They played by NFL rules in NFL stadiums. They won world championships. They’re at the top of their game. What else do they have to do to level the playing field? Meet quarterback Sami Grisafe, San Francisco 49ers coach Katie Sowers and other legends of women’s tackle football who played for the love of the game against all odds. With commentary from Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris and 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan, OPEN FIELD tells the story of the women who leave everything on the field in their drive for greatness, earning recognition and respect.
Growing up, Sami Grisafe was one of the boys. Captain and first female quarterback of her Division 1 high school football team. Then, three-time champion and MVP quarterback of the Team USA. Winning came easy to Sami. Opening the field to a new generation of female players was a whole different ballgame.
An epic journey into the heart of professional women’s football, OPEN FIELD introduces the world to Sami and her hard-hitting teammates as they rack up championship after championship playing by NFL rules in NFL stadiums. Yet even at the top of their game, they hit obstacles no male NFL players have ever faced. Gender stereotypes. Lack of funding and sponsorships. No unified league. And no awareness or recognition in an otherwise football-obsessed nation.
OPEN FIELD also follows Sami’s friend and former teammate Katie Sowers, currently Assistant Coach for the San Francisco 49ers and the first woman to coach in a Super Bowl. Top coaches and players who are championing a more inclusive future for football also appear, including Kyle Shanahan, Head Coach of the San Francisco 49ers; Franco Harris, the legendary Pittsburgh Steeler and Hall of Famer; and John Konecki, Head Coach of Team USA and the Chicago Force.
Meet these women of the gridiron, who carved out a path that didn’t exist and built a movement, of both women and men, who are reframing the conversation and rewriting the playbook to integrate women into the game of football. Their inspiring story will change the way you view professional football and how you define a champion.
