Former Hamilton coach Amanda Ruller joins NFL’s Seattle Seahawks staff

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Published June 15, 2022 at 3:49 pm

Former Hamilton coach Amanda Ruller joins NFL's Seattle Seahawks staff
Less than 11 months ago, Amanda Ruller arrived as an assistant football coach in Hamilton. Now, the Regina native coaching the NFL's Seattle Seahawks.

Less than 11 months ago, Amanda Ruller arrived in Hamilton as an assistant coach for the McMaster Marauders football team. Now, the Regina, Saskatchewan native is in the National Football League, coaching the Seattle Seahawks.

“For me, one of my missions is to help young girls and women feel more comfortable within football,” Ruller said at her introductory press conference in Seattle. “Because when I started, I wasn’t comfortable. I didn’t understand why I didn’t belong. I didn’t understand why people kept telling me, no, I can’t be in this industry. I said, ‘Just watch me. Watch me go forward. Watch me make this something for myself.’

Ruller’s icy veins were on full display when she met the NFL media for the first time this week. After being asked, “how did you get here?” Ruller joked, “On a plane.”

The former running back is working with the Seahawks’ running backs as part of the NFL’s Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship Program. Ruller got the gig through sheer determination — travelling to Indianapolis earlier this year for the NFL Scouting Combine and getting her resume in as many hands as she could.

(Rod Mar/Seattle Seahawks)

“I went by myself, I got my resume and tons of people’s hands,” Ruller said. “I got to meet people face to face because I’ve applied for tons of NFL opportunities before, and I think when you just submit a resume, they don’t get to see the type of person you are.”

“I had applied for lots of NFL stuff before and being in Canada. sometimes you don’t get a lot of opportunities to get in front of NFL personnel, coaches, or people.”

Ruller served as the running backs and special teams coach, as well as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at McMaster. In May, she joined her hometown Roughriders as part of the CFL’s Women in Football Program.

There isn’t much Ruller hasn’t done.

She ran track, was a member of the Canadian bobsled and skeleton teams, and has also been a competitive Olympic weightlifter who holds provincial snatch, and clean and jerk records.

Now, Ruller has her sights set on an NFL career.

“I’m going to be honest, I need more experience and I want you to judge me based on my ability, not who I am or my gender,” she said. “So I want to go forward building those skills and hopefully get an opportunity to coach within an NFL organization.”

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