The first woman to officiate the super bowl, Sarah Thomas, said she’s “truly honored and humbled” by the opportunity.
“Being selected for this year’s Super Bowl in Tampa, and being the first female that has been selected … it means a lot to me,” Thomas, the mom of three, told the National Football League, according to Entertainment Tonight in a piece published Friday. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
“I have a precious little girl who is watching her mom — not just on the football field, but daily at home — and I want her to know, seeing it, believing it, and you can do it,” she added.
Sarah Thomas on making history as the first woman to officiate a #SuperBowl: “This is remarkable. I’m truly honored.”https://t.co/O6nejATRVo // @etnow @NFL
— Desiree Murphy (@desireemurphy_) January 29, 2021
The NFL referee explained that getting to be the first woman official was truly nothing she ever set out for.
“But knowing the impact I’m having on, not just my daughter, but young girls everywhere, women everywhere,” Sarah shared. “And I have to add in young men and men too. I have two precious young men that I’m raising to be a partner with their spouse and respect [that] she’s a hardworking woman.”
Thomas then said she’s “truly honored and humbled to be part of this year’s Super Bowl.”
“When I started officiating, there were very few females officiating in football,” she added. “Now to see so many females officiating across the country… across the world, to see the impact of the amount of females that are out there officiating football [is amazing].”
The NFL referee continued and shared her advice for others interested in following her footsteps and admitted she didn’t get to where she is today without some sacrifices.
“My message is, do it because you love it, don’t do it because you want the recognition,” Thomas said. “Your family and you, your personal life, there are going to be a lot of sacrifices you’re going to have to endure. But like I say, ‘Nothing in life is easy. There’s no shortcut to a place worth going.'”
Sarah first started out as a referee for high school and college games before becoming the first full-time female officiating for the National Football League in 2015.