She was the down judge during the New England Patriots-Los Angeles Chargers matchup on Sunday, making her the first woman to ever work as an on-field official in a postseason game.

She was hailed by her state’s senior U.S. senator, Roger Wicker, who noted that she was spending Sunday in chilly conditions at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

“She has been outstanding,” former Panthers and Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith Sr., now an NFL Network analyst, said of Thomas before Sunday’s game. “She knew exactly what she was doing — if guys tried to challenge her, she didn’t back down. She was like, ‘This is my job. This is what you did wrong,’ or, ‘Good catch’ or, ‘You didn’t drag your feet,’ and she moved on and did her job.”

Smith added that he thought Thomas would submit an “exceptional” performance Sunday, “probably better than some of the guys there already.”

On Sunday, Thomas’s achievement was cheered by, among others, Billie Jean King. “You have to see it to be it, and little girls everywhere are watching,” the women’s rights activist and former tennis star tweeted. “Way to go, Sarah Thomas!”

On Saturday, when the Chiefs topped the visiting Colts, Terri Valenti became the first woman to serve as a replay official for an NFL playoff game. 

It’s truly the golden age of women officiating.  

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