ORLANDO, Fla. -- Tina Becker walks the halls at the Ritz-Carlton conference center like she has during other NFL owners meetings the past few years, only it's different now that she is the chief operating officer of the Carolina Panthers.

Formerly executive director of the office of team owner Jerry Richardson, she is in this position because Richardson needed someone to assume the day-to-day operations when the NFL began investigating him in December for allegations of sexual and racial workplace misconduct.

Becker is no longer invisible to reporters seeking daily comments on votes and league issues. Now she's the one being sought out.

The circumstances under which Becker was promoted shouldn't take away from her qualifications for a job that makes her among the highest-ranking female executives in the league.

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane, who started out as an intern with the Panthers, respects Becker for working her way up through the organization after starting as a member of the cheerleading squad.

"I appreciate how she came through the ranks, because I came from a path where I started at the bottom," Beane said during a break in the meetings. "I appreciate what she did. She never skipped a step. She worked hard until she was promoted, and then was promoted again.

"When she got that [COO] seat, it didn't look unnatural. Some people get put in that seat and you go, 'Aye. Oh, no, it's too big.' She looked like she was a three- to five-year pro immediately."

One can sense that Becker wants to talk about her new role -- not to be self-promoting, but to promote that there's a place for women in positions of power in what traditionally has been a men's club.

But because of the circumstances under which she was promoted, and because the team is for sale and the organization has to be careful about any comments coming from upper management, her hands are tied.

Those who know Becker -- even some of those who don't -- speak highly of her.

"She's fantastic," said Mark Davis, the principal owner of the Oakland Raiders. "She really is good at what she does. It's a tough position, and the Carolina Panthers are one of the model organizations."

Those who work with Becker say she is smart and a good listener, that she makes sound decisions, but not before gathering all the facts. They say she has been this way while working herself from coordinator of the cheerleading corps to director of entertainment to positions in areas of sponsorship, stadium operations and ticketing.

"She's very bright," said New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman, who was Carolina's GM from January 2013 until July, when he was fired by Richardson. "She's very well-organized. She's decisive. Tina's talented. She's a very talented executive who happens to be a woman.

"To me, it's not about men or women or white or black. It's about having the best person, and she's talented."

Paving the path

Amy Trask became the first female chief executive officer of an NFL team when the Raiders promoted her in 1997. Like Becker, she worked her way from the bottom, starting as an intern while in college and later becoming a member of the team's legal department.

Now an analyst with CBS Sports, Trask doesn't know Becker but is excited for her opportunity.

Tina Becker, seen in the middle of the top row (photo found on Panthers team website), started with the Panthers as a TopCat. Now she's COO of the team. I can promise you, she's an incredible leader. She is smart, knowledgeable and hard-working. pic.twitter.com/0q8LNuXog5 — Libby Weihsmann (@LibbyWeihsmann) December 18, 2017

"And I wish her all the very best in her new role, but it is when these moments are no longer newsworthy that we should be thrilled," Trask said.

It is newsworthy because Becker is one of a handful of women in a position of executive power in the league. She joins the ranks of Cleveland Browns owner Dee Haslam, Tennessee Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk, Bills co-owner Kim Pegula and New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson as powerful women in the sport.

Benson's role is different this week, too. She took over the team after her husband, Tom, died on March 15.

"It's great that women are having an opportunity to be in these positions, and I think we're gonna do great," Benson said. "It gives a different perspective to the sports industry that's been male the whole time. So a few women every once in a while I think is great."

The difference between Becker and many of the others is she didn't inherit her position. She worked for it.

That Richardson hired her is endorsement enough for some. Beane understands.

"Mister is very particular," he said of Richardson, known simply as "Mister" to those who worked with him. "He's going to put somebody in a position that he knows is going to do things how he views the right way -- how to treat people, how to operate, how to be fiscally responsible.

"We're here to win games, and Tina gets all that. She understands rule No. 1 at Carolina is to win football games. I know with some teams that's not always the case. Sometimes the revenue is more important than winning games. So Mr. Richardson knows she's going to operate that way."

'Very qualified'

Carolina coach Ron Rivera met with Becker on almost a daily basis for two weeks while the NFL looked into a harassment allegation by the former wife of general manager Marty Hurney, who was cleared of any wrongdoing.

Like others, Rivera developed a new appreciation for Becker.

"Very thoughtful," he said. "She doesn't say anything she hasn't thought out. That's very important. It's been real interesting. I really would like to have seen her have this opportunity [under different circumstances]."

The circumstances have not been easy for Becker. She acknowledged that in a statement when she was hired.

"These have been some of the most difficult days of my 19 years with the Panthers, but I am lifted up by the strong resolve and the commitment our employees have shown to this organization," she said in the statement. "My immediate focus will be to ensure the corporate side of the organization performs at the same high level, while addressing the real concerns that have been raised in recent days."

Becker, 44, has been full steam ahead with her duties despite the impending sale of the team, which could be finalized at the May meetings in Atlanta. She extended the contract of Rivera prior to the playoff game at New Orleans and promoted Hurney from interim to full-time GM.

She has stepped out of the shadow that she was in when Richardson attended these meetings. Those who know her believe the next owner would be smart to keep her in some capacity.

"Tina is very qualified for what she is doing," Gettleman said.

Beane agreed.

"I have a feeling, and I haven't had a deep conversation with her about this, but I'm sure she's in a tough spot and she's doing the best she can in a tough situation," he said. "In the end, you hope that she's rewarded by the new owner in being able to stay there.

"Or another team says, 'Wow, she did really good. We need to get her on our staff.'"