Football is the most popular sport in America. This year’s Super Bowl drew in nearly 125 million viewers, while the NFL cleared 23 billion in revenue for its last season.
But, that love doesn’t necessarily extend to athletes who aren’t cisgender men.
In 2021, the Raiders head coach John Gruden resigned after emails surfaced in which he denounced the NFL’s decision to allow women as referees and made homophobic remarks about a player. His comments might have received backlash, but many in the American football community share these views.
And old, out-dated attitudes about who can (and should) play football, aren’t stopping athletes from making their mark on the sport.
At Oakland’s Laney College, there’s a storm brewing… The Golden State Storm to be exact! It’s the newest women’s tackle football team in the Women's National Football Conference.
Kris Grimes is the team's star running back. They joined the WNFC in 2024, playing initially for the Oregon Ravens and then the Seattle Majestics. And they were Rookie of the Year for the league in 2024.
Kris moved to the Bay Area- to Richmond this year for a chance to help the Storm build a competitive team.
Note: A link to the original airing of the story about the Golden State Storm, and a story transcript can be found here.
Click the button above to listen!
