NEW JERSEY, USA — We are now 10 weeks into the 2023 NFL season, and as exciting as the games have been throughout its 103 years of football, so too have the seemingly limitless storylines of those involved in the league.
From obscure coaches become known as masters of the craft to low drafted players establishing a legacy unparalleled in the world of sports, the NFL is rich with inspirational stories of players and staff from every walk of life getting their shot to become a household name.
Within these seemingly infinite stories, however, one does not usually hear about the beginnings of a game official's rise to the NFL. Yet it is at that position where a big change has been occurring over the last few years in the league.
Robin DeLorenzo is the third of three female referees in the NFL who made her debut in the 2022 NFL season.
According to an interview she held with NFL.com, the New Jersey native has had deep roots in the profession from a young age as her father, Rich DeLorenzo, introduced her to the sport. After taking the officiating test in her father's class, passing, and subsequently "falling in love with officiating", DeLorenzo sought to join her father's crew on the gridiron.
She spent 11 years officiating on the high school level before moving steadily up the ranks of the college landscape.
DeLorenzo's love for officiating never wavered over the years and she eventually landed high profile opportunities such as the 2021 Ohio State and Michigan matchup in addition to the Fiesta Bowl of the same year, featuring Oklahoma State and Notre Dame.
Following the college games she worked for The Big Ten, DeLorenzo began calling games for the USFL. It was two weeks into the season, when she received word that the senior vice president of the NFL's officiating wanted to speak with her.
Now in her second season as an NFL line judge, DeLorenzo stands as a reminder that the game of football - or the game of life - provides everyone with a chance.
