Thanksgiving Day 1993: The game that put Ed Hochuli on the map

When former referee Ed Hochuli retired after 28 NFL seasons, he was widely regarded for his mic work. When he opened his mic, he gave precise and detailed announcements.

Let’s throw it back to 1993 — Hochuli’s second year as a referee — and the first time his microphone work drew national attention.

Ed Hochuli joined the NFL in 1990 as a field judge (at that time, the position was named back judge) after several seasons in the Pac-10 Conference. The supervisor of officials, Art McNally, approached Hochuli about becoming a referee. After a season as a referee in the now-defunct World League of American Football, Hochuli became a referee in for the 1992 season.

1993 Cowboys-Dolphins Thanksgiving game was his first big game

With umpire Art Demmas helping break him in at the referee position, the NFL assigned Hochuli and crew to the 1993 Thanksgiving Day football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins. On his crew that day, in addition to Demmas, were head linesman Mark Baltz, line judge Bama Glass, back judge Jim Poole, side judge (and future referee) Mike Carey, and field judge Bill Schmitz. (Again, at that time the names of the back judge and field judge positions were swapped from where they are today.)

The Dallas area had been hit with sleet and ice, which made the field treacherous. The players slipped and slid through four quarters, with the Cowboys clinging to a 14-13 lead.

The Dolphins came out to try a potential game winning field goal. The field goal was blocked, apparently sealing the Cowboys victory. Cameras even cut away from the field to show Cowboys owner Jerry Jones celebrating. But then Leon Lett had a moment.

The best way to remember field goals is as follows: a field goal is nothing more than a punt that can score three points. When the ball (blocked or not) goes past the neutral zone, punt rules are in effect. The Dolphins could have downed the kick, or the Cowboys could have picked the ball up and advanced. But, if the Cowboys (the “receiving team”) touched the ball, it was a live ball and the Dolphins could have recovered for a new series of downs. That’s just what happened.

Hochuli explained a complex rule

With half the stadium thinking Dallas won, the Dolphins thinking they scored a touchdown, and others completely confused, Hochuli huddled his crew. He made sure all players stayed away and got information from his crew — especially Poole and Schmitz who were covering the play.

The crew properly ruled that the Dolphins got a new series at the spot of recovery. The slide into the endzone didn’t count. (Since it the ball was not yet possessed, it is still a kick, and any time the kicking team possesses a kick beyond the line, it is a dead ball.) There was time for one more play. The Dolphins kicked a chip shot field goal for the win.

I remember watching that game live and was very impressed with Hochuli explaining such a complex ruling to two anxious fan bases and a confused public. This moment illustrated how a referee microphone could be used as an effective tool for the officials to explain what happened and how they came to their ruling.

As we watch football this Thanksgiving, remember the game 32 years ago that put the referee of the 2000s on the map.