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2019 Wild Card Playoffs

Corrente, Hussey, Cheffers, and Smith are Wild Card referees

Tony Corrente, John Hussey, Carl Cheffers, and Shawn Smith will be the referees for Wild Card Weekend.

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Football Zebras has confirmed the referees for the Wild Card Playoffs. Officials are listed with their uniform number, years of NFL experience (including this season), the crew each official worked with in the regular season (by the referee’s name), college, and outside occupation.

All times are Eastern.

This year, the NFL has moved to four alternates for the early postseason rounds, up one from previous years. In the past two seasons, no alternates were assigned in the umpire position, in order to ensure a white hat alternate was available in every game. Now, the alternates officials are a referee, an umpire, a line of scrimmage official (down judge or line judge), and a deep official (field judge, side judge, or back judge).

The prior playoff experience that is listed for the crew chief includes his service as an NFL official, including as referee and any other crew position (excluding alternate assignments).

Saturday, Jan. 4

AFC Wild Card: Bills at Texans, 4:35 p.m. ESPN ABC

Tony Corrente is the referee, who is in his 25th season and 22nd as referee. This is Corrente’s 19th postseason assignment, including 8 Wild Card Playoffs, 5 Divisional Playoffs, 5 Conference Championships, and Super Bowl XLI.

         Yrs 2019 crew College Occupation
R 99 Tony Corrente 25    Cal State-Fullerton former college officiating coordinator, retired educator
U 102 Bruce Stritesky 14 Vinovich Embry Riddle airline pilot
DJ 6 Jerod Phillips 4 Martin Northeastern State elementary school teacher
LJ 65 Walt Coleman IV 5 Novak Southern Methodist financial advisor
FJ 116 Mike Weatherford 18 Novak Oklahoma State energy trader
SJ 86 Jimmy Buchanan 11 Blakeman South Carolina State insurance agent
BJ 111 Terrence Miles 12 Novak Arizona State quality control manager
  • Replay official:  Mike Wimmer
  • Replay assistant:  Bill Ellis
  • Alternates: Alex Kemp (R), Ramon George (U), Mark Steinkerchner (LJ), Gary Cavaletto (SJ)

AFC Wild Card: Titans at Patriots, 8:15 p.m. CBS

John Hussey is the referee, who is in his 18th season and 5th as referee. This is Hussey’s 12th postseason assignment, including 5 Wild Card Playoffs, 4 Divisional Playoffs, 2 Conference Championships, and Super Bowl XLV. His Super Bowl assignment was as a line judge.

         Yrs 2019 crew College Occupation
R 35 John Hussey 18    Idaho State sales representative, retail logistics group
U 81 Roy Ellison 17 Hill Savannah State technical staff member
DJ 68 Tom Stephan 21 Anderson Pittsburg State president and CEO
LJ 59 Rusty Baynes 10 Boger Auburn-Montgomery general manager, safety services
FJ 97 Tom Hill 21 Hochuli Carson Newman teacher
SJ 3 Scott Edwards 21 Torbert Alabama environmental engineer
BJ 39 Rich Martinez 6 Hochuli Canisius sales manager
  • Replay official:  Billy Smith
  • Replay assistant:  Andrew Lambert
  • Alternates: Bill Vinovich (R), Alan Eck (U), David Oliver (DJ), Ryan Dickson (FJ)

Sunday, Jan. 5

NFC Wild Card: Vikings at Saints, 1:05 p.m. Fox

Carl Cheffers is the referee, who is in his 20th season and 12th as referee. This is Cheffers’s 13th postseason assignment, including 5 Wild Card Playoffs, 5 Divisional Playoffs, 2 Conference Championships, and Super Bowl LI.

         Yrs 2019 crew College Occupation
R 51 Carl Cheffers 20    California-Irvine sales manager
U 49 Rich Hall 16 Kemp Arizona custom cabinetry
DJ 48 Jim Mello 16 Allen Northeastern facilities manager
LJ 18 Byron Boston 25 Anderson Austin tax consultant, Southland Conference officiating coordinator
FJ 56 Allen Baynes 12 Hussey Auburn realtor
SJ 5 Jim Quirk 10 Hill Middlebury financial advisor
BJ 119 Greg Wilson 12 Martin USC law enforcement
  • Replay official:  Mark Butterworth
  • Replay assistant:  Alton James
  • Alternates: Brad Allen (R), Paul King (U), Kevin Codey (DJ), Don Willard (SJ)

NFC Wild Card: Seahawks at Eagles, 4:40 p.m. NBC

Shawn Smith is the referee, who is in his 5th season and 2nd as referee. This is Smith’s 4th postseason assignment, and his first as referee. His first three assignments, 1 Wild Card Playoff, 1 Divisional Playoff, and 1 Conference Championship, were as an umpire.

         Yrs 2019 crew College Occupation
R 14 Shawn Smith 5    Ferris State internal auditor
U 92 Bryan Neale 6 Smith Indiana sales consultant
DJ 74 Derick Bowers 17 Novak East Central sales representative
LJ 47 Tim Podraza 12 Corrente Nebraska banker
FJ 7 Keith Washington 12 (swing) Virginia Military Institute program financial analyst
SJ 21 Jeff Lamberth 18 Wrolstad Texas A&M attorney
BJ 112 Tony Steratore 20 Boger California (Pa.) co-owner, supply company
  • Replay official:  Paul Weidner
  • Replay assistant:  Kirt Shay
  • Alternates: Walt Anderson (R), Tony Michalek (U), Mark Stewart (LJ), Rick Patterson (SJ)

Cam Filipe is a forensic scientist from Massachusetts and has been involved in football officiating for 11 years. Cam is in his third season as a high school football official. This is his eighth season covering NFL officiating for Football Zebras.

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