Lois Cook

CEO, FootballHer; Vice President, WFA D.C. Divas

Lois Cook is a powerhouse advocate for women and girls in football, a dedicated mom of four, and a multi-faceted sports personality. She is a social media influencer, TV/radio show host, professional wide receiver, and Vice President of the DC Divas. Lois is also a stadium host with the UFL and WFA, an emcee, and a sideline reporter, featured annually on ESPN2 for the WFA Championship.

Her football journey began at an early age with the dream of becoming the first woman in the NFL. In 2002, that dream took shape when she joined the Atlanta Leopards—part of a league that, for her, was even better than the NFL: a space where women compete at the highest level. She later joined the DC Divas in 2004, where she still plays today, competing in women’s tackle and co-ed flag football. Despite multiple injuries—including a broken ankle, tibia, fibula, toe, and three fingers—Lois has never wavered in her passion for the game, always returning stronger.

Lois’ career has been filled with groundbreaking moments. In 2021, she helped coach at her alma mater, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, leading the team to its first undefeated season in over 40 years.

She was later selected as an intern coach at the prestigious NFL Alumni Academy in Canton, OH, where she worked with offensive and defensive linemen and running backs. Her media career took off when she became the host of Lo On The Go, a fun and lighthearted segment of the WFA pre-game show Road to Canton, airing nationally online and on Women’s Sports TV Network. She continues to serve as a sideline reporter for the WFA Championship, bringing coverage to ESPN2.

Beyond playing and media, Lois is committed to growing the game. She founded FootballHer, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering women and youth through football. Her organization provides mentorship, financial support for women in the sport, and advocacy for girls’ tackle football in schools. She played a pivotal role in launching Loudoun County’s first-ever high school girls flag football league, breaking new ground for young female athletes.

Lois has also leveraged her platform to grow the hashtag #Womenstacklefootball from just 1,500 uses to over 6 million in under a year. Since then, as others picked up on it, the hashtag has skyrocketed to over 66 million uses, increasing visibility for the sport on a global scale.

She has worked with major brands like Always, ESPN, TiVo, Got Milk?, Hulu, and Xenith. In Super Bowl 2022, Lois was featured in a Super Bowl commercial and on a billboard outside SoFi Stadium as part of the Got Milk? campaign, proving that “football is football” regardless of gender. Her presence extends across major media platforms, local news, primetime specials, podcasts, and advertising campaigns. She has also earned numerous awards, including the 2023 Coaches’ Award, 2021 Daddy Nat Award for Selfless Service, 2019 Owner’s Award, and 2018 Hard Hat Award, as well as multiple flag football championships.

Today, Lois continues her mission with one simple message: Be active in your passion and grow the game of football for all.