It was an opportunity that admittedly caught her by surprise. Yes, 2016 would be Kathryn Smith’s 14th season in the NFL, and she had experience in college scouting and player personnel. Her last two seasons working directly with Bills head coach Rex Ryan, first in New York and then in Buffalo, also saw her job responsibilities channeling more toward the coaching side of the organization. But when Ryan offered her the full-time coaching position of Quality Control-Special Teams shortly after the close of the 2015 season it did catch her a bit off guard.
“I was surprised at first, but I also know Rex really puts a lot of faith in his staff and his people, so from that standpoint it made sense knowing I’ve worked with Rex directly and indirectly for a number of years,” said Smith.