Woman to officiate NFL game for first time

For the first time ever a woman will be part of an NFL officiating crew. On Monday, the league confirmed that the woman will join the crew on Thursday night.

Shannon Eastin has already been a referee in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference but now she will help officiate the preseason game between the Green Bay Packers and San Diego Chargers, which takes place on Thursday at 8 p.m, according to ESPN. According to Huffington Post, Eastin said that she is excited about working a pro game. Eastin will be the line judge at the game. The 42-year-old referee has 16 years of officiating experience. According to USA Today, Eastin said that she has been receiving a warm welcome from people in NFL circles. Eastin, who spent the weekend at the Seattle Seahawks training camp, said that players' reactions have been amazing. She said that players joke around with her as if she was one of the guys.