Welter is a former collegiate rugby player who played 14 seasons of pro football, most of which were in the Women's Football Alliance. She also has a master's degree in sports psychology and a PhD in psychology. As noted by Shutdown Corner, Welter was also the first female to play a non-kicking position in a men's pro football league, spending time at running back and on special teams for the Texas Revolution of the Indoor Football League.

"I am honored to be part of this amazing team. Special thanks to @BruceArians & the @AZCardinals," Welter wrote on Twitter.

"Coaching is nothing more than teaching," Arians was quoted on the team's website. "One thing I have learned from players is, "How are you going to make me better? If you can make me better, I don't care if you're the Green Hornet, man, I'll listen.' I really believe she'll have a great opportunity with this internship through training camp to open some doors for her."

The Shutdown Corner points out that Welter adds to the banner year women have had in men's professional sports. The NFL will be bringing on its first full-time female official in Sarah Thomas this season, while Becky Hammon, who became the first female assistant coach in the NBA, won a summer league championship s the squad's head coach.