PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- Reserved and unaccustomed to the spotlight, Kathryn Smith still has difficulty putting into perspective what its like to be the NFLs first full-time female assistant coach.Its crazy, Smith says when reminded of the nationwide attention shes drawn -- including a retweet by Chelsea Clinton -- in the eight months since Rex Ryan promoted her to be Buffalo Bills special teams quality control coach.Though it was Smiths intention to pursue a career in athletics when choosing to major in sports management at St. Johns in 2003, she never knew where that path might eventually lead. Football was an option. So was basketball.And the 31-year-old three-sport high school athlete from suburban Syracuse, New York, never anticipated she would one day be recognized for breaking the gender barrier of North Americas most popular sport.If that makes Smith somewhat of a reluctant trail blazer, then so be it.Thats not been my focus, Smith says of generating headlines. But, at the same time, if that shows somebody if you work hard that you can do whatever you set your mind to, and if thats the message thats getting across to girls, boys, whoever it is, then I think thats a good thing.What would be even better is if Smith gained some female company on NFL sidelines.I dont think its as far down the road as maybe other people do, she says. I might be the first. But I dont think Ill be the only one for very long.Women have gradually made inroads in professional football, first at the executive and ownership levels, and now on the field.The first real glimpses began last summer when Jen Welter served a six-week training camp internship coaching Arizona Cardinals inside linebackers. And then theres Sarah Thomas, who last year became the NFLs first full-time female on-field official.Tony Dungy believes the trend will grow.The future is unlimited, the former coach said last week before his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. We will see female coaches because they can coach the game. We see females officiating in the NBA and the NFL. Its just a matter of time that well see more.The key, Dungy says, is for head coaches to begin thinking outside the box, as Ryan and Arizonas Bruce Arians have done.For so long, we had a characterization of what we thought coaches were, and now a number of coaches are going against the grain, he said. Coaches should not be fit in boxes.Its not as if women dont follow football. The NFL says 52.6 million female viewers watched this years Super Bowl, the second most behind last years game.Smiths ascension into coaching is owed in large part to Ryan. Upon taking over as New York Jets coach in 2009, Ryan first noticed Smiths potential when she worked as the teams player personnel assistant. Ryan took Smith under his wing by promoting her to be his administrative assistant. Ryan then brought her to Buffalo when he was hired by the Bills in January 2015. He elevated her to the position of administrative assistant to his assistant coaches, with a particular emphasis on special teams.Aside from working with coordinator Danny Crossman, Smith also gained an opportunity to interact with players. She did such a good job that Crossman wasnt surprised in January when Ryan informed him of his plan to promote Smith.Coaching is teaching, and teaching is communicating, Crossman says. So a hard worker whos a good communicator and works hard, yeah, why not?Now, its on Smith to find her voice and niche, Crossman said.I think shes still finding it, he says, noting Smiths true development will start once the Bills begin playing games.That comes Saturday, when Smith will be on the sideline for Buffalos preseason opener against Indianapolis.Anna Isaacson, the NFLs senior vice president of social responsibility, says Smiths presence on the field is an invaluable example to women. She recalled what former tennis star Billie Jean King said during a womens summit the NFL held during this years Super Bowl festivities.She said, `If you see it, you can be it, Isaacson says. If youre a little girl, and you see someone in a position that looks like you, then you believe you can be that person. And that oftentimes is a huge motivator.Bills fan Julie Schmidt says Smiths promotion can inspire her 12-year-old daughter Aubrey, who sat beside her in the stands during a recent training camp practice.I think its fantastic that the Bills have shown they can think beyond the box that theyre living in, Schmidt says. I think it shows our youth that the possibilities are endless.Kathryn Smith is in no position to look too far ahead. Like any coach, her job security is measured by what happens on game day.Im the QC, so Im at the bottom of the totem pole, and Im just trying to get my work done, and do it as best as I possibly can, Smith says. My focus right now is this year, this season, Indy on Saturday, Week 1. I cant really look too far beyond that right now.---AP Pro Football Writer Barry Wilner contributed to this report.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Superstar Outlet . What general manager Dave Nonis called "short and productive" negotiations ended with Kessel signing a US$64-million, eight-year contract on Tuesday. Wholesale Adidas Shoes . The 26-year-old Ireland striker, who has four goals this season, has signed a three-and-a-half year contract with his new club. http://www.cheapsuperstar.us/ . Newcastle dominated in the early stages but City weathered the storm and then raised its game in extra time. Negredo broke the deadlock from close range after a simple move in the 99th minute before Dzeko took the ball round goalkeeper Tim Krul to seal the victory in the 105th. Adidas Shoes Clearance . 8 Iowa State on Saturday, sending the Cyclones to their third consecutive loss. The Longhorns (14-4, 3-2) got their biggest win of the season with their third in the row in the Big 12. Cheap Adidas Superstar China . The showiest items on Calgarys lot were forwards Mike Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak. Both will be unrestricted free agents this summer. The story till thenAbhinav Bindra emerged as a shooter of rare pedigree at the turn of the century. As a 17-year-old he became the youngest Indian participant at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Four years later, in Athens, he broke the world record to enter the finals, only to falter and finish last in a field of eight. His stature continued to rise internationally, though, as he became the first Indian to win a World Championship gold in 2006 and also picked up two medals at the Commonwealth Games in the same year, including a gold.The moment At the Beijing Olympics, Bindra delivered Indias greatest moment in Olympic history by taking the gold in the 10m Air Rifle. It was Indias first ever individual Olympic gold and Bindra accomplished it with a poised performance in front of a packed arena and a huge TV audience back home. He was fourth at the end of the qualifying round but with a final round of 104.5 he overcame a strong field to clinch the title. The feat sparked a wave of national celebration.The reaction Its the thrill of my life. Thats about it. Its hard to describe. I just went for it. I knew I was lying in fourth. Thankfully it went my way and I just went for it. - Abhiinav BindraExpert view The mental block that we are not good enough to get a gold will be gone.dddddddddddd. Abhinav has made us all proud and achieved Indias greatest sporting success. An Olympic gold is the thing in life. Everything else comes second. - Randhir Singh, former Indian Olympic Association secretary and international shooterThe story since After the gold, Bindra took time off shooting to consider a career in business, but he made a comeback ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, where he had to settle for silver in the individual event, behind colleague Gagan Narang, though he won gold in the pairs. He was unable to replicate his 2008 form at the 2012 Olympics, failing to reach the finals. He bounced back with gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and though he no longer competed as regularly, earned a quota for his fifth Olympics at Rio. He has announced that he will end his professional career after the Olympics.Recommended reading A Shot at History: My Obsessive Journey to Olympic Gold by Abhinav Bindra and Rohit Brijnath ' ' '