DV Connector Network Honors Collette V. Smith (Via Zoom)
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Collette V. Smith is the Founder and President of Believe N You, Inc. and the NFL’s 1st African American Female Coach in the history of the National Football League, by way of being the 1st Female Coach in New York Jets franchise history, coaching the Defensive Backs during Training Camp in 2017.
Collette is also a newly published author of her debut children’s book, Collette’s Courage, the first installment in the Collette series, an empowering and inspirational story rooted in courage, confidence, and self-belief, created to uplift children to boldly pursue their dreams and know their worth, with two additional books in the Collette series coming soon.
Smith is a former Women’s Professional Football player, playing two positions as a Defensive Back and Special Teams on Kickoff, and later served as a Defensive Backs Coach and Director of Marketing, PR, Promotions, and Events for the New York Sharks women’s professional football team in two women’s professional football leagues: the WFA and the IWFL. She did not begin playing professional football until the age of 42. The New York Sharks won the National Championship in July of 2018 in Atlanta, GA.
Today, Collette is a social philanthropist and entrepreneur specializing in motivational and inspirational speaking engagements including commencement speeches. She has spoken at Fortune 100 companies, major corporations, and Ivy League institutions, including Columbia and Tuskegee University and several other universities addressing the disparities women face in sports and championing the empowerment of Black youth, girls, and women to recognize their greatness and excellence through adversity.
Collette is a proud former student of Tuskegee University, a historic HBCU that helped shape her leadership, cultural pride, and unwavering belief in Black excellence. She proudly carries the legacy, discipline, and tradition of Tuskegee University into every space she enters and remains deeply connected to and supportive of the HBCU community.
Smith is an Ambassador for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Up2Us Sports, the Women’s Sports Foundation, the Voss Foundation, and It’s A Penalty, a global organization dedicated to combating sex trafficking and human trafficking. As an Ambassador for “It’s A Penalty”, Smith has been actively involved in awareness campaigns featured during Super Bowl events; critical periods when trafficking activity increases and has participated alongside Super Bowl champion NFL players.
She is also prominently featured in the organization’s public service announcement campaign, which airs on all American Airlines flights in the months leading up to and following the Super Bowl. Additionally, she serves as an Official Wish Grantor for the Make-A-Wish Foundation; is a two-time Best Mentor Award recipient with Allan Houston’s Entrepreneurial Program for Urban Youth; and has received several NAACP honors, Citizen of the Year recognition, and multiple community service awards.
She is a true Change Agent and has dedicated her life to empowering youth, particularly girls and women to know that any and everything we desire is possible if we believe in ourselves. Her cultural and gender-specific loyalty is deeply important to her, and she emphasizes the importance of building positive self-esteem through team sports for at-risk teens and women in low-income, underserved, and marginalized communities.
She believes in Black Excellence and is committed to giving youth a fighting chance at winning by empowering them with the tools necessary to succeed both on and off the field. Her mission is to positively impact the development of our young sisters and brothers, who will and can become the strong, effective leaders of tomorrow.
Smith’s leadership, trailblazing impact, and legacy have been recognized with numerous prestigious honors. She received the Essence Black Women in Sports Leadership Award during Super Bowl Weekend in 2023; the National Women of the NAACP Barrier Breaker for Women Award; the Statewide Alabama NAACP 2023 Bridge Crossing Leadership Award; The Links, Incorporated Trailblazer Award; the RISE Tour Trailblazer Award; the Legacy Impact Award during Super Bowl 60; and numerous other notable awards and citations including Lifetime Achievement Awards honoring her historic contributions and service to communities across America.
Smith was previously honored with the Humanitarian Award by Leigh Steinberg during Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles, California. She was the very first woman to ever receive this award from Steinberg, an honor that had never been awarded to any woman prior to Collette V. Smith, recognizing her as a true game changer, humanitarian, and trailblazer whose influence transcends sports.
She also received the Legacy Award and served as keynote speaker at the NAACP Legacy Gala; was a guest speaker for the National Action Network “House of Justice” Youth Huddle under the leadership of Al Sharpton; participated in summits hosted by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition founded by Jesse Jackson; and regularly visits Juvenile Detention Centers nationwide, using her own journey of “Hard Knocks to Triumphs” to restore hope, purpose, and possibility.
Smith was featured in a docu-series on the nationally acclaimed network BET Her for Exceptional Black Women, alongside MC Lyte, Maxine Waters, Meagan Good, and Terri J. Vaughn. She is currently in production for her own full-length documentary and is also working on two additional books, Unapologetically Collette… Stories from the NFL’s 1st African American Female Coach in History and Get Off The Bench.
Collette has been invited to Cameroon, Africa, Germany, and Turkey to coach girls and women in American football, conduct lectures, and lead roundtable forums on essential life skills, self-worth, and perseverance—expanding the global reach of Believe N You, Inc.
She served as Grand Marshal of the 50th Annual African American Day Parade in Harlem, NY in 2019 and has been honored by numerous organizations, including the Power of Influence Awards, Danny Glover’s Power of Dreams Award at the United Nations, and as the only woman to speak on the NFL Alumni “Chalk Talk” Panel during Super Bowl LIII and LIV.
In addition to this brief look into who Collette V. Smith is, she has been recognized for her outstanding accomplishments and contributions of distinguished women throughout the world and was bestowed by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated with one of the Sorority’s highest honors – Honorary Membership in her beloved Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
Collette has an audacious approach in taking on everything she encounters seriously, passionately and with great care and drive. Smith is a Champion at tackling non-traditional roles that Women play in the workforce and in life.