Los Angeles (AFP)
On Sunday in Tampa (Florida), fans will have eyes only for the Gods of the NFL, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, stars of the Buccaneers and Chiefs, but in their shadow will also be written history with Sarah Thomas , the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl.
A native of Mississippi, Thomas, 47, will be part of the refereeing body comprising a total of eight elements.
This pioneer had become in 2015 the first female referee engaged full-time in the Professional League of American Football (NFL), and the first to officiate in a play-off game in 2019.
"When I get on the pitch I know that tears will probably come to my eyes," she said this week.
"When I started refereeing, there were very few women in American football ... The other day I received an email from a few referees from abroad, you can see the impact around the world. My message to them is: + Do it, because you like it, not because you want to be recognized, + "she added.
Thomas began officiating in 1996, working his way up the youth ranks to high school.
She feared she would never advance to college level, after an official told her he would never assign her to a game because of her gender.
However, she was spotted by Joe Haynes, an NFL recruiter, who recommended her to Conference USA, an inter-varsity group based in the southern United States.
His NFL career then took off, after making an impression at training camps with the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts.
She made her debut as a linesman in 2016. A painful first experience as she broke her wrist after being knocked down by a player during a game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers.
Despite the injury, she had courageously insisted on finishing the meeting.
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