We've “clipped” (ha!) the most pertinent information for you about 42-year-old replacement line judge Shannon Eastin, whose first (and possibly last) game (a Chargers-Packers exhibition) is tonight.
Via: http://Seattle%20Seahawks
1. Mess with her and she will judo your ass. Eastin won six national judo championships before she was 18, she told reporters on a conference call. At the age of 11, she became the youngest person to be accepted to train in judo at the United States Olympic Training Center. The longtime Arizona resident said she only tried the sport in the first place because her mom wouldn't let her play football. While she hasn't let on if she roots for any specific team, she has thanked her hometown squad, the Arizona Cardinals, for being extremely supportive. "
Via: NFL.com
2. She is nonetheless prepared to turn the other cheek. According to an interview (with herself, looks like?) posted on her website, Eastin first put on the zebra stripes more than a decade ago at a Christian Athlete Ministries basketball tournament, where she was coaching. "I really found that I enjoyed it," she said. "I contacted the Arizona Interscholastic Association, went to their classes and starting working high school basketball and football." Since then, she's she's moved on to officiating college football. In recent years, she's worked mostly games in the MEAC, an FCS conference which includes schools like Florida A&M and Howard. She also runs a company that trains officials called SE Sports Officiating.
