College to teach women finer points of football

Don’t expect pop music sensation Jessica Simpson to run a fade route for boyfriend and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo any time soon. But Curry and Roosevelt County women will have that chance Monday — with the Eastern New Mexico University Greyhounds.

Greyhound football coach Mark Ribaudo, along with several assistant coaches and players, are taking on the job of teaching area women the game of football.

Ribaudo says it’s not as crazy as it sounds.

“Women want to learn a little bit about football, so when their husband is talking about what a linebacker is or a screen pass and the shotgun — all of those funky words, she’ll know what we’re talking about,” Ribaudo said.

“We’re going to talk about terminology and positions so they know where the quarterback is and what a wide receiver is and a tight end and things of that nature so that they don’t think a tight end is just somebody’s back side.”

Ribaudo’s wife of 15 years, Lisa Ribaudo, says she’s looking forward to the clinic. She said she’s watched the game for years, and while she knows the basics, she’d like to know more.

“I think it’s a great idea because it’s going to help me understand more about what I’m looking at,” she said. “It’s going to be nice to know, in detail, what I’ve been looking at all these years.”

The workshop begins at 6 p.m. Monday at Greyhound Arena, and Ribaudo said that women won’t just get the classroom treatment, they’ll also hit the field.

“We’re going to go out and do some drills,” Ribaudo said. “We’re going to have some of our players do some drills with the ladies.”

The coach’s wife says she believes the hands-on portion of the clinic where the women will actually run some plays will be a big help.

“I think it’s a pretty good idea,” ENMU football defensive coordinator Todd Wallis said. “A lot of ladies get knowledge of football from their husbands,