NFL hires first Black female game official, Maia Chaka
MOBILE, AL - JANUARY 30: Official Maia Chaka #180 during the 2021 Resse's Senior Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the campus of the University of South Alabama on January 30, 2021 in Mobile, Alabama. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)NEW YORK โ The NFL has hired Maia Chaka as the first Black female official in league history. โI am honored to be selected as an NFL official,โ Chaka said. โMaiaโs years of hard work, dedication and perseverance โ including as part of the NFL Officiating Development Program โ have earned her a position as an NFL official,โ said Troy Vincent, who oversees the league's football operations. The NFL did not specify which officiating position she will work.
Franks-to-Yeboah TD seals National's 27-24 Senior Bowl win
American Team quarterback Kellen Mond of Texas A&M (12) has his throw tipped by National Team offensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa of UCLA (92) during the first half of the NCAA Senior Bowl college football game in Mobile, Ala., Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)MOBILE, Ala. โ Texas A&M's Kellen Mond was the Senior Bowl Most Valuable Player but two fellow Southeastern Conference Western Division products made the decisive big play. Fitzpatrick had six catches for 90 yards in the showcase game for senior and graduate NFL prospects, earning offensive player of the game honors. Obviously, kind of shaky at the beginning but it definitely shows a lot of poise to be able to bounce back.โNorth Carolina running back Michael Carter also had a big game. Jamie Newman completed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Trevon Grimes with 49 seconds left for the American team after Franks and Yeboah made it a two-score game.
Players who opted out look to shake off rust at Senior Bowl
Newman is hardly alone among the players trying to shake off the rust after long layoffs leading up to Saturday's Senior Bowl for senior NFL prospects. A number of the Senior Bowl players had shortened seasons or none at all because of the coronavirus pandemic. โNo regrets of not playing this season,โ Newman said. But I think heโs done a really good job.โThere are number of players at the Senior Bowl returning after a long absences from the field. Darby trained in Las Vegas for the Senior Bowl and the now-canceled combine.