Who is Maya Ana Callender? All you need to know about Patriots’ history-making scout

The New England Patriots announced the historic hire on Sunday. The franchise recruited Maya Ana Callender as their first-ever female scout in 64 years of existence. Her most recent role was the director of football operations for Princeton.

She graduated from Utica College in 2016. Callender's first interaction with the league came during a fellowship with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021. Thanks to her fellowship with the Eagles, her position at Princeton increased. She became a major player when it came to scouting at Princeton.

Bob Surace, Princeton's head football coach, noted how much of an impact she had on the university's football program:

"She became our pro/NFL liaison, so every time a scout came in -- which was probably 50 times last year, every team came in at least once -- she set them up. She talked about the players, their injury histories, how she had evaluated their performances."

"Then, by the time the scouts got to me, they didn't have a lot of questions. I was kind of irrelevant on that, which was a new thing for me. She was terrific."

She will get to work with legendary New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who took a path akin to Callender. Belichick came into the NFL by working in an entry-level role.

In 1975, he was the special assistant to the Baltimore Colts before becoming the assistant special teams coach for the Detroit Lions the following year.

His first big-time job came in 1985 when then-New York Giants head coach Bill Parcells elevated him to defensive coordinator. For Callender, it could be the start of something bigger in the NFL.

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Patriots hiring Callender is making strides in the NFL's effort for diversity

Throughout last season, there were six women who were full-time coaches. The total percentage of women in front offices is only getting higher. USA Today noted last November that 41.3% of the NFL's numerous positions were held by women.

Los Angeles Chargers director of football administration, Katie Sylvan, commented on the significance of women having these once-male-dominated roles:

"It's great to see more women in these roles. There have been women in these roles before me and there will definitely be women in these roles after me. I think that's really the most important thing is that people understand that these opportunities exist and are out there if it's something they're interested in doing and pursuing."

The hiring of Callender is a welcome addition for the Patriots as teams continue to change the way their front offices look.