If you’ve seen an NFL official go into the replay booth to review a play, Desiree Abrams may have been one of the people on the phone helping to spot the ball.
Abrams has been an All-Star defensive end, an official and a lifelong fan of the sport. Her work in the NFL began as an instant replay technician and as an official at Baltimore Ravens practices. Now she spends her Sundays as a replay assistant at the Art McNally GameDay Central—the league’s officiating center—in New York.
Sarah Thomas made headlines in 2015 when she became the first woman to officiate an NFL game, and again in 2021 when she was the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl. Maia Chaka did as well when she became the first Black woman—and second woman—to be named a full-time official in March 2021.
Thomas and Chaka are visible examples of the many women who have worked tirelessly to break into the NFL. Fans who see them every Sunday are reminded of a truth that is too often ignored—women care about football too.
Other women, including Abrams, are less visible. But they are also working behind the scenes to ensure the integrity of the game they love, and to hold the door open for more women to break into the NFL’s boys’ club.
“Awareness begets awareness. It’s a matter of making sure you know it’s a possible avenue for you and have the necessary support and exposure. So, I’m going to keep encouraging them by stepping on the field and encourage them to come with me,” Abrams said. “I want to plant the seed that it’s a possibility.”
