Photo: Twitter
NFL line judge Maia Chaka made history at Sunday’s Jets-Panthers game in Charlotte by becoming the first African-American woman to officiate a league game.
“This historic moment to me is an honor and it’s a privilege that I’ve been chosen to represent women and women of color in the most popular sport in America, proving that I can defy the odds and overcome and pretty much master a craft of sport that I didn’t really play,” Chaka said in a video the NFL posted on social media before Sunday’s game.
By making her debut on Sunday, the 38-year-old Rochester, New York native also became just the third woman to officiate an NFL game, joining Sarah Thomas and Shannon Eastin.