NFL Welcomes First Ever Black Female Game Official, Maia Chaka

According to NBC’s TODAY Show, the NFL has appointed its first Black female game official, Maia Chaka.

“It’s a privilege to be a part of the National Football League,” Chaka said.

She said that on Monday when she received the call about the job offer she thought she was being tricked.

Chaka told Savannah Guthrie, Craig Melvin, and Sheinelle Jones, “Only because I’ve been doing it for so long and I just never thought the day would come.”

She admitted that it “didn’t really hit me until just now.” She added, “We don’t always take the time to sit and enjoy our own roses.”

Since 2014, Chaka has been practicing with the NFL. She has also played on the XFL and college sidelines.

A good referee, she said, needs patience, the ability to listen, and “the courage on the field to make the decision.”

“You’re going to make mistakes, and how you recover is more important than how many mistakes you make,” Chaka said.

Chaka, who is also a physical education and health teacher for underprivileged youth in VA Beach, said she hopes her new position demonstrates to her students that “if you have a passion for something or you have the drive for something, don’t let it hold you back just because you think that something may give you some type of limitation.”

She said, “Work hard, and always, always, always follow your dreams.”

Chaka is just the second female NFL referee in history. In 2015, Sarah Thomas became the NFL’s first full-time female official to officiate in a Super Bowl.