Shannon Eastin made history Thursday, becoming the first woman in the NFL's 97-year history to officiate a game. 97-year history to officiate a game. Eastin served as a side judge in the San Diego Chargers' preseason home opener against the Green Bay Packers.

Eastin's opportunity came as a result of the league's lockout of the NFL Referees Association officials in their collective bargaining agreement battle. The NFL began hiring replacement officials from the non Division I-A schools and other professional leagues on June 4.

Eastin has 16 years of college experience, including four with the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, college football's second-highest level.

Johnny Grier, the current officiating supervisor for the NFL, previously served as Supervisor of Football Officials for the MEAC. Grier was also the first African-American to work as a referee for the conference in the 1988 season.

While there's been debate about the significance of Eastin's opportunity since it was the result of a labor battle, the family of another officiating pioneer is thrilled for her.

Susan Toler Carr — the daughter of the late Burl Toler, who in 1965 became the first African-American official to work in the NFL — said she imagined her father "congratulating Shannon, giving her a big hug and telling her, 'Do your best and your best will be good enough.'"

As far as breaking down barriers, Burl said her father would constantly tell his children, "It can be done."

Several people from the Chargers organization, including team president Dean Spanos and safety Eric Weddle greeted Eastin with handshakes and hugs during the pregame festivities.

Eastin spent most of the first half straddling the line markers and keeping track of the time, without much action on her side of the field.

Things picked up in the second half, when she had to break up a small skirmish between players on a punt, and whipped her flag to the middle of the field for a holding call late in the third quarter.

Eastin heard a few boos early in the fourth quarter from the hometown fans for a pass interference call on San Diego's Corey Lynch - a call she appeared to get right - and later signaled touchdown when Green Bay's Marc Tyler dived in from the 1.

Eastin added a final TD signal on a 1-yard run by San Diego's Curtis Brinkley and was on the spot for a fumble recovery by the Chargers near Green Bay's bench in the closing seconds, though she didn't have to climb into the pile to make the call.

The cap she is wearing will be sent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Contributing: Wire reports