Kelly Kleine is the executive director of football operations and special adviser to the general manager. There is a time and a place for it. Kelly Kleine needs half an hour to catch her breath and drink a latte before practice starts at the Senior Bowl. She is wearing a white baseball cap and red manicured nails in February. After spending the previous three weeks in the United States looking for the next head coach of the Denver Broncos, her cheerful demeanor hides any signs of exhaustion. Kleine was part of a team that interviewed 10 candidates in 19 cities before landing on Nathaniel Hackett. Kleine spent a decade in the personnel department of the Vikings. Kleine was the best interviewer according to a former scout. She kept everyone on schedule by researching every candidate's background, organizing itineraries and taking notes for the debriefing. Kelly Kleine has risen to lead Broncos ops.
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She asked a lot of questions. It was so powerful.
It's not a role Kleine imagined for herself when she first applied for a public relations internship with the Vikings, which set her on a path to becoming the glue that Paton says has held the front offices together in Minnesota and now in Denver.
The Broncos have not made the playoffs in the past six years. A new person in charge. There is a new quarterback after a trade. Rob Walton is the leader of a new ownership group. A new team president has been installed. In chronological order.
Kleine said that they flipped an entire franchise.
She feels as if she is one of the highest-ranking female scouting executives in the history of the NFL because of the changes she experienced in the past 18 months.
It has included overcoming self-doubt, a lack of female representation and seizing opportunities through a skill set and work ethic that have earned her the respect and trust of her peers. Her trajectory is arching toward even greater significance even though her path is not certain.
I wonder if I ever thought I'd be here. Kleine wants to know what's going on. "It's not possible in hell."
When she was a student at the University of Minnesota she wanted to be a sideline reporter, so she pursued degrees in sports management and communications, and worked in public relations for the athletic department.
Kleine was interviewing someone in the sports industry for a class assignment when he met Jeff Anderson, who was the Vikings' director of corporate communications. Anderson told Kleine about the Vikings' game day internship after the Vikings reached out to her a few months later.
During the 2012 season, Kleine helped twice a week in the office, doing everything from updating copy to assisting with media needs. One of the Vikings' scouting interns quit two months before the draft. The opening was filled by Kleine.
Kleine said that he earned his job even though he was very lucky. I'm at the right place at the right time occasionally, but I've also put in my work.
Universities used to mail thick stacks of information from pro days to the teams, which had to be manually entered into the system. Don't stop and don't stop and don't stop. She was offered a yearlong scouting internship by the former Vikings general manager.
Administrative work and learning how the department worked were the first things it started with. College scouts were helped organize their schedules by Kleine, knowing when they could and could've visited specific schools. The evaluation followed.
She said that watching the film was difficult. I'm not going to say that's not true. I don't think it's right for me.
Kleine was able to handle whatever was thrown at her. She went from being a college scout with five states in her territory to being a college scout with five states as well.
For a long time, Kleine sat in on personnel meetings but was hesitant to give her opinion. She didn't have the confidence to speak up in meetings about her evaluations until she was given more responsibilities.
The only other woman in the department was in her early twenties. The mentor and support system Kleine needed was provided by Anne Doepner.
When Doepner went on maternity leave in June of 2013, Kleine was given the responsibility of preparing and filing contracts, fines and other high-level administrative tasks. Doepner didn't remember calling or sending an email from Kleine the entire time she was gone. Kleine's thoroughness in her work was noticed immediately when she was a new member of the department.
Doepner said that she's always been good about asking the right questions and being careful about the details. She builds trust faster than most people.
Kleine had an ear for Doepner when she was learning to speak.
Doepner said that they had to help the collective environment get better because more women are in football ops roles. We had to push through some things to help people get used to us.
It's more difficult if you don't have support. When you're not the only one, everything is simpler.
Kleine's job only included evaluating. She was responsible for balancing the schools and players she was responsible for.
When the Vikings looked at draft prospects in person, her biggest impact was felt.
Paton said that the players will give it to Kelly because they trust her and she can connect. She can communicate with everyone.
In Minnesota, workdays were not unusual. She made sure that all the loose ends were tied up, whether it was corralling reports from college scouts or arranging for a plane to pick up a player because he wouldn't travel unless his dog was on board.
Artie was a business person who came from humble beginnings and displayed a rigid attention to detail. Artie was the director of the international supply chain for Johnsonville when he was at Kohler Company. Artie and Barb were sweethearts for 42 years. Barb is the life of the party who loves wine and chasing after her grandsons. Artie had a "don't cut corners" attitude.
Barb fought back tears as she recalled that Artie always said this one would make it someday.
Kelly was in the receiving line at her father's funeral. A person approached Kelly and said there was a bus in the parking lot.
She cried when she walked outside. The Vikings front office and personnel staff walked off the bus to support Kleine and her family.
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Barb was able to visit her daughter in Minneapolis on a regular basis thanks to the crowd funding set up. The former Vikings coach invited Kleine's family to a game.
Kleine can't help but tear up five years later. It was hard to say goodbye after working for the same franchise for a decade.
Kleine had a choice. She was going to be a full-time area scout after the 2021. She would have been the first woman in that position.
She was struggling with being on the road for 200 days a year. She got married last summer and wants to have a child.
Kleine said that he loves scouting, but he loves the other side of it as well. My strength as a person is my ability to communicate. My strength is not sitting in front of a screen. I realized that I'm not that person. I'm going to use my strengths in other ways.
Kleine was happy with her decision. She was going to face a lot of challenges with the Broncos.
He knew Kleine would be one of the first people he hired when he was the general manager of the Broncos. She was the point of contact for all the college scouts. She could do anything.
Kleine was hired by Paton in 2020. The video and equipment departments are overseen by Kleine. She is involved in the salary cap and analytic meetings. A new grade scale has been implemented in scouting.
She has grown because of her relationship with Paton.
Kleine said that he is good at interacting with people. It has been fun to learn from him. He trusts me to be his right hand and that's why he wanted me to work with him.
Kleine sat down with members of the video department and asked what changes they wanted to see as the team was about to change the system. What did it accomplish? Why didn't it happen? What do you think is the best way to do things?
She helps young employees find opportunities by meeting with the scouting interns. A female intern in scouting and football operations has been hired by the Broncos within the past year. She wants to empower people in the trenches.
She has made a difference in decisions. Kleine said he was involved in trade discussions and worked with the equipment staff to make sure Denver's female staffers had clothing tailored for them.
From the beginning, she was aware of the Wilson trade talks.
She has a big role in the most important things we have done.
The support network Kleine relies on is only a text away, but the weight of it all can be intimidating. The "women in football ops" group chat has hundreds of members and helps Kleine and others on their way.
The group chat was on fire when Raiche was the first woman to interview for an NFL general manager job. This is going to happen.
Kleine said that you don't have to be a 20-year scout anymore. It isn't the same. Different things are being looked for by teams.
Kleine's time with the Broncos has changed her view on being a general manager.
Kleine said that he could one day become a general manager. Is it necessary for me to get stronger in some areas. A lot. I know I have a long way to go, but I think it could happen one day.
Kleine has relied on Paton for guidance, but she slowly began to go with her gut. She was going to act like it because she was in this situation.
"The same players I'll try to interview won't give me anything, but they'll give it to Kelly because they trust her and she can connect. She can connect to everyone." George Paton, Broncos GM
Kleine said that he had trouble with confidence for a while. I didn't see any other woman doing it.
I was wondering if I could do it. I don't know if I can do it. These young women can see that we are doing it. It's important to be confident and strong. Don't let anyone tell you to believe in yourself.
Denver's new ownership group includes three women, including a majority owner, a minority owner and a former Secretary of State.
Kleine said she almost cried when she heard Hobson's story of growing up in poverty while facing evictions and utility shut-offs to become the first Black chairwoman of Starbucks. As an intern, she started her career.
Kleine said it gave him the chills because of how powerful the women are. It was the most mind blowing day of my life.
She used to be able to count on one hand how many women she'd see at the combine and pro days. A small group of people.
She doesn't see many women in Mobile. The National Football League had at least one woman working on its football side. Thanks to the NFL Women's Forum, the number has grown considerably. Twenty-six clubs have hired directly from the Forum, and there are fifteen female coaches on 10 clubs.
Kleine said she would be honored to be the first female GM of the National Football League.
Kleine said that she was sick of people saying "you're the first this, you're the first that" I have to respect why someone got their job until we stop that.
Kleine is doing more. She speaks to women in a variety of roles, including interns, students, women working for college programs, who are interested in pursuing a job in football.
Kleine said that he talked to a girl who was at LSU. She was brought to LSU by her coach at Notre Dame. I told him that he could get a job in the league whenever he wanted.
It's incredible to see. The difference in 10 years has been amazing and it's trickled down to college.
She has a simple message for those women who are interested in following in her footsteps.
Kleine told people to be confident when they got in there. You got the job because of something.
The reporter for the Broncos contributed to the story.
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