Editor’s note: This is the third story in our “Women of the Ravens” series. We previously profiled the team’s sewing manager, who left Broadway for the gig, and a marketing exec who helped grow the girls flag football league.

As a student in college, Heather Darney walked out of her interview with an athletic director “pissed.”

After discovering sports management through a general education class, she had become interested in the idea of being an athletic director. The person she interviewed told her she wouldn’t like the job — as a woman, it would be hard to have a family with the hours she would have to work.

“I was like, ‘That’s up for me to decide,’” Darney said.

Darney, a three-sport athlete in high school, began the search for a career in sports after high school because she didn’t see a future for herself in college athletics.

Likewise, her co-worker Kelly Tallant played college lacrosse but knew there was no path for her as a pro athlete. And Briana Vaughn, another co-worker, ran track in the SEC with a chance to go pro before realizing that didn’t appeal to her.

After years of dedicating themselves to sports, all three women were left wondering where to go next.

Tallant’s brother suggested finance. Darney was undeclared as a freshman before taking her sports management class. Vaughn transferred schools to a smaller program that would help her transition into a career working for athletic departments.

None of them had a career in community relations on their radars. In fact, they didn’t even know it was an option.

Now, the three of them oversee over 150 events and millions of dollars in funding that the Ravens distribute through their local Baltimore communities. They’re proving women can find a space in sports through multiple avenues while also directly contributing to the growth of girls’ opportunities through the events they plan and the money they grant.

Darney did not end up becoming an athletic director — but not because she thought she wouldn’t be able to manage work life and family life as the professional suggested. Instead, she found a job as a communications assistant with the Orioles, her beloved hometown baseball team, and in the process ended up working as many or more hours than an athletic director.

While with the Orioles, Darney became the special events manager. She also met Tallant, who was an intern for the team. Tallant liked the career she discovered through the internship a whole lot more than finance.

As she coordinated events for the Orioles, Darney discovered the ones that inspired her most were the community events. And then an opportunity from the Ravens came along, offering her a chance to focus on those full time. When she made the move years ago, Darney brought Tallant along.

When they arrived, there were already a handful of women working for the organization, Tallant said. They were in human resources, finance and public relations, but they were still a minority and absent from any operational roles.

Even in such a positive role like community relations, the two women experienced the challenges of being in a male-dominated workplace.

From within, there was and still is the obstacle of the locker room. If Darney or Tallant want to run down a player, they don’t follow him in. It’s harder to build relationships when such a significant room is off-limits. When all their events are voluntary, it’s important to know who is passionate about what so you know who to ask to support a cause.

Outsiders were surprised at their sports knowledge or that they had a career in sports. Tallant said people sometimes assume she’s a man and that “Kelly” is her last name.

But the obstacle that frustrates Tallant the most?

“There’s a misconception that you get into sports to find a husband,” Tallant said. “And that’s insulting. … You get a haircut. It’s not so that people notice you. It’s because you want to feel good about yourself.”

But as the years went on, the room around them started to become more diverse. By the time Vaughn joined the team in 2021, there were plenty of women, but not so many Black women. Vaughn, who said she applied with no experience and got the job when she “rocked” her interview, became one of about five Black women who worked for the Ravens at the time.

“And I am grateful that that is very much not the case at all now,” Vaughn said.

With the addition of Vaughn, three of the four members of the community relations staff are women. And they live healthy, fulfilling lives that include friends, partners and children despite the long hours they work.

Representation is everything, so Darney, Tallant and Vaughn are inspiring change just by being themselves.

Vaughn said there’s a 50-50 chance that she gets pulled aside at an event by a girl asking her how she got into the field. Tallant babysat a girl who is now an intern with the Ravens — she knew there were job opportunities in sports because of Tallant, whom she calls a role model.

But money? Money talks.

And these three women get a say in where the Ravens direct their significant resources.

They have their fingers in many different projects. This year’s volunteer day featured more than 200 people across the organization coming together to beautify the historic Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Elementary School.

They work with underprivileged youth, the military and first responders. They raise awareness about arts and culture. They provide resources for education. They also help players with their passion projects, even if they are outside the realm of the Ravens’ main “pillars.” For example, they assist Mark Andrews if he wants to do something regarding Type 1 diabetes, a condition he was diagnosed with at age 9.

“It’s awesome,” Andrews said. “I get so many messages day-to-day about little kids and families dealing with it, and they do a good job of sharing my message with them and making sure that they know they’re seen and they’re not alone.”

But throughout the year, you can see the way they’ve helped the Ravens uplift women through their projects and programs. They work with the Boys and Girls Club and Black Girls Cook. They provided wigs and makeovers for cancer patients. They host leadership conferences and camps where girls are invited to get involved in football along with the boys.

They also hold an annual event, LIFT, that brings female high school student-athlete leaders to the Ravens facilities where they listen to female leaders in the sports world and participate in football exercises.

Simply listening to Tallant and her fellow female Ravens speak about their journey through sports was enough to inspire the next generation. Four of the attendees told The Banner that the event opened their eyes to new career paths.

“I think the messaging sometimes isn’t there, right?” Vaughn said. “I think you can’t be what you can’t see. So if you’re not seeing these — especially women — in these positions, opening themselves up to expose you to what’s really out there, it’s hard for them to know.”

You don’t have to have played football. You don’t have to know your X’s and O’s. You don’t even have to have been athletic, Vaughn said. All you need, Darney said, is a love for sports, and you can find a place for yourself.

So go scan front office lists to discover new jobs and don’t be afraid to apply, Vaughn said. Interview professionals to learn the good and the bad, like Darney. There’s a way for you to be a part of the game without having to put your body on the line and deal with recovery, Tallant said with a laugh.