Football Zebras

Remembering Tommy Bell on his 100th birthday

by Mark Schultz - July 2, 2022July 18, 2022 0719

Embed from Getty Images We pause today to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of NFL referee Tommy Bell. He was born July 2, 1922, and died February 20, 1986, after a long illness. Bell worked in the NFL in 1961 and retired after the 1976 AFC Championship Game. In an

FJ Fritz Graf, veteran of 4 Super Bowls and Ice Bowl, passes away at 94

by Mark Schultz - December 4, 2017January 16, 2020 08243

Â Frederick "Fritz" Graf, 1922-2017 Former NFL field judge, Fritz Graf, who called four Super Bowls, and was on the field for The Ice Bowl, died November 29, at the age of 94. At the time of his death, we think he was the oldest surviving official. Graf was a native of Akron,

Should NFL officials be allowed to make commercials?

Commentary

by Mark Schultz - July 21, 2017July 20, 2017 58308

Commentary by Mark Schultz This past season, line judge Sarah Thomas, the first permanent female official in the NFL, was a spokesperson for Activia yogurt. The commercials told the inspiring story of her journey to the NFL and how she broke the glass ceiling for women to officiate in the pros. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLcrFzI0vlw Thomas

50 Super Bowl calls, Part 3: XXX to XXI

50 Super Bowl calls

by Football Zebras staff - February 3, 2016March 15, 2019 09887

The Football Zebras staff -- with the assistance of our affiliated forum, Behind the Football Stripes -- has examined the Super Bowls of years past for the work of the officials who, in a given year, achieve the honor of the best of the best. While every team competes for

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Happy birthday Jerry Markbreit

Profiles

by Mark Schultz - March 23, 2015March 25, 2015 04830

View image | gettyimages.com Most famous referee of the 1980s and 1990s turns 80 years old Before there was Ed Hochuli, there was Jerry Markbreit.Â The former NFL referee from 1976 to 1998 turned 80 years old today. Markbreit got his start officiating while a college student at the University of Illinois.Â He

Brad Allen named crew chief in 1st NFL season

News

by Mark Schultz - June 25, 2014July 13, 2014 912737

First rookie-season R since 1966 On the heels of the surprise announcement that Mike Carey is retiring from the NFL, Football Zebras can confirm that rookie official Brad Allen will call his first NFL season at the referee position.Â To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time a

Several NFL officials have ties to the NCAA basketball tournament

Outside the Stripes

by Mark Schultz - March 22, 2014March 22, 2014 66639

At least three have worked the Final Four Several officials work multiple sports from Pop Warner to the pros.Â There is quite a history of NFL officials working major college basketball.Â Currently, Gene SteratoreÂ (pictured)Â and Bill Vinovich work major college basketball.Â But they are just the current in a long line of

NFL getting their stripes in a row for 2014

News

by Mark Schultz - February 10, 2014February 16, 2014 45374

League has several shoes to fill in the offseason The Super Bowl is fast fading into the rear view mirror and we now enter what is called the "dark period" in regard to NFL officiating. Â According to the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the NFL Referees Association, there is

Who are the next white hats?

Outside the Stripes

by Mark Schultz - October 3, 2012November 16, 2012 08476

The NFL officiating staff is heavy on experience which is great news.Â The flip side to this is that we will be seeing a higher than average number of officials retiring in the next one to three years. While there are many officials at all positions on the cusp of retirement,