The NFL’s first full-time female game official is former University of Mobile (UMobile) women’s basketball player Sarah Thomas.
Thomas, who played basketball at UMobile from 1992 to 1995, will be a line judge for the 2015 season. She will have the ability, based on performance, to move into other roles including the highest position of referee. The NFL made the formal announcement April 8, capping days of speculation by major sports media outlets.
Athletics officials at Thomas’ alma mater said the 1995 graduate and former Lady Ram has always performed at the highest levels and shown the determination to succeed at anything she undertook.
“We are honored that one of our former athletes is achieving the highest level in her profession,” UMobile athletics director Joe Niland said. “We’re extremely proud of what she has accomplished.”
During Thomas’ three seasons at UMobile the Lady Rams won 61 games, including two seasons with a 13–3 record in Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) action. Thomas helped guide the 1992–93 team to a District 30 Championship and a berth in the NAIA National Championship.
779-point career
She was a two-time GCAC All-Academic selection and a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete in 1995. In her career she totaled 779 points, 411 rebounds, 108 assists and 192 steals, currently sitting fifth in all-time steals.
Martha Gore-Algernon, an assistant coach with the UMobile women’s basketball program during Thomas’ playing career, praised her former player’s work ethic.
“I’m not surprised she’s made it this far,” Gore-Algernon said. “She didn’t set out to do this but she just worked hard at it and they took notice of her. It couldn’t happen to a nicer person. She was a great player to coach.”
Thomas decided to become an official in the 1990s after attending a coaching meeting with her brother. Then in 1996 she became the first female to officiate a Division 1-A high school football game in Mississippi. In 2007 she became the first female to officiate college football games and in 2009 she became the first female to officiate a bowl game.
Professional sports
Having former athletes succeed in the professional sports world isn’t new for UMobile.
Former UMobile baseball players J.C. Romero, Joe Espada, Saul Rivera and Kyle McPherson have all reached the Major Leagues, with Espada currently serving as the New York Yankees’ 3rd base coach. In 2008 five current and former softball players competed in the Summer Olympics for the Venezuelan National Team. Former UMobile men’s soccer player Michael Azira plays for the Seattle
Sounders of MLS and former Ram Deshorn Brown was recently transferred from the Colorado Rapids to Valerenga. Former women’s soccer players Anne Stangeland-Horpestad and Danielle Small faced each other in the 2007 Women’s World Cup, playing for Norway and Australia, respectively.
For more information about UMobile, visit www.umobile.edu.
(UMobile)
Share with others: