2025 preseason
Bill Vinovich will lead 2025 Hall of Fame Game crew
Vinovich commands crew with 149 years of experience
The NFL’s 106th season is about to commence at the birthplace of professional football — Canton, Ohio. Bill Vinovich will lead a highly experienced mixed crew at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in the first preseason game of 2025 between the Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions.
This is the first NFL game being played in the month of July since the 2000 edition of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, where the late referee Johnny Grier presided over a contest between the 49ers and Patriots that featured the NFL debut of a little-known quarterback named Tom Brady.
A few of the officials on the crew are working on the opposite side of the field from where they were assigned on this season’s crew list. Kent Payne is the line judge on Clete Blakeman’s crew, but will be the down judge for this game. Jimmy Buchanan and Rick Patterson will be swapping their regular deep wing positions downfield. Nevertheless, the on-field officials have a combined 149 years of NFL experience — an average of over 21 seasons.
As the new season begins in football heaven, we express our annual plea that the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game should not be the only way that NFL officials end up in Canton.
| Yrs | 2025 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 52 | Bill Vinovich | 20 | San Diego | certified public accountant | |
| U | 20 | Barry Anderson | 19 | Torbert | North Carolina State | builder/developer |
| DJ | 79 | Kent Payne | 22 | Blakeman | Nebraska Wesleyan | agribusinessman |
| LJ | 47 | Tim Podraza | 18 | Hochuli | Nebraska | business performance consultant |
| FJ | 86 | Jimmy Buchanan | 17 | Vinovich | South Carolina State | foodservice director |
| SJ | 15 | Rick Patterson | 30 | Allen | Wofford | banker |
| BJ | 93 | Scott Helverson | 23 | Kemp | Iowa | sales, printing and promotions |
| RO | Brian Matoren | 21 | Cheffers | Florida | writer/producer |
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inventive01e5e82b6f
July 30, 2025 at 4:42 pm
Glad to see Bill & his mixed crew opening the season in Canton, Ohio