NFL: a page of history for Catherine Raîche

Catherine Raîche’s meteoric rise in the world of football continues. The Montrealer became the very first woman in NFL history to be promoted to vice-president of football operations with the Philadelphia Eagles.

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Raîche’s journey in an environment traditionally reserved for men is, to say the least, fascinating.

Just six years ago, in 2015, she accepted an unpaid internship position with the Montreal Alouettes.

The Quebecer quickly rose through the ranks, to the point of becoming coordinator of the football administration and then assistant to general manager Jim Popp, in 2017.

The law graduate with a Masters in Taxation then followed Popp to the Toronto Argonauts and in 2019, the Eagles’ call came to fill the role of Football Operations Coordinator.

Thanks to her promotion announced Thursday, she becomes the woman who holds the highest office on an NFL team.

Despite requests for interviews from the Newspaper, the Eagles did not see fit to make it available.

A critical role

As Vice President of Operations, she will be « involved in all facets of football operations and personnel, including academic and professional recruiting, contract management, player development and research, » according to the official statement issued by the Eagles.

In a recent interview with daily USA Today, before her promotion, Raîche confided that before the last draft, she wrote 115 evaluation reports for players from 17 universities.

As for the free agent market, she was responsible for the evaluation and ranking of free agents on four teams.

“I am always very confident when expressing my opinions because I know they are based on the research I have done, the videos I have watched or the statistics I have observed to support my position. Said Raîche, who also wrote a goal development guide for recruits to ease their transition into the professional ranks.

Soon DG?

By virtue of her new position, Catherine Raîche is closer than ever to her dream of becoming general manager of a professional team.

The seat of vice-president of football operations she now occupies belonged to Andrew Berry in 2019.

The latter then landed the post of Managing Director and VP. executive in football operations with the Cleveland Browns a year later.

All is therefore for the best for the one who practiced tax law a few years before making the jump into the football world in 2015, without really knowing what to expect.

In a dozen appointments or promotions in their personnel department that were announced Thursday, the Eagles have also appointed another woman, Ameena Soliman, as a professional scout.

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