CLEVELAND — Cleveland Browns Chief of Staff Callie Brownson will take over gameday responsibilities for tight ends coach Drew Petzing on Sunday as he celebrates the birth of his first child with his wife Louisa.
Petzing will not travel with the team to Jacksonville for the matchup against the Jaguars as he stays with his wife and their first child, who was born early Saturday morning, the team announced.
When Brownson takes over for Petzing on Sunday, she will become the first interim female positional coach in NFL history, according to NFL's Sam Rapoport.
Breaking news:@Browns Chief of Staff @CalBrown17 becomes the 1st interim female positional coach in @NFL history when she takes over the TE Coach game day responsibilities tmrw vs. the @Jaguars. #forwardprogress https://t.co/nSAIuqI3XR
— Sam Rapoport (@samrap10) November 28, 2020
Brownson, who works alongside head coach Kevin Stefanski in a role that helps organize the team as well as features coaching responsibilities, was hired as the Browns first female coach in January.
On Wednesday, Stefanski praised the efforts of Brownson for helping to keep things running during a season of uncertainty.
“That is our job to adjust as coaches and to see who is available to us and put a gameplan together to go win. I would go back to I have some really, really good coaches working with me,” Stefanski said. “On a day like this when you are trying to get the schedule and you are trying to add extra meetings, Callie is putting everything together for us. She is the star of the day and able to put that together. That is where I am lucky to have really good coaches around me.”
Also taking new roles with the team on Sunday are three practice squad players who have been elevated as COVID-19 replacements, the team announced on Saturday.
Guard Michael Dunn, defensive tackle Joey Ivie and defensive end Cameron Malveaux have all been elevated.
Dunn has been elevated the previous two weeks, appearing in both games as a reserve. Malveaux made his season debut last week against the Eagles. Ivie joined the Browns practice squad on Sept. 11 and has appeared in one game this season.
The Browns, riddled with injuries and players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, will look to the next man up in hopes of improving their record to 8-3.
