First Female Official to Work Thursday Night’s Game

Posted Aug 6, 2012

Ricky Henne Managing Editor Chargers.com Twitter Facebook

It will be history in the making Thursday night as for the first time in NFL history, a woman will officiate the contest between the San Diego Chargers and the Green Bay Packers.

All eyes will certainly be on Shannon Eastin, who has officiated games for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, when she works the sidelines for the preseason opener.

Photo Gallery: Shannon Eastin | More Photos

When asked about the impact of a female official, the Chargers spoke glowingly about what it means for both the sport and the advancement of gender equality.

“It’s historic,” said head coach Norv Turner during his daily press conference following Monday’s practice. “I’m excited about it. It’s going to be different, but the league has done a great job getting the refs ready.”

His team echoed those sentiments.

“I think it is massive,” said Nick Hardwick. “I think it’s a massive step in the right direction. This is what this country has been about for a long time, and this is certainly a step in the right direction. As a player it doesn’t matter at all if the official is male or female. As long as they make the right calls, that’s all that matters.”

Takeo Spikes, the elder statesmen on the team, perhaps summed it up best by saying, “It’s another deserved, feel good story for all the women in America.”

Quick Hits

Charlie Whitehurst, Antoine Cason and Larry English all returned to practice.
Antonio Gates was dominant during one-on-one drills in the red zone, scoring a touchdown during each attempt.
Gates also made a beautiful one-handed left handed grab to snatch the ball out of the air.
Not to be outdone, Malcom Floyd followed that up later with a one-handed catch of his own in the middle of the field.
Brandon Taylor slapped the ball away from the receiver on an in-route to prevent a touchdown at the goal line.
Melvin Ingram continued to be a disruptive force, once again exploding past the line of scrimmage to stop the ball carrier in the backfield.
Mike Willie made a strong adjustment on a deep ball to cradle in a diving catch along the sideline.
Eric Weddle intercepted a pass on 4th-and-4, and returned the ball to the house.
Ryan Mathews hurdled numerous lineman on the ground for a big gain up the middle.
Philip Rivers connected with Robert Meachem on a 4th-and-8 to end practice.