Who is NFL referee Sarah Thomas?
SARAH Thomas has made history as the only female referee in the National Football League since she was named to her position in 2015.
She is also the first woman to have been selected to officiate a Super Bowl game in the 's century-long history.
Who is referee Sarah Thomas?
Sarah Thomas is an American football official from the .
Thomas was the first woman to officiate a major college football game, the first to officiate a bowl game and the first to officiate in a Big Ten stadium.
She's recently broken another record as the first female to be appointed as a Super Bowl referee.
“Sarah Thomas has made history again as the first female Super Bowl official,” said NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations, Troy Vincent Sr.
“Her elite performance and commitment to excellence has earned her the right to officiate the Super Bowl. Congratulations to Sarah on this well-deserved honor.”
The 47-year-old is married to Brian Thomas and the pair have three children: Brady Thomas, Bailey Thomas, and Bridley Thomas.
How long has Sarah Thomas worked for the NFL?
Sarah has worked full time for the NFL since she was hired into the league in 2015.
She made her NFL regular-season debut in a game between the City Chiefs and the Houston at NRG Stadium on September 13, 2015.
During the 2020 NFL season, she was on the officiating crew led by Shawn Hochuli.
She got her start in officiating in 1996 when she attended a meeting of the Gulf Coast Football Officials Association.
Gerry Austin, Conference USA's coordinator of officials who also refereed Superbowls spoke highly of Sarah after she officiated her first major college football game in 2007.
"She came highly recommended by two NFL scouts. She has a good presence and demeanor. I feel like she has the ability and courage to make a call, and the guts to not make one, too."
What is her NFL salary?
NFL referees earn an average of $4,000 to $10,000 per game.
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An NFL referee can earn anywhere from $25,000 to $75,000 dollars per 17-week season. More so, they can earn up to $200.000 depending on a referee's wealth of experience.
Thomas, who was born in , was reported to have earned a mere $700 per game in 2013.
But since she was hired as a full-time ref, she is expected to be earning as high as her male counterparts.
