As the owner of a minor league indoor football team, Tommy Benizio is always looking for ways to draw fans to his arena, especially because he operates north of Dallas, home to more gold-plated alternatives like the Cowboys.
So a couple of years ago, he struck on the idea of recruiting a woman to play for his team, the Texas Revolution. Through a friend, he met Jen Welter, a well-spoken and accomplished linebacker who played for the Dallas Diamonds of the Women’s Football Alliance.
“The idea was, come to training camp and see how it goes, and maybe the Girl Scouts will buy tickets and we’ll get some exposure,” Benizio said.