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Al Jury presented with Art McNally Award

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Al_JuryFormer field judge Al Jury is being honored by the NFL with the Art McNally Award for his distinguished officiating career. He will be formally presented with the award by the outgoing executive vice president of football operations, Ray Anderson, in a ceremony prior to the Pro Bowl in Honolulu.

Jury has been in the NFL since 1978, when the league added a seventh official to the crews. He served 26 seasons on the field, in which he officiated in five conference championship games and Super Bowls XX, XXII, XXIV, XXVIII, and XXXIV. His five Super Bowls is tied for the most of any official. The final call of his last Super Bowl was spotting the ball less than a yard short of the end zone on a catch by Titans receiver Kevin Dyson (video).

Jury started officiating high school football in Southern California in 1959 and entered the Pac-8 Conference in 1972.

His NFL career came to an abrupt halt in 2004 when he broke his leg during a game. He retired at the end of the season to become an assistant officiating supervisor and trainer, and served six years as a replay official. In 2013, he left the replay booth and now works as an observer for the NFL.

The Art McNally Award is named after the former head of officiating from 1968 to 1990, who, at the age of 91, still works as an officiating observer for the NFL.

Previous recipients of the McNally Award since its inception in 2002 are:

  • 2002: Bob McElwee, referee
  • 2003: Ben Montgomery, line judge
  • 2004: Tom Fincken, side judge
  • 2005: Gerry Austin, referee
  • 2006: Larry Nemmers, referee and replay
  • 2007: Bill Lovett, field judge
  • 2008: Bill Carollo, referee and replay
  • 2009: Bill Schmitz, back judge
  • 2010: Bob Lawing, back judge (awarded posthumously)
  • 2011: Ron Baynes, line judge
  • 2012: Dick Creed, field judge, side judge, and replay
  • 2013: Al Jury, field judge and replay

Image: Reno Football Officials Camp

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