2017 Postseason
Triplette, Hochuli, Hussey, and Corrente are Wild Card referees
Football Zebras has confirmed the referees for the Wild Card weekend.
Football Zebras has confirmed the referees for the Wild Card weekend. 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.
Three alternates are assigned to each game: generally, one is designated for the offensive backfield (a referee or umpire), one is on the line of scrimmage (down judge or line judge), and one is a deep position (side judge, field judge, or back judge). When alternates are listed, their position during the regular season is also given. 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).
For the second consecutive season, the Wild Card weekend features a referee getting his first postseason assignment as a crew chief and the referee who has the most postseason games of any active referee with 26.
Saturday, Jan. 6
AFC Wild Card: Titans at Chiefs, 4:35 p.m. ESPN ABC
Jeff Triplette is the referee, who is in his 22nd season and 19th as referee. This is Triplette’s 11th postseason assignment, including 6 Wild Card Playoffs, 4 Divisional Playoffs, and 1 Conference Championship.
| Yrs | 2017 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 42 | Jeff Triplette | 22 | Wake Forest | restructuring consultant | |
| U | 11 | Fred Bryan | 9 | Allen | Northern Iowa | superintendent, juvenile correctional facility |
| DJ | 90 | Mike Spanier | 19 | Parry | St Cloud State | middle school principal |
| LJ | 79 | Kent Payne | 14 | Cheffers | Nebraska Wesleyan | teacher |
| FJ | 103 | Eugene Hall | 4 | Boger | North Texas | federal agent |
| SJ | 109 | Dyrol Prioleau | 11 | Blakeman | Johnson C Smith | manager, law firm |
| BJ | 133 | Steve Freeman | 17 | Triplette | Mississippi State | custom home builder* |
*indicates full-time official
- Replay: Earnie Frantz
- Alternates: Pete Morelli (R), Ron Marinucci (LJ), Todd Prukop (BJ)
NFC Wild Card: Falcons at Rams, 8:15 p.m. NBC
Ed Hochuli is the referee, who is in his 27th season and 25th as referee. This is Hochuli’s 26th postseason assignment, the most of any active official, which include 11 Wild Card Playoffs, 5 Divisional Playoffs, 8 Conference Championships, and Super Bowls XXXII and XXXVIII.
| Yrs | 2017 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 85 | Ed Hochuli | 28 | Texas-El Paso | attorney | |
| U | 14 | Shawn Smith | 3 | Hochuli | Ferris State | internal auditor |
| DJ | 28 | Mark Hittner | 21 | Wrolstad | Pittsburg State | investment broker |
| LJ | 108 | Gary Arthur | 21 | Steratore | Wright State | president, commercial printing company |
| FJ | 72 | Michael Banks | 16 | McAulay | Illinois State | carpenter foreman |
| SJ | 88 | Brad Freeman | 4 | Cheffers | Mississippi State | sports park director |
| BJ | 119 | Greg Wilson | 10 | Anderson | USC | law enforcement |
- Replay: Billy Smith
- Alternates: Walt Coleman (R), Sarah Thomas (DJ), Gary Cavaletto (SJ)
Sunday, Jan. 7
AFC Wild Card: Bills at Jaguars, 1:05 p.m. CBS
John Hussey is the referee, who is in his 16th season and 3rd as referee. This is Hussey’s 10th postseason assignment, including 4 Wild Card Playoffs, 3 Divisional Playoffs, 2 Conference Championships, and Super Bowl XLV. This is his first postseason game as referee.
| Yrs | 2017 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 35 | John Hussey | 16 | Idaho State | sales representative, retail logistics group | |
| U | 129 | Bill Schuster | 18 | swing | Alfred | insurance broker* |
| DJ | 110 | Phil McKinnely | 16 | Vinovich | UCLA | inventory control |
| LJ | 59 | Rusty Baynes | 8 | Hochuli | Auburn-Montgomery | general manager, safety services* |
| FJ | 50 | Aaron Santi | 3 | Torbert | Southern Oregon | middle school principal |
| SJ | 55 | Alex Kemp | 4 | Hochuli | Central Michigan | insurance agent |
| BJ | 111 | Terrence Miles | 10 | Coleman | Arizona State | quality control manager* |
*indicates full-time official
- Replay: Mike Wimmer
- Alternates: Carl Cheffers (R), Dana McKenzie (LJ), John Jenkins (FJ)
NFC Wild Card: Panthers at Saints, 4:40 p.m. Fox
Tony Corrente is the referee, who is in his 23rd season and 20th as referee. This is Corrente’s 17th postseason assignment, including 6 Wild Card Playoffs, 5 Divisional Playoffs, 5 Conference Championships, and Super Bowl XLI.
| Yrs | 2017 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 99 | Tony Corrente | 23 | Cal State-Fullerton | retired educator | |
| U | 92 | Bryan Neale | 4 | Morelli | Indiana | sales consultant |
| DJ | 74 | Derick Bowers | 15 | Coleman | East Central | sales representative* |
| LJ | 47 | Tim Podraza | 10 | Morelli | Nebraska | banker |
| FJ | 33 | Steve Zimmer | 21 | Wrolstad | Hofstra | attorney* |
| SJ | 43 | Terry Brown | 12 | Triplette | Tennessee | probation supervisor |
| BJ | 105 | Dino Paganelli | 12 | Steratore | Aquinas College | educator |
*indicates full-time official
- Replay: Larry Nemmers
- Alternates: Jerome Boger (R), Kevin Codey (LJ), Tony Steratore (BJ)
