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)
Anyone know packers referee Sunday the 12th?
Corrente, Cheffers and Hussey … Wow, which one of those is “one and done”?
QUESTION FOR YOU ALT REFEREES DO SIDELINES
So, that means divisional referees will be Blakeman, Vinovich, Torbert and … ? (Allen? Wrolstad?)
Will Martin or Hochuli get postseason assignment?
Clay martin.craig wrolstad and shawn hochuli and clete blakeman deserves a post season assignment
Bill Vinovich too
ALTS USE HEADSETS?
Wow, so many familiar last names on these crews.
I wonder if these guys are all related?
Wow Corrente was my SB prediction I guess that won’t happen lol
Big Bills fan, love Corrente is on Bills game, I was in Pittsburgh for SNF , and he was on that game as well.. Always well done.. Shaun Smith, second year referee, had a great year… Blakeman is my pick for SB.. ( now!!)
3 of scott Nowak crew in houston
Ron torbert will still have a post season assignment streak
Wilson doing yet another seattle game…. bad shiz happens with wilson + seattle.
Read again dummy ….not wilson
Travis Kelce was overjoyed to learn Mike Weatherford and Carl Cheffers won’t work next weekend. Weatherford ejected Kelce in 2016 vs. Jacksonville; Kelce was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct when he protested when DPI wasn’t called after Kelce claimed his neck was jerked around, and then Kelce threw an elbow pad at Weatherford, who threw his hat to signal the second penalty. Cheffers called holding on Eric Fisher on the decisive 2-point conversion in the 2016 playoffs vs. Pittsburgh; after the game, Kelce ripped Cheffers a new one in interviews afte the game.
If #53 is the down judge for a conference championship, I’ll be overjoyed. If Jerome Boger is not given an on-field assignment, I’ll be satisfied. If both occur, I’ll be higher than a kite.