<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto">Courtesy of <i>CBS-Boston</i> at:<div><br></div><div><a href="https://boston.cbslocal.com/2019/01/11/sarah-thomas-first-woman-to-officiate-nfl-playoff-game-new-england-patriots-los-angeles-chargers/">https://boston.cbslocal.com/2019/01/11/sarah-thomas-first-woman-to-officiate-nfl-playoff-game-new-england-patriots-los-angeles-chargers/</a><br><div><br></div><div>———————————————</div><div><br></div><div><h1 class="title" style="margin: 0px 12.015625px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 52.5px; font-size: 4.2em; font-family: Lato, Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-position: 0px 0px;">Sarah Thomas To Be First Woman To Officiate NFL Playoff Game</h1></div><div><br></div><div><div>FOXBORO (CBS/CNN) — Sarah Thomas keeps making history. She was the first woman to ever officiate a college football bowl game. Then she became the NFL’s first full-time female official. Now she’s reached another milestone.</div><div><br></div><div>This weekend, she’ll be the first woman to officiate an NFL playoff game.</div><div><br></div><div>Thomas, now in her fourth season as an official, will work the AFC divisional playoff game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the New England Patriots on Sunday.</div><div><br></div><div>She’ll work as part of referee Ron Torbert’s crew as a down judge.</div><div><br></div><div>At the time of her appointment to the NFL in 2015, Thomas, a native of Mississippi, said she “was speechless” when an NFL official called her and offered her the job.</div><div><br></div><div>She said she was honored to be considered a “trail blazer” for female officials. But she stressed that her focus was on “being the best official I can be.”</div><div><br></div><div>“I’ve just been doing this truly because I love it,” she said. “The guys don’t think of me as a female, they see me as just another official.”</div><div><br></div><div>Thomas had previously officiated at NFL camps and practices.</div></div><div><br></div><div>———————————————<br><br><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</span></div><div><a href="http://www.moscowcares.com/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">http://www.MoscowCares.com</font></a></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div><div> </div></div></div></div></body></html>