Women are rising up the ranks throughout professional football, earning positions of power in a space that for too long was ruled almost exclusively by men. We're seeing more and more women breaking barriers in the sport, but what are the stories beyond the headlines? Who are the women shaping and influencing the NFL today? Answering those questions is the aim of the Next Woman Up series. While the conversational Q&As are edited and condensed for clarity, this is a forum for impactful women to share experiences in their own words. Without further ado, we introduce:
Roya Burton, Denver Broncos
Position: Scouting Coordinator
How did you get your start in a career in football?
In college, I majored in journalism major with a sports concentration. At that time, I interned at a local TV station and learned how to cover sports and local news. I went out with a camera to shoot, learned to cut and edit. It was at the time when social media began playing a huge role in how we consume and digest sports, so I also spent time cutting clips for social media and really learned how to get information out quickly. When I graduated, my first big-girl internship was at NFL Films, and I worked on two shows: Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL and Peyton's Places, which was such a fun show to work on. I logged film for hours and did anything the producers needed. The NFL was also getting ready for the NFL 100 campaign, so there was so much to be a part of. I then was an intern with the Detroit Lions before coming to the Denver Broncos as a social media assistant for two years. Then, I moved over to player personnel.
What was the transition like for you going from content creation to personnel?
I have a lot of respect for people who work in social media, because that is a job where you are on 24 hours a day. There is always breaking news, and you're always scheduling things out and on your toes. It gave me so many good tools, like how to be flexible, detail-oriented, a team player. It's all about how you put the information out there while being creative.
The transition was tough at first because I thought my career was going one way. I could kind of see myself working on the football side, so when I got the opportunity, I took a leap of faith and knew it was time to jump in. The hours weren't something I was surprised about, but there was a big learning curve when it came to evaluating prospects.
Along those lines, what does your current role entail?
As a scouting coordinator, most of my responsibilities are on the pro side of personnel scouting. I help with a lot of the day-to-day things, whether it be daily depth charts, updating tags of our current roster, filming defensive line at practice or helping coordinate player visits. I do a lot of the logistical things to help our department run smoothly. We also have a lot of nonadvanced teams -- teams that the Broncos don't play during the regular season -- we scout during the season, and I am responsible for three teams. I write reports on every single player, revealing what those players do well or their weaknesses, the state of the team, injuries, things like that. We are always evaluating players across the league, along with free agents.
I recently got my feet wet in college scouting. I went out on the road with our western national scout, Sae Woon Jo, and evaluated players at some of the California schools. Doing a school call was something I really enjoyed, being able to gather character information, get live exposure at practice and do some scouting reports. Another part of my job is doing a lot of college background work. For every player entering the 2025 NFL Draft, we will gather a summary of their social media and any type of other background information. Working with a third party to compile that information is a big part of my job after the season. I also help with pro days and go to some all-star games. It's a good hybrid role, but most of my scouting is on the pro side. I've learned how to evaluate so many positions, and the scouting landscape is always changing. It definitely makes me hungry to keep learning and stay on it.
Can you take me through how you learned to scout?
I grew up in the football world because my dad, Ron Burton, has coached college football for over 30 years. He has been one of the most influential people in my growth and path into this career. Being a coach's kid can be tough, because you grow up watching your parent work a ton of hours and totally devote his life to his players, helping them become the best young men they can be.
Kelly Kleine Van Calligan (the Broncos' executive director of football operations/special advisor to the general manager) was the one who approached me about the job in personnel. She's been a huge mentor of mine. It was really about learning each position little by little by watching film, and I watch as much as I can. I had to learn what intangibles are ideal for each position and sit down with people in our pro scouting department to learn what to watch for on film. Thankfully, everyone has been so great in helping me, and slowly but surely, it's gotten a little easier. Some of it is knowing I'm always going to have homework, so it's important to put in that extra time when I need to.
You might have touched on this, but what would you say is the most challenging part of your job?
It's a grind. There's definitely a lot of time that goes into it, and I'm trying to get better at giving myself more grace. There are times when I want to get everything perfect, but this is still a new position for me. The workload is a lot. I have a bit of an obsessive personality with certain things, and I love the structure of football, but it's about finding more balance. That said, I didn't come into this career not knowing everything involved.
That makes sense. Switching to mentorship, do you have any mentors, and what advice have you received from them?
My dad has been huge. He always talks about taking one play at a time, and that's helped, because it's truly what this job has been. I used to think I could just write a few player evaluations in a day, but now I am writing seven or eight reports per day. Kelly has been such a good sounding board, and watching what she's been able to do in her career is inspiring. She's such a positive role model, and I can go to her with any question. Everyone else in our scouting department, especially general manager George Paton, has been great. They encourage me to be confident in what I'm seeing and reporting. Navigating this role is crazy at times, but there are so many people in this organization who have helped.
And what advice do you have for others looking to get into a career in football?
My biggest thing is owning who you are. I think that's such a big piece of the puzzle. Sometimes when you're in a male-dominated space, when you want to be like everybody else or fit in, imposter syndrome becomes a real thing. But I think that's a real disservice to who you are. It doesn't matter how much experience you necessarily have, because there are other aspects that are just as important. I try to be who I am every single day, and that's someone who is flawed and has a lot to learn, but I am willing to learn and ask questions. That goes a long way. You can't be afraid to take chances.
That is great advice. Lastly, what are you most proud of?
I think making the jump to personnel. I was either 26 or 27 years old when I transitioned. I am so happy I took that leap of faith to do something I always wanted but wasn't sure about. I'll never forget the day when Kelly approached me about it, and I had so many questions. But it has been so life-changing in terms of being part of this team in a way that not many people are. Being able to watch football and see these players evolve, I wouldn't have gotten that opportunity had I not said yes.
