Cameron Goz
Staff Writer
The NFL named Sarah Thomas as its first
full-time female referee on Wednesday April 8. "I know I've got a job to
do, and I've got to be great at it," Thomas, 41, told NBC's Today show on
Thursday. Thomas was said to have been speechless when she got the call. She’s
been through pee wee games, all the way up to NCAA Bowl games. In 2009 Thomas was
one of five female refs in college football, and was even assigned to the
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. "I'm just out doing a job," she says,
"It's meaningful to a lot of people, and I'm honored for that. But that's
not why I set out to do this, to break a gender barrier of any sort. I just did
it because I loved officiating."
While she will be the first full-time female
referee, Shannon
Eastin, hired as a temporary non-union official during the 2012 NFL referee
lockout, was the first woman to officiate an NFL game. Baltimore Ravens coach
John Harbaugh was among those supporting Thomas at a press conference on Wednesday.
"We had her in the preseason last year, and she did a good job. She's got
to be one of the better [refs] we have," he said. He continues, "It's
about time. Get these guys straightened out a little bit, get these gals in
there. She's a good ref, so it was a good choice."
Thomas made it clear she’s ready to go
for her first game, stating "I'm not nervous; really, I'm just making sure
that my fellow crew mates know I'm ready, and that the coaches and players know
I'm there to do a job as an official." While general reactions have been
positive, the tides may change when Thomas faces her first controversial call.
She’s excelled at the collegiate level, and is ready to take on the big leagues
