"[Austin's] standing right behind me and in front of everybody he tells me that's a completed pass, and I'm just freaking out. We are not supposed to argue with the instructors,"
"For the life of me I saw that ball hit the floor and I'm just standing there, [and I said] 'Sir, this ball is incomplete.' I think like 30 seconds pass by, and he tells me, 'I'm just messing with you.'"
Karina Tovar nervously remembers a pivotal Mother's Day moment during a high-school refereeing camp when instructor Gerry Austin challenged her call. Austin later invited Tovar to officiate Conference USA games beginning in 2019, which helped pave her entry into the NFL. Tovar began her second NFL season this month. Tovar is a 34-year-old first-generation American and the daughter of Mexican immigrants. Tovar developed an early love of football and says she learned the rules before she could speak English. Tovar views her pioneering role as a pathway others like her can follow.
Read at ESPN.com
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