Sarah Thomas is the First Woman to be a fulltime game official in the NFL. It was announced today that she will hold the position of line judge.
Sarah has been a First Woman before. She was the First Woman to officiate an NCAA football game, First Woman to officiate a college bowl game, and First Woman to officiate in a Big Ten stadium. She qualified for a permanent position in the NFL in 2013 and has been working exhibition games and other events for then NFL since then.
Sarah’s love of football is natural. She was born in Mississippi where football is a second religion. (I can attest to this fact as I was raised in Mississippi as well.)
When she began officiating, a mentor suggested she work harder to fit in, thinking it might not be helpful for her to call attention to herself. He suggested she put her ponytail up under her hat and not wear makeup. She met him halfway and now wears her ponytail tucked into her cap. Like most of the Mississippi women I know, however, she will not be seen in public without makeup.
