NFL trailblazer and Super Bowl LV down judge Sarah Thomas joins espnW’s ‘Laughter Permitted’

On Feb. 7, Sarah Thomas made NFL history by becoming the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl.

Thomas, who joined the NFL in 2015 as its first woman on-field official, served as a down judge on referee Carl Cheffers’ seven-person crew at Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Florida. Before making history on football’s biggest stage, Thomas worked a total of four postseason games in six seasons with the league.

In a recent episode of espnW’s “Laughter Permitted” podcast, hosts Julie Foudy and Lynn Olszowy caught up with Thomas after her turn as down judge at the Super Bowl. The trailblazing NFL official shared her top moments from the historic day, what players really say to her on the sidelines and what the “High, Low and Cheer” of her career are.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Listen: Sarah Thomas joins “Laughter Permitted” to discuss officiating Super Bowl LV and making history.

Lynn Olszowy: Let’s talk Super Bowl. What from that day is something you will never forget?

Sarah Thomas: As far as the moment that I will carry forever with me, there’s really two. Before the game, I knew my kids were coming into the stadium. The timing was just perfect. I went to the end zone where they were supposed to be sitting, and I see [my daughter] Bailey walking across with her white jacket, and I can whistle really loud with my fingers. And, I whistled and Bailey and all [of them] turned around and pointed and I blew them kisses. [Bailey] said, “Mom, I heard your whistle and thought, there’s no way that’s my mom because she’s working the Super Bowl.” And she said, “And when I turned around and you were pointing at us.” It was just one of those moments.

The next one is at the end of it. That’s when I felt I could celebrate. Up until that point, I had a job to do. I had to stay focused. And I flip a switch, when I leave the house to go to a game, but really when I walk through that tunnel, I’m a completely different animal.

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Olszowy: What’s the switch? What happens?

Thomas: It’s just go-time. It’s like, adjust the hat, walk out that tunnel. But at the end of the game, the confetti’s coming down, we did a great job, and I just stood there for a moment. I went and found my kids again and got them down on the field. That’s what I’ll forever remember.

Julie Foudy: Because of COVID-19, your folks couldn’t come, but what did they say to you? What did they do for you?

Thomas: When I was a freshman in college, [my mom] pinned a little angel on me, and she said, “I may not be with you in person all the time, but I’ll be with you in spirit.” She found that angel, and attached it to a card, and wrote on there, “We’re not with you in person, but we’re with you in spirit. Will you wear this on your jersey somewhere?” So, I wore it on my little black underneath top. But that, oh boy, I lost it there for a moment when I read that note.

Foudy: Oh, so you wore it underneath?

Thomas: I did. And another thing I did that nobody knows, I got a black Sharpie and I wrote everyone’s initials on my chest who helped me in this journey.

Foudy: That’s amazing. I love that.

Thomas: Even though a lot of them couldn’t be there in the stadium, there’ a lot of people that helped me along this way.

Thomas hopes that her historic moment at Super Bowl LV inspires other women to follow in her footsteps. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Olszowy: What was it about officiating that just made sense where you thought, “This is something I could do”?

Thomas: I don’t know if it really did make sense. You talk about a learning curve that I had to go through on every level of learning each set of rules for each level that I was working. And not only that, in college, I worked UFL, which was a semi-pro league that lasted for a few years. And then I worked arena ball, which those rules are completely different. And trying to learn the NFL rules because I would go to mini camps and training camps and stuff like that. I don’t know. I mean, call me crazy. I think we all tick a little differently to officiate any sport, right? I don’t know. It’s the camaraderie, too — the guys.

A lot of people ask me, “What is it being in a male-dominated [setting] … how do they treat you?” And I go, “You know what, it’s tougher sometimes walking into a room full of women because they too will size you up. What handbag, what are their nails done?” It’s kind of a mirrored damage. Men will look at you, they’ll size you up. Women will too, but I just think you just got to own who you are.

Foudy: Why do you think you were the first woman to break through?

Thomas: I have no idea. I take it back to the way I was raised though, honestly and truly. My father, he kind of cringes when I say this now, but he instilled in me and told me to never depend on a man for anything, to hold yourself accountable, look at yourself first. And he told my brothers that too, to not depend on anything, anyone. But still, we were raised to just look at ourselves. If we want to do something, I was never told you couldn’t because you were a girl. My dad never told me.

Foudy: [It’s time for] “Most Pressing Questions.” We decided today, in your honor, to do “Most Pressing Questions: Referee Edition.” I want to know what kind of chatter you get from the players. I mean, there has to be some good stuff we haven’t heard. Come on.

Thomas: Yeah. There is. One player did tell me, “You need some blankety-blank glasses.” And I just looked at him. I go, “Where do I get those from?” And then, one time, there was a player, and he was upset with me. He turned his back and walked away. And I looked at his teammate, and I was like, “Why does he have to be so angry?” For the most part, it’s just, “Hey, they’re holding me. Why aren’t you looking at this?”

Thomas, shown here speaking to Chiefs DT Chris Jones during the second quarter of Super Bowl LV, is no stranger to engaging with players on the sidelines about calls. Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Olszowy: When’s the book coming out with all of these juicy stories? That’s what we need to know.

Thomas: Yeah, that would be awesome, wouldn’t it? Who knows? I keep a journal.

Foudy: All right. The last segment we do is “High, Low, Cheer.” For you, it’s going to be the high of your career, the low of your career, and someone you cheer for, who’s helped you along the way.

Thomas: The high of my career was, of course, ranking number one and being given the opportunity to work the Super Bowl. The low of my career was calling the fourth time out in New Orleans’ Detroit game my rookie season. I wanted to crawl underneath the turf.

Olszowy: What do you mean? What happened?

Thomas: The Lions called for a timeout when they didn’t have one. And I granted it. That’s a no-no. Thank goodness there wasn’t a score or anything, but yeah. The low.

Then, I guess, cheer? It’s got to be my parents. They’re awesome. And my mom? Bless her heart. She was a home economics major. She can cook. She can sew. She could do all that. I don’t like to cook, and I do not know how to sew. And she was so concerned about, “What are you doing? You’re leaving your kids. And what are people going to think?” She’s that true Southern Baptist woman and an amazing woman. But, boy, is she all about some football now.

Foudy: That’s awesome. Thank you for the inspiration you have provided, and that you are going to provide for so many more years to come. I cannot wait until we see more women alongside you so you do have that estrogen synergy next to you, and you’re going to be the inspiration that brings us there.

Thomas: I think it’s going to happen sooner than later.