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Regionalized officiating crews for the 2020 season

The NFL has revised its officiating crews for the 2020 season.

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In an effort to minimize travel, the NFL officiating department has reconstructed the crews for the 2020 season, changing the crew designations originally revealed on Football Zebras in May.

The concept of a “crew” this season is not going to align with any other modern-era season. Officials will be driving to most of their assignments when feasible, which means up to 5-hour car rides are the expectation, with a few longer excursions required before air travel is granted. There is no carpooling allowed on these trips.

So, crews will be split up from time to time due to some of these proximity considerations. For example, if a crew predominantly based in the Baltimore metro area has a game in Charlotte, N.C., they might have officials living in the southeast substitute for some of the more northern colleagues. In a given week there are usually less than 5 substitutes in a normal season — not counting the swing officials that are deliberately moved between crews — but sources have indicated that the moves each week will be substantial this season.

Additionally, with a preponderance of referees on the west coast, there will be an expectation for some to travel east on a multigame trip. Occasionally, this will result in some crews having other referees substitute in to account for potential travel restrictions and other isolation concerns.

Football Zebras has been able to generally assemble the crews on a regional basis, but we can’t say this enough that everything is subject to change. Largely, these crews listed here are based on their Week 1 assignments, unless other information was obtained. Two west-coast crews are especially fluid this season and are grouped based on common assignments with the referee.

East crews

East 1

Yrs2019 crewCollegeOccupation
R 122 Brad Allen 7   Pembroke State non-profit CEO
U 102 Bruce Stritesky 15 Vinovich Embry Riddle airline pilot
DJ 113 Danny Short 4 Cheffers North Carolina-Charlotte executive director, global sales operations
LJ 85 Daniel Gallagher 1 NA Kent State
FJ 15 Rick Patterson 25 Anderson Wofford banker
SJ 41 Boris Cheek 25 Corrente Morgan State retired director of operations and management
BJ 82 Jimmy Russell 2 Allen Pasco Hernando State insurance agent

East 2

Yrs2019 crewCollegeOccupation
R 23 Jerome Boger 17   Morehouse College retired commercial insurance underwriter
U 20 Barry Anderson 14 Allen North Carolina State builder/developer
DJ 10 Julian Mapp 12 Rogers Grambling State software quality assurance tester
LJ 59 Rusty Baynes 11 Boger Auburn-Montgomery general manager, safety services
FJ 104 Dale Shaw 8 Kemp Allegheny pharmaceutical sales
SJ 36 Anthony Jeffries 3 Corrente Alabama-Birmingham medical sales
BJ 88 Brad Freeman 7 Hussey Mississippi State sports park director

East 3

Yrs2019 crewCollegeOccupation
R 29 Adrian Hill 11 Hill Buffalo aerospace software engineer
U 121 Paul King 12 Hochuli Nichols College teacher
DJ 134 Ed Camp 21 Hochuli William Paterson physical education teacher
LJ 16 Kevin Codey 6 Hussey Western New England middle school physical education teacher
FJ 5 Jim Quirk 11 Hill Middlebury financial advisor
SJ 7 Keith Washington 13 (swing) Virginia Military Institute program financial analyst
BJ 12 Greg Steed 18 Rogers Howard computer systems analyst

East 4

Yrs2019 crewCollegeOccupation
R 83 Shawn Hochuli 7   Claremont financial advisor
U 128 Ramón George 5 Novak Lenoir-Rhyne financial underwriter
DJ 53 Sarah Thomas 6 Torbert Mobile sales representative
LJ 101 Carl Johnson 17 Hussey Nicholls State retired sales manager, former full-time official
FJ 97 Tom Hill 22 Hochuli Carson Newman retired teacher/coach
SJ 125 Chad Hill 3 Novak Mississippi medical sales
BJ 39 Rich Martinez 7 Hochuli Canisius sales manager

East 5

Yrs2019 crewCollegeOccupation
R 35 John Hussey 19   Idaho State sales representative
U 81 Roy Ellison 18 Hill Savannah State IT engineer
DJ 40 Brian Bolinger 4 Allen Indiana State corporate safety director
LJ 100 Tom Symonette 17 Blakeman Florida certified public accountant, SIAC officiating coordinator
FJ 22 Steve Zimmer 24 Allen Hofstra attorney
SJ 56 Allen Baynes 13 Hussey Auburn realtor
BJ 27 Grantis Bell 1 NA West Virginia

East 6

Yrs2019 crewCollegeOccupation
R 14 Shawn Smith 6   Ferris State finance
U 92 Bryan Neale 7 Smith Indiana sales consultant
DJ 123 Mike Dolce 1 NA Grand Valley State wealth management advisor
LJ 84 Mark Steinkerchner 27 Torbert Akron vice president
FJ 109 Dyrol Prioleau 14 Smith Johnson C Smith manager, law firm
SJ 86 Jimmy Buchanan 12 Blakeman South Carolina State food service director
BJ 105 Dino Paganelli 15 Smith Aquinas College educator

East 7

Yrs2019 crewCollegeOccupation
R 62 Ron Torbert 11   Michigan State attorney
U 131 Mark Pellis 7 Cheffers Allegheny financial advisor
DJ 106 Patrick Holt 2 Boger North Carolina State IT manager
LJ 48 Jim Mello 17 Allen Northeastern facilities manager
FJ 95 James Coleman 16 Hochuli Arkansas electrical engineer
SJ 120 Jonah Monroe 6 Boger Arkansas engineer
BJ 38 Greg Yette 11 Allen Howard defense contractor

Central crews

Central 1

Yrs2019 crewCollegeOccupation
R 34 Clete Blakeman 13   Nebraska attorney
U 11 Fred Bryan 12 Martin Northern Iowa superintendent, juvenile correctional facility
DJ 28 Mark Hittner 24 Smith Pittsburg State investment broker
LJ 68 Tom Stephan 22 Anderson Pittsburg State retired business broker
SJ 72 Michael Banks 19 Cheffers Illinois State carpenter foreman
FJ 57 Joe Blubaugh 1 NA Pittsburg State regional sales manager
BJ 93 Scott Helverson 18 Wrolstad Iowa sales, printing and promotions

Central 2

Yrs2019 crewCollegeOccupation
R 55 Alex Kemp 7   Central Michigan insurance agent
U 124 Carl Paganelli 21 Boger Michigan State retired federal probation officer
DJ 8 Dana McKenzie 13 Corrente Toledo claims adjuster
LJ 98 Greg Bradley 12 Hochuli Tennessee chemical engineer
FJ 43 Terry Brown 15 Wrolstad Tennessee court director
SJ 26 Jabir Walker 6 Hussey Murray State middle school teacher
BJ 96 Matt Edwards 3 Cheffers Western Michigan healthcare sales

Central 3

Yrs2019 crewCollegeOccupation
R 19 Clay Martin 6   Oklahoma Baptist high school administrator
U 115 Tony Michalek 19 Rogers Indiana chief executive officer
DJ 74 Derick Bowers 18 Novak East Central sales representative
LJ 44 Frank LeBlanc 1 NA Lamar Institute of Technology neighborhood services manager
FJ 21 Jeff Lamberth 19 Wrolstad Texas A&M attorney
SJ 116 Mike Weatherford 19 Novak Oklahoma State oil and gas business
BJ 17 Steve Patrick 7 Vinovich Jacksonville State owner, supply company

Central 4

Yrs2019 crewCollegeOccupation
R 126 Brad Rogers 4   Lubbock Christian college professor
U 110 Tab Slaughter 1 NA Arkansas State chief operating officer
DJ 6 Jerod Phillips 5 Martin Northeastern State elementary school teacher
LJ 65 Walt Coleman IV 6 Novak Southern Methodist portfolio manager
FJ 42 Nate Jones 2 Martin Rutgers firefighter/EMT
SJ 103 Eugene Hall 7 Cheffers North Texas federal agent
BJ 78 Greg Meyer 19 Hill Texas Christian banker

Central 5

Yrs2019 crewCollegeOccupation
R 52 Bill Vinovich 15   San Diego certified public accountant
U 77 Terry Killens 2 Torbert Penn State campus security specialist
DJ 63 Mike Carr 4 Kemp Wisconsin athletic director
LJ 45 Jeff Seeman 19 Cheffers Minnesota brokerage sales
FJ 118 David Meslow 10 Boger Augsburg College sales executive
SJ 58 Don Willard 3 Rogers Illinois State physical therapist
BJ 46 Perry Paganelli 23 Blakeman Hope College retired high school administrator

West/flex crews

West 1

Yrs2019 crewCollegeOccupation
R 51 Carl Cheffers 21   California-Irvine sales manager
U 49 Rich Hall 17 Kemp Arizona custom cabinetry
DJ 13 Patrick Turner 7 Wrolstad Cal State-Long Beach plant manager
LJ 47 Tim Podraza 13 Corrente Nebraska business performance consultant
FJ 60 Gary Cavaletto 18 Vinovich Hancock general manager, agricultural operations
SJ 18 Clay Reynard 1 NA California-Davis customer service representative
BJ 119 Greg Wilson 13 Martin USC retired police officer

West 2

Yrs2019 crewCollegeOccupation
R 130 Land Clark 3 Hill Sevier Valley Tech chief building official
U 76 Alan Eck 5 Hussey Bloomsburg State tax manager
DJ 37 Tripp Sutter 2 Wrolstad Nebraska biopharmaceutical rep
LJ 75 Mark Stewart 3 Hill Pittsburg State rancher
FJ 31 Mearl Robinson 4 Vinovich Air Force retired U.S. Air Force instructor

Note: The side judge and back judge will flex for this crew. This is Clark’s first season at the referee position.

West 3

Yrs2019 crewCollegeOccupation
R 99 Tony Corrente 26   Cal State-Fullerton former college officiating coordinator, retired educator
U 64 Dan Ferrell 18 (swing) Cal State-Fullerton retired logistics and supply chain executive
DJ 9 Mark Perlman 20 Vinovich Salem teacher
LJ 2 Bart Longson 6 Smith Brigham Young finance
FJ 25 Ryan Dickson 4 Torbert Utah commercial real estate developer
SJ 90 Anthony Flemming 1 NA Texas A&M-Commerce
BJ 30 Todd Prukop 12 Corrente Cal State-Fullerton medical sales representative

Flex 1

Yrs2019 crewCollegeOccupation
R 1 Scott Novak 7   Phoenix sales manager
U 54 Steve Woods 4 Wrolstad Wabash financial advisor
DJ 79 Kent Payne 17 Rogers Nebraska Wesleyan agribusinessman
LJ 24 David Oliver 4 Hill Baker information systems manager
FJ 117 John Jenkins 7 Kemp St. Mary’s sales executive
SJ 3 Scott Edwards 22 Torbert Alabama environmental engineer
BJ 111 Terrence Miles 13 Novak Arizona State quality control manager

This crew will flex between western and central assigments.

Flex 2

Yrs2019 crewCollegeOccupation
R 4 Craig Wrolstad 18   Washington athletic director
U 71 Ruben Fowler 15 Anderson Huston-Tillotson retired firefighter
DJ 91 Jerry Bergman 19 Blakeman Robert Morris sales executive
LJ 87 Tom Eaton 1 NA Central Florida
FJ 107 Dave Hawkshaw 2 Smith Justice Institute of B.C. firefighter
SJ 50 Aaron Santi 6 Rogers Southern Oregon middle school principal
BJ 61 Keith Ferguson 21 Anderson San Jose State sales

This crew will be west-coast based and flex as needed.

Swing officials

Yrs2019 crewCollegeOccupation
LJ 108 Gary Arthur 24 Martin Wright State president, commercial printing company
SJ 33 Tra Blake 1 NA Central Florida software quality assurance manager
BJ 67 Tony Josselyn 3 Torbert Eastern Kentucky probation officer
SJ 114 Dominique Pender 1 NA Howard

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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