Football Zebras has confirmed the referees for the Divisional 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.
Five alternates are assigned to each game: a referee, an umpire, a line of scrimmage official (down judge or line judge), a deep wing official (field judge or side judge), and a 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). Also of note, the eventual Super Bowl officials are on the field for this weekend’s games, but not all are from the same crew.
Scheduled assignments are subject to change.
Saturday, Jan. 22
AFC Divisional: Bengals at Titans, 4:30 p.m. CBS Para+
Clete Blakeman is the referee, who is in his 14th season and 12th as referee. This is Blakeman’s 12th postseason assignment, including 4 Wild Card Playoffs, 4 Divisional Playoffs, 3 Conference Championships, and Super Bowl 50.
| Yrs | 2021 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 34 | Clete Blakeman | 14 | Nebraska | attorney | |
| U | 115 | Tony Michalek | 20 | Vinovich | Indiana | chief executive officer |
| DJ | 79 | Kent Payne | 18 | Rogers | Nebraska Wesleyan | agribusinessman |
| LJ | 9 | Mark Perlman | 21 | Vinovich | Salem | teacher |
| FJ | 36 | Anthony Jeffries | 4 | Corrente | Alabama-Birmingham | medical sales |
| SJ | 58 | Don Willard | 4 | Corrente | Illinois State | physical therapist |
| BJ | 38 | Greg Yette | 12 | Allen | Howard | defense contractor |
| RO | Mike Wimmer | 19 | Smith | NYU | producer | |
| RA | Sebrina Brunson | 2 | Smith | Florida Atlantic | case specialist | |
| ALT | R | Craig Wrolstad | 19 | Washington | athletic director | |
| ALT | U | Ramon George | 6 | Novak | Lenoir-Rhyne | financial underwriter |
| ALT | LJ | Walt Coleman IV | 7 | Novak | Southern Methodist | portfolio manager |
| ALT | FJ | Nate Jones | 3 | Cheffers | Rutgers | firefighter/EMT |
| ALT | BJ | Perry Paganelli | 24 | Blakeman | Hope College | retired high school administrator |
NFC Divisional: 49ers at Packers, 8:15 p.m. Fox
Ron Torbert is the referee, who is in his 12th season and 8th as referee. This is Torbert’s 9th postseason assignment, including 3 Wild Card Playoffs and 6 Divisional Playoffs.
| Yrs | 2021 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 62 | Ron Torbert | 12 | Michigan State | attorney | |
| U | 92 | Bryan Neale | 8 | Smith | Indiana | sales consultant |
| DJ | 24 | David Oliver | 5 | Hill | Baker | information systems manager |
| LJ | 59 | Rusty Baynes | 12 | Boger | Auburn-Montgomery | general manager, safety services |
| FJ | 25 | Ryan Dickson | 5 | Torbert | Utah | commercial real estate developer |
| SJ | 41 | Boris Cheek | 26 | Allen | Morgan State | retired director of operations and management |
| BJ | 93 | Scott Helverson | 19 | Kemp | Iowa | sales, printing and promotions |
| RO | Roddy Ames | 4 | Hill | Colby College | attorney | |
| RA | Joe Wollan | 2 | Hill | St. Thomas | recruiting | |
| ALT | R | Brad Allen | 8 | Pembroke State | non-profit CEO | |
| ALT | U | Tab Slaughter | 2 | Blakeman | Arkansas State | chief operating officer |
| ALT | DJ | Jerod Phillips | 6 | Martin | Northeastern State | elementary school teacher |
| ALT | FJ | Mike Weatherford | 20 | Novak | Oklahoma State | oil and gas business |
| ALT | BJ | Tony Josselyn | 4 | Torbert | Eastern Kentucky | probation officer |
Sunday, Jan. 23
NFC Divisional: Rams at Buccaneers, 3:00 p.m. NBC Peacock
Shawn Hochuli is the referee, who is in his 8th season and 4th as referee. This is Hochuli’s 6th postseason assignment, including a Wild Card Playoff and 5 Divisional Playoffs.
| Yrs | 2021 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 83 | Shawn Hochuli | 8 | Claremont | financial advisor | |
| U | 77 | Terry Killens | 3 | Hochuli | Penn State | campus security specialist |
| DJ | 74 | Derick Bowers | 19 | Novak | East Central | sales representative |
| LJ | 98 | Greg Bradley | 13 | Hochuli | Tennessee | chemical engineer |
| FJ | 43 | Terry Brown | 16 | Wrolstad | Tennessee | court director |
| SJ | 7 | Keith Washington | 14 | Torbert | Virginia Military Institute | program financial analyst |
| BJ | 105 | Dino Paganelli | 16 | Smith | Aquinas College | educator |
| RO | Tyler Cerimeli | 4 | Hochuli | Arizona State | high school officials coordinator | |
| RA | Mark Bitar | 2 | Hochuli | Seton Hall | teacher | |
| ALT | R | Shawn Smith | 7 | Ferris State | finance | |
| ALT | U | Fred Bryan | 13 | Martin | Northern Iowa | superintendent, juvenile correctional facility |
| ALT | DJ | Sarah Thomas | 7 | Hussey | Mobile | sales representative |
| ALT | FJ | Mearl Robinson | 5 | Hill | Air Force | retired U.S. Air Force instructor |
| ALT | BJ | Rich Martinez | 8 | Hochuli | Canisius | sales manager |
AFC Divisional: Bills at Chiefs, 6:30 p.m. CBS Para+
John Hussey is the referee, who is in his 20th season and 7th as referee. This is Hussey’s 15th postseason assignment, including 6 Wild Card Playoffs, 5 Divisional Playoffs, 3 Conference Championships, and Super Bowl XLV. His Super Bowl assignment was as a line judge.
| Yrs | 2021 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 35 | John Hussey | 20 | Idaho State | sales representative | |
| U | 76 | Alan Eck | 6 | Hussey | Bloomsburg State | tax manager |
| DJ | 28 | Mark Hittner | 25 | Smith | Pittsburg State | investment broker |
| LJ | 101 | Carl Johnson | 18 | Hussey | Nicholls State | retired sales manager, former full-time official |
| FJ | 15 | Rick Patterson | 26 | Allen | Wofford | banker |
| SJ | 56 | Allen Baynes | 14 | Hussey | Auburn | realtor |
| BJ | 30 | Todd Prukop | 13 | Corrente | Cal State-Fullerton | medical sales representative |
| RO | Jamie Nicholson | 4 | Hussey | Ferris State | teacher | |
| RA | Denise Crudup | 2 | Hussey | Wilmington | accounts payable analyst | |
| ALT | R | Clay Martin | 7 | Oklahoma Baptist | high school administrator | |
| ALT | U | Carl Paganelli | 22 | Rogers | Michigan State | retired federal probation officer |
| ALT | DJ | Jerry Bergman | 20 | Cheffers | Robert Morris | sales executive |
| ALT | SJ | Eugene Hall | 8 | Cheffers | North Texas | federal agent |
| ALT | BJ | Brad Freeman | 8 | Hussey | Mississippi State | sports park director |
My Superbowl referee Predictions are
R Clete Blakeman
U Bryan Neale
DJ Kent Payne
LJ Carl Johnson or Mark Perlman
FJ Terry Brown
SJ Boris Cheek
BJ Todd Prukop or Scott Helverson
Or
R Ron Torbert
U Tony Michalek
DJ Kent Payne or Mark Hittner
LJ Mark Perlman or Carl Johnson
FJ Terry Brown
SJ Boris Cheek
BJ Todd Prukop or Scott Helverson
Conference Championship Referee Predictions are
R Bill Vinovich
U Paul King
DJ Sarah Thomas
LJ Walt Coleman IV
FJ Tom Hill
SJ Jonah Monroe
BJ Greg Steed
And
R Carl Cheffers
U Dan Ferrell
DJ Jerod Phillips
LJ Jeff Bergman
FJ Dyrol prioleau
SJ Eugene Hall
BJ Terrence Miles
Probowl Referees
Tony Corrente or Scott Novak
I wouldn’t be surprised at if tony correntte was awarded the super bowl as his last game
Hope not
Doesnt the SB referee get chosen from this round?
Stephen most likely Correntte will be the Pro Bowl referee. Past years the Pro Browl referee was a retiring referee.
I bet Hussey gets the SB
John Hussey is arguably the best referee in the NFL. I think Torbert probably gets the nod in this SB, but it is in LA and Hussey/Vinovich to me are the best referees by far in the game currently.
I think that Clete Blakeman or Ron Torbert gets the Superbowl
It’s comical to watch people pick out a few not so great officials and reflexively push them as the best. Think 53, 65, 101 as three examples of marginal.
There are much better – think 63, 48, 8, 91, 98 and 45.
Hope 62 gets the big game as the white hat. He deserves it.
Conference Championship Referees Predictions
R Carl Cheffers
U Dan Ferrell
DJ Jerod Phillips
LJ Jeff Bergman
FJ Dyrol Prioleau
SJ Eugene Hall
BJ Terrence Miles
Or
R Bill Vinovich
U Paul King
DJ Sarah Thomas
LJ Walt Coleman IV
FJ Tom Hill
SJ Jonah Monroe
BJ Greg Steed
Or
R Shawn Smith
U Dan Ferrell
DJ Jerod Phillips
LJ Jeff Bergman
FJ Tom Hill or Dyrol prioleau/James Coleman
SJ Eugene Hall/Jonah Monroe or Joe Larrew
BJ Terrence Miles