For years, Sam Rapoport used football as a shield. In high school, she skipped prom to drive two hours to a game that didn’t exist, inventing a tournament to avoid social obligations. “Football was always my alibi,” she admits. “It always allowed me to hide who I was.”
Yet, within that hiding place, Rapoport discovered her greatest strength. What began as a way to escape expectation in Ottawa, Ontario, evolved into a career-defining mission. Today, Rapoport is no longer hiding; she is a pivotal architect of women’s inclusion in American football, having helped transform the sport from a male-dominated fortress into a more inclusive arena.
The Quarterback Mentality
Rapoport’s journey began on the fields of her hometown. As a child, she enjoyed playing wide receiver in touch football, but a coach recognized her leadership potential and pushed her to quarterback. The position demanded split-second decisiveness and instinct—traits Rapoport embraced.
“Being really good at something probably saved my life,” she reflects. “I want to give that to everyone.”
This competitive drive carried her into adulthood, where she captained the Montreal Blitz, a professional women’s tackle team. In Canada, women’s football was normalized, but when Rapoport looked across the border to the United States, she saw a stark contrast. The NFL’s dominance was accompanied by a culture that often marginalized women, exemplified by “powder-puff” games that mocked female athletes.
Determined to change the narrative, Rapoport decided to enter the system from within.
Breaking Into the NFL
Rapoport’s entry into the National Football League was as bold as her playing style. In 2003, she mailed a football to the NFL headquarters in New York, accompanied by her résumé and a note: “What other quarterback could accurately deliver a pass 386 miles?”
The stunt worked. She was hired as an intern. Six years later, she had risen to launch the NFL Girls’ Flag Football Leadership program, which is now sanctioned in 17 states. This initiative laid the groundwork for the current surge in youth flag football participation, particularly among girls.
But Rapoport’s influence extended beyond the field. She recognized that for women to succeed in football, they needed visibility and networking opportunities within the league’s infrastructure. In 2017, she launched the NFL Women’s Forum during the Pro Bowl, creating a vital bridge between women working in football and the league’s top executives.
The results are tangible. In 2025, a record 15 women held full-time coaching positions in the NFL, a significant shift in a hiring pool historically dominated by all-male coaching trees.
Authenticity as Strategy
Rapoport’s professional ascent was paralleled by her personal courage. Working in a conservative industry, she faced internal conflict about her identity. Coming out as gay felt like a risk to the reputation she had built.
In 2009, she took a leap of faith, bringing her then-girlfriend to NFL Honors. She held her hand backstage in front of then-NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Rather than rejection, she received support. “He gave me the biggest bear hug,” Rapoport recalls. That moment of acceptance empowered her to be her authentic self at work, a stance she believes makes her more effective.
“And I am way better as my true self than I was in high heels.”
A Future for Everyone
Today, Rapoport is married to Rebecca Gitlitz-Rapoport, an Emmy-winning director known for women’s sports documentaries. Their partnership is deeply intertwined with the progress Rapoport champions. They joke that much of their impact on women’s sports has been brainstormed on “Big Blue,” the couch that has traveled with them from Brooklyn to New Jersey.
In 2023, Rapoport stepped away from her role as Senior Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the NFL to become a consultant. Her goal is to help other sports organizations accelerate their inclusion efforts.
“I want other sports that want women in coaching to start from a 10-year mark and not the zero-year mark,” she explains. “I want them to avoid all of our land mines.”
She has since advised the United States Tennis Association and senior leadership in the Premier League. Her message is nuanced: it is not about replacing men with women, but about building teams that reflect the diversity of the audience and talent pool. “The future is everyone,” she says. “It’s the best people.”
The Olympic Horizon
Rapoport’s ultimate passion remains rooted in that young girl in Ottawa. She was instrumental in the NFL’s successful bid to include flag football in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. This milestone is crucial because women and girls have historically led the growth of flag football, yet the sport’s roots are often overlooked.
“Girls and women started this sport,” Rapoport asserts. “They’ve led this sport. They’re the faces of it, and I want to make sure that that continues.”
Her advice to aspiring leaders is simple: take the risk. “If I take a big swing and I try something that’s ridiculous and it doesn’t work out, who cares?” she asks. “What’s the worst thing that could happen? It’s fun.”
Conclusion: Sam Rapoport’s journey from using football as a personal alibi to becoming a catalyst for institutional change illustrates that authenticity and bold risk-taking are not just personal virtues, but professional necessities. Her work ensures that the next generation of female athletes will have the pathways and platforms that were once unavailable.
