NFL's look changing as more women move into prominent roles at teams across league

Catherine Raiche can remember hearing the doubt and disbelief over the phone when she said she was a college scout for the NFL. Now the highest-ranking female executive in league history, Raiche is one of the women helping bring overdue balance to hiring in the NFL and opening doors in a world once ruled exclusively by men.

Catherine Raiche can remember hearing the doubt and disbelief over the phone when she said she was a college scout for the NFL.

In her first role with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2019, Raiche would regularly reach out to schools across the country to inquire about prospective players. More than once, her requests were met with suspicion.

"I was asked to send a picture of my business card because they didn't believe I was a scout," said Raiche, currently Cleveland Browns assistant general manager and vice president of football operations. "That happened multiple times, and it's not like it was 10 years ago."

Those awkward conversations and questions come far less frequently these days.

Now the highest-ranking female executive in league history, Raiche is one of the vanguard of women helping bring overdue balance to hiring in the NFL and opening doors in a world once ruled exclusively by men. After years of slow, sometimes sideways steps toward progress, record numbers of women are reshaping America's most popular sport.

But despite the dramatic improvements in less than a decade, the NFL has more work to do as women still lag in equal representation and the league faces allegations ranging from gender discrimination to toxic workplace cultures.

The Browns, who have been at the forefront of creating positive growth for women, were also widely condemned last season for signing quarterback Deshaun Watson to a fully guaranteed $230 million contract despite accusations of sexual misconduct and harassment brought against him by two dozen women.