Football is one of the most manly American sports, but now a woman is finally entering the field.
Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun broke the news on Twitter that the NFL has hired Sarah Thomas as the first female official.
Thomas began her referee career in 1996, working her first high school game in 1999, which led to position as the first female to officiate a major college game between Memphis and Jacksonville State in 2007 as part of her position in the Conference USA college games.
Hearing the NFL has hired its first female official, Sarah Thomas, a ground-breaking move. Mississippi native was a finalist previously
— Aaron Wilson (@RavensInsider) April 3, 2015
She was the first woman to officiate a bowl game in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, one of the post-season college football games, as well as the first woman to officiate in the Big Ten Conference.
Thomas was one of 21 finalists to join a NFL development program that trains new officials in 2013, which led to her work on camp and preseason games. "Being raised with brothers I'm just one of the guys, I guess," Thomas says.
"I don't try to be one of the guys. I am a female, but I don't look at myself as just a female. I look at myself as an official. With their respect and the respect that I have for them, it just doesn't feel like it's a male-dominated profession."
NFL to hire first female official, Sarah Thomas. (via @baltimoresun) pic.twitter.com/iiypKNPuje — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 3, 2015
While this is groundbreaking news in sports, Thomas is not the first female to officiate a game. Back in 2012 during the referee lockout, Shannon Eastin worked the field, however, she was only hired as a temporary official.
Even though there is a lack of female presence on the field in the NFL, the groundbreaking decision to hire Thomas is a step in the right direction.
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Photo: Geoffrey Fairchild | Flickr
