In its fifth year, the CFL’s Women in Football Program presented by KPMG continues to provide opportunities for women who would like to investigate the possibilities of a career in professional football.
In 2026, the East Division cohort includes two women who have joined the hectic atmosphere of training camp; one in Ottawa, the other in Hamilton.
Jenna Gray is seeking a way to blend her love of the game with her knowledge and abilities in the business world.
Here are their stories, in the midst of their four-week training camp internships through the Women in Football Program.
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JENNA GRAY | FOOTBALL OPERATIONS | OTTAWA REDBLACKS
For Jenna Gray, the opportunity to immerse herself in a CFL training camp seemed a logical step.
But more than logic is at play for the 29-year-old criminology and business grad from London, Ont.
“I’m passionate about football,” she says, while taking a break in another long work day at Ottawa REDBLACKS training camp. “I play flag football myself.”
As part of the 2026 cohort in the Women in Football program, Gray is getting a hectic, detailed course in football operations with the REDBLACKS and she seems to be loving every minute of it.
“I’ve kind of jumped into the chaos of training camp,” Gray says, enthusiastically. “Everyone has been very kind and helpful and open to answering any questions I have.”
“(I’m) trying to really talk to and be around everyone to get an idea of what everyone’s role is and how it all kind of works together.”
When Gray was a student at York University in Toronto, she captained her hockey team, and helped coach the squad after graduation. She also worked as travel coordinator for all of York’s varsity squads.
“That exposed me a bit to the operations, back-end side of sports,” says Gray.
That’s how logic came into the equation when she applied for the Women in Football program.
“How do I mesh the two together and take the business stuff that I have learned and combine it with my passion for sports?” Gray asked, rhetorically. “That’s where I wanted to get into the football operations side.”
And she is indeed into it with the REDBLACKS, arriving daily at 7:00 a.m. and leaving, she says, around 9:00 p.m.
Jenna Gray is the Ottawa REDBLACKS Women in Football Program participant in 2026 (OttawaREDBLACKS.com)
As the day unfolds, Gray tries to be involved wherever she can, talking with scouts, with strength and conditioning staff, and the stats crew too. She’s jumping in on film sessions as well.
It’s all giving Gray a three-dimensional look at how the administration theory she knows is applied in pro football reality, every day.
“It’s one thing to have an idea of what the position is and how things work on paper, but to really be here and live it, is a whole different experience,” Gray says.
“So this is, to me, a great stepping stone to really get some experience under your belt that you might not normally get.”
When we spoke, Gray was barely a week into her Ottawa training camp tenure. But she knew, already, that she’d gotten what she’d come for.
“If I was offered a role after this — whether with the REDBLACKS or elsewhere — I would feel well-equipped to what it takes and what it looks like,” she says.
ANDREA VERA | COACHING | HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
Coaching is something that Andrea Vera already knows she loves.
So a chance to hone her skills with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats has provided the 22-year-old university student with what she feels is a tremendous opportunity.
“It definitely has exceeded my expectations,” says Vera of her experience through the Women in Football Program. “I’ve just tried to absorb it all.”
The Milton, Ont. native had been coaching soccer before adding the gridiron to her repertoire when she took on offensive coordinator duties with the U-16 SHE Huskies flag football team in Burlington, Ont., last year.
Now the McMaster University student, who is pursuing Chemical & Biomedical Engineering and Materials Engineering degrees, is adding to her football knowledge while she assists Hamilton’s coaches at training camp.
A defensive back when she plays for Mac, Vera is spending a lot of time on the other side of the ball, assisting Ticats’ receivers coach Naaman Roosevelt for the most part, although she has been given the opportunity to sit in on meetings with many other of the team’s units.
At first, she was taken aback by the amount of effort involved in running a professional football team.
“It was a little bit shocking to me. I knew a lot of background work went into the game, but it’s a lot more than I expected.”
Not just the work. The high-tempo at Ticats’ practice, under the eye of head coach Scott Milanovich and his staff, was also something Vera needed to get used to.
“Sometimes it takes me a second to get the speed,” she admits, “but I’m getting there.”
Andrea Vera is this year’s Women in Football Program participant with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Ticats.ca)
The Ticats, Vera says, have welcomed her with open arms, which has been very helpful to her as she sops up as much knowledge as she can.
“Everyone’s super welcoming,” she says. “I have a lot of questions, being so new to this environment, and they’re always willing to answer all my questions, willing to help me learn.”
What, I asked, has been the highlight for her?
“Just being out here,” Vera replies, “being with the players. Being in such an energetic environment. All the players are always hyped up and the coaches are excited to get to work so it’s a good practice. It’s always good vibes.”
With her tenure at ‘Cats camp being such a worthwhile endeavour, Vera’s already decided that she’d like to add to her flag football coaching resume by adding tackle to the mix.
“Once I’m done my degree, I’d like to continue coaching, just not sure what level yet,” she says.
Beyond all that is football, Vera’s training camp internship is leaving her with the feeling that some of the lessons she’s learning can easily be applied to other pursuits.
“It just teaches you good life skills like being organized, having a schedule, time management, leadership, all those things,” she says.
“Those are important life skills that I think this program helps you with.”
