The NFL confirmed on Monday the San Diego Chargers-Green Bay Packers game Thursday night will be the first to include a female official on the field when Shannon Eastin, a veteran of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, serves as the line judge.
Eastin told the Arizona Republic in 1999 that this Thursday’s ground-breaking opportunity had been a goal of hers “It may sound crazy to some people, but I think I can be in the NFL some day. I told them that I would go referee in the NFL Europe league for five years if that’s what it takes,”
She also indicated sexism shouldn’t be a factor provided she’s doing her job at a high level. “I think that if a coach sees you working hard, making sharp calls, that they will respect you no matter who you are,” she said in the 1999 interview. “You can’t hesitate. You have to have a court presence and a field presence.” Thursday’s game will be televised at 5 p.m. (Arizona time) on ESPN.
