Congratulations are in order for Maia Chaka, the newest addition to the NFL referee roster.
NFL Football Operations announced in a press release that “Chaka has been added to the NFL roster of game officials for the 2021 season…”
“Chaka makes history as the first Black woman ever named to the NFL’s officiating staff” per NFL Football Operations.
“I am honored to be selected as an NFL official,” Chaka said per NFL Football Operations. “But this moment is bigger than a personal accomplishment. It is an accomplishment for all women, my community, and my culture.”
NFL Football Operations details her experience and resume:
“Chaka enters the NFL after an outstanding collegiate officiating career, including stints in the Pac-12 Conference and Conference USA. In 2014, Chaka was selected for the NFL’s Officiating Development Program, which identifies top collegiate officiating talent to expose them to some of the same experiences as NFL officials, working to determine if they have the ability to succeed as an NFL official…A health and physical education teacher in the Virginia Beach public school system, Chaka has been dedicated to improving the lives of children throughout her professional career. A graduate of Norfolk State University, Chaka earned her bachelor’s in education in 2006 before embarking on her teaching and officiating careers”
NFL Football Operations
“Maia’s years of hard work, dedication and perseverance – including as part of the NFL Officiating Development Program – have earned her a position as an NFL official,” Troy Vincent, Sr., NFL’s executive vice president of football operations, said via NFL Football Operations. “As we celebrate Women’s History Month, Maia is a trailblazer as the first Black female official and inspires us toward normalizing women on the football field.”
Congrats to Chaka!
Chaka joined the Today Show to talk about this historic hiring:
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