Football Zebras

3-time Super Bowl official Dale Williams passes away

by Mark Schultz - October 19, 2022October 19, 2022 0598

Dale Williams, a 24-year NFL head linesman and College World Series baseball umpire, passed away September 18, 2022, after a long illness. He was 82. Williams had a sparkling officiating career at a high level in two sports. He officiated NFL football from 1980-2003, and umpired college baseball for 32

Wayne Mackie, VP of officiating development and former head linesman, dies at 62

Obituary

by Ben Austro - March 25, 2022March 25, 2022 02934

Wayne Mackie, Super Bowl 50 head linesman and an NFL vice president of officiating development, died suddenly Thursday night in Palm Beach, Fla. He was 62. Mackie was working with the Competition Committee in advance of the annual owners meeting set to begin there next week. Mackie joined the NFL in

Johnny Grier, NFL’s first Black referee, dies at 74

Obituary

by Mark Schultz - March 9, 2022March 15, 2022 04163

Johnny Grier, the NFL's first Black referee and field judge for Super Bowl XXII, has passed away at the age of 74. Grier worked in the NFL from 1981 to 2004. He wore number 23 for most of his career. According to the Washington Post and the New York Times,

2021 was a year of profound loss in the officiating community

Obituary

by Cameron Filipe - December 30, 2021December 30, 2021 02277

2021 was a tough year for those with any connection to the NFL officiating community. This year, we lost six former NFL officials, a former replay official who went to lead the college replay operations, and a current official that passed away during the season. As 2021 comes to a

Jim Poole, back judge in 2 Super Bowls, dies at 89

by Mark Schultz - November 12, 2021November 12, 2021 03707

Jim Poole, a two-time Super Bowl official and world class athlete, died November 7, at age 89. An NFL officiating career with two Super Bowl assignments makes for an amazing rÃ©sumÃ©, but pro officiating only scratches the surface of a remarkable athletic life. Poole played basketball and baseball for San Diego State.

Replay official Carl Madsen dies at 71

by Ben Austro - October 25, 2021October 25, 2021 15324

http://gty.im/73373855 Carl Madsen 1949-2021 Carl Madsen, a replay official and former umpire, died in Nashville while traveling home from his game assignment on Sunday. He was 71. The Associated Press is reporting that Madsen experienced a medical issue while driving home. Madsen was an umpire on the field from 1997 to 2008, when

Ben Dreith, the longtime NFL referee widely known to common fans, dies at 96

Obituary

by Ben Austro - May 7, 2021June 30, 2022 18346

Ben Dreith, the NFL referee known for a no-nonsense demeanor and his idiosyncratic penalty announcements that made him the first household name in NFL officiating, died at his home at the age of 96. He was the oldest living NFL official at the time of his death on April 25,

3-time Super Bowl official Don Hakes passes away

Obituary

by Mark Schultz - April 5, 2021April 5, 2021 15591

Don Hakes, a NFL official for 22 years and a three-time Super Bowl field judge and back judge passed away on April 1, 2021 at the age of 87. 2021 has gotten off to a rough start as retired NFL officials Ron Botchan, Bob Boylston and Fred Wyant passed away in

Fred Wyant, NFL referee and line judge for 27 seasons, has passed away

by Mark Schultz - March 23, 2021June 7, 2021 04635

Fred Wyant, an all-American quarterback for the West Virginia University Mountaineers, and a NFL official from 1966 to 1992, died on March 20, at the age of 86. In his 27-year career, Wyant worked five playoff games on the field, four at referee: four divisionals and one wild card round. He

Jim Blackwood, former conference officiating coordinator and national replay director, has died

Obituary

by Ben Austro - March 10, 2021March 13, 2021 05046

Jim Blackwood, a longtime college coordinator of officials and one of the innovators of the use of replay in college football, has died at the age of 81 after a brief illness. A giant in the officiating world and a mentor to many officials, Blackwood was most recently the national replay