Annice Canady: Born about 1957, the Fort Lauderdale, FL native is a graduate of Dillard High and received her BA Degree in English/Literature from Florida State. She has been officiating football for over 10 years and last year (2001)she made her collegiate debut on the Division III level. She lives in Margate, Fla.

She has survived left breast cancer in 1990, right breast cancer in 1993, and a grapefruit-sized tumor in 1995. Her blood pressure got so low during the first surgery that she almost died. She's had at least 30 surgeries. At the suggestion of her godfather, Tyson Jones (then football commissioner of  Broward Co., Fla.), she started officiating in 1990 at the youth level. She especially ran into gender prejudice as a woman (and, being myself white, I'm confident that she ran into a layer of racial prejudice). She became the first female official to work an NCAA Division I football game 31 August 2002. "When I was out there on the field, I started thinking about it; and I thanked The Lord for being here." She officiated in Columbia, S. C. 7 September 2002. See other faith & health information [here].

(posted 11 November 2002)