Maia Chaka will be the first Black woman to work as an #NFLreferee when she takes the field in her new role this fall. The #NFL made the announcement Friday morning on the "TODAY" show ahead of a live interview with Chaka. "It didn't really hit me until just now when I saw the introduction," Chaka, who has been working Pac-12 Conference games, told "TODAY." "I'm like, this is really real. This is something that we're always taught to work hard for and sometimes we just don't take time to stop and smell our own roses. And I've just been grinding for so long in this. It's an honor to be able to join the #NationalFootballLeague." She is one of two #women working as NFL referees and joins Sarah Thomas at the game's highest ranks seven years after made history together at the FBS level. Chaka and Thomas were the only women chosen of 21 referees for the NFL Officiating Development Program in 2014. As part of that training, she has worked NFL preseason games over the years and counted NFL vice president of officiating evaluation and development Wayne Mackie as a mentor. Mackie called her Monday at around 9:15 p.m. for what she thought was just a call to catch up and chat, she said on "TODAY." Instead, he told her she has a lot of work ahead. "He goes, 'Welcome to the National Football League,' and I just went nuts," Chaka said, via "TODAY." "I asked him, 'Hey are you punking me, you've gotta be kidding me,' because I've been at it for so long, I just never thought the day would come. I just enjoyed working." Her officiating career began in 2006 at high school games and she moved into the collegiate ranks with Conference USA,per The Virginian-Pilot.She then joined the Pac-12 crews and even officiated some XFL games last year. Chaka and Thomas made history in 2014 when they became the first women to officiate a FBS bowl game. It was between Washington and BYU. Thomas made history in 2015 as the first woman to ref an NFL game and again this past February when she was the first one to ref a Super Bowl. (SWIPE LEFT) Credit: people, today show #MaiaChaka https://www.instagram.com/p/CMEWSYug5z4/?igshid=2r84egchz9g7
