The NFL roster of game officials for the 2017 season will include eight first-year NFL officials among the group of 124, the league announced Thursday.
Line judge BRIAN BOLINGER (Big Ten), line judge MIKE CARR (Big Ten), side judgeRYAN DICKSON (Pac-12), down judge DAVID OLIVER (SEC), field judge MEARL ROBINSON (Pac-12), field judge BRAD ROGERS (SEC), line judge DANNY SHORT(ACC), and umpire STEVE WOODS (Big Ten) will make their NFL officiating debuts this season.
An instant replay official will work as part of each of the 17 officiating crews, including TERRI VALENTI, who becomes the first female replay official in NFL history. Valenti has worked in instant replay for the NFL for the past five seasons, serving as a replay communicator from 2012-15 and a replay assistant in 2016 before being promoted to her current position. Prior to turning her focus to replay, Valenti was an on-field official at the high school, collegiate and professional level (Arena Football League, United Football League), as well as in various international football leagues.
Five officials will not be assigned to crews and will work with different crews throughout the season. In addition to these five officials, there will be more rotation of officials among the crews to ensure the most consistent officiating across the league.
Twelve officials will work at new positions this season in an effort to capitalize on the particular strengths of each official as well as balance the needs of the overall officiating staff.
In addition, the position formerly known as “head linesman” will be called “down judge” beginning this season to more accurately depict the primary responsibility of the role —ensuring the correct down and distance — as well as to eliminate the gender-based classification of the position.
Three sets of fathers and sons are included among the roster of officials — Coleman and his son, WALT IV; ED HOCHULI and his son, SHAWN; and STEVE FREEMAN and his son, BRAD — and four sets of brothers – ALLEN and RUSTY BAYNES; JEFF andJERRY BERGMAN; CARL, DINO & PERRY PAGANELLI; and GENE and TONY STERATORE.
The following is the complete 2017 NFL roster of officials, including crew assignments, which may change during the season due to injury, schedule conflicts, etc.:
No. | Name | Pos. | College | Crew | NFL Experience
(including 2017) |
122 | Brad Allen | R | Pembroke State | Allen | 4 |
20 | Barry Anderson | U | North Carolina State | Wrolstad | 11 |
66 | Walt Anderson | R | Texas | Anderson | 22 |
108 | Gary Arthur | LJ | Wright State | Steratore | 21 |
72 | Michael Banks | FJ | Illinois State | McAulay | 16 |
56 | Allen Baynes | SJ | Auburn | Hussey | 10 |
59 | Rusty Baynes | LJ | Auburn-Montgomery | Hochuli | 8 |
32 | Jeff Bergman | DJ | Robert Morris | Triplette | 26 |
91 | Jerry Bergman | DJ | Robert Morris | McAulay | 16 |
34 | Clete Blakeman | R | Nebraska | Blakeman | 10 |
23 | Jerome Boger | R | Morehouse | Boger | 14 |
40 | Brian Bolinger | LJ | Indiana State | Allen | 1 |
18 | Byron Boston | LJ | Austin | Anderson | 23 |
74 | Derick Bowers | DJ | East Central | Coleman | 15 |
98 | Greg Bradley | DJ | Tennessee | Hochuli | 9 |
43 | Terry Brown | SJ* | Tennessee | Triplette | 12 |
11 | Fred Bryan | U | Northern Iowa | Allen | 9 |
86 | Jimmy Buchanan | FJ | South Carolina State | Hussey | 9 |
134 | Ed Camp | DJ | William Paterson | Boger | 18 |
63 | Mike Carr | LJ | Wisconsin | Boger | 1 |
60 | Gary Cavaletto | SJ | Hancock | Vinovich | 15 |
41 | Boris Cheek | SJ | Morgan State | Morelli | 22 |
51 | Carl Cheffers | R | California-Irvine | Cheffers | 18 |
16 | Kevin Codey | LJ | Western New England | Coleman | 3 |
95 | James Coleman | SJ | Arkansas | Coleman | 13 |
65 | Walt Coleman | R | Arkansas | Coleman | 29 |
87 | Walt Coleman IV | SJ | Southern Methodist | Boger | 3 |
99 | Tony Corrente | R | Cal State-Fullerton | Corrente | 23 |
94 | Hugo Cruz | DJ | Texas-Pan American | Blakeman | 3 |
25 | Ryan Dickson | SJ | Utah | Corrente | 1 |
27 | Lee Dyer | BJ | Tennessee-Chattanooga | Wrolstad | 15 |
76 | Alan Eck | U* | Bloomsburg | Corrente | 2 |
3 | Scott Edwards | SJ* | Alabama | Torbert | 19 |
81 | Roy Ellison | U | Savannah State | Steratore | 15 |
61 | Keith Ferguson | BJ | San Jose State | Hussey | 18 |
64 | Dan Ferrell | U | Cal State-Fullerton | 15 | |
71 | Ruben Fowler | U | Huston-Tillotson | Triplette | 12 |
88 | Brad Freeman | SJ* | Mississippi State | Cheffers | 4 |
133 | Steve Freeman | BJ | Mississippi State | Triplette | 17 |
80 | Greg Gautreaux | FJ* | S.W. Louisiana | Triplette | 16 |
128 | Ramon George | U | Lenoir-Rhyne | Blakeman | 2 |
103 | Eugene Hall | FJ | North Texas | Boger | 4 |
49 | Rich Hall | U | Arizona | Boger | 14 |
125 | Laird Hayes | SJ | Princeton | Anderson | 23 |
93 | Scott Helverson | BJ | Iowa | Hochuli | 15 |
29 | Adrian Hill | SJ* | Buffalo | Steratore | 8 |
97 | Tom Hill | FJ | Carson Newman | Allen | 19 |
28 | Mark Hittner | DJ | Pittsburg State | Wrolstad | 21 |
85 | Ed Hochuli | R | Texas-El Paso | Hochuli | 28 |
83 | Shawn Hochuli | BJ | Claremont | Allen | 4 |
82 | Buddy Horton | FJ | Oregon State | Corrente | 19 |
37 | Jim Howey | DJ/LJ | Erskine | 19 | |
35 | John Hussey | R | Idaho State | Hussey | 16 |
117 | John Jenkins | FJ | St. Mary’s | Anderson | 4 |
101 | Carl Johnson | LJ | Nicholls State | McAulay | 14 |
55 | Alex Kemp | SJ | Central Michigan | Hochuli | 4 |
121 | Paul King | U | Nicholls State | Torbert | 9 |
21 | Jeff Lamberth | SJ | Texas A&M | Wrolstad | 16 |
73 | Joe Larrew | FJ* | St. Louis | Blakeman | 16 |
2 | Bart Longson | LJ | Brigham Young | Corrente | 3 |
89 | Jon Lucivansky | FJ | Minnesota | Vinovich | 9 |
10 | Julian Mapp | LJ | Grambling State | Wrolstad | 9 |
107 | Ron Marinucci | LJ | Glassboro State | Hussey | 21 |
19 | Clay Martin | U | Oklahoma Baptist | Cheffers | 3 |
39 | Rich Martinez | BJ | Canisius | McAulay | 4 |
77 | Terry McAulay | R | Louisiana State | McAulay | 20 |
8 | Dana McKenzie | LJ | Toledo | Blakeman | 10 |
110 | Phil McKinnely | DJ | UCLA | Vinovich | 16 |
48 | Jim Mello | DJ | Northeastern | Allen | 14 |
118 | Dave Meslow | FJ* | Augsburg | Parry | 7 |
78 | Greg Meyer | BJ | Texas Christian | Vinovich | 16 |
115 | Tony Michalek | U | Indiana | Hussey | 16 |
111 | Terrence Miles | BJ | Arizona State | Coleman | 10 |
120 | Jonah Monroe | SJ | Arkansas | McAulay | 3 |
135 | Pete Morelli | R | St. Mary’s | Morelli | 21 |
92 | Bryan Neale | U | Indiana | Morelli | 4 |
1 | Scott Novak | FJ* | Phoenix | Coleman | 4 |
24 | David Oliver | DJ | Baker | Steratore | 1 |
124 | Carl Paganelli | U | Michigan State | Anderson | 19 |
105 | Dino Paganelli | BJ | Aquinas | Steratore | 12 |
46 | Perry Paganelli | BJ | Hope | Parry | 20 |
132 | John Parry | R | Purdue | Parry | 18 |
17 | Steve Patrick | BJ | Jacksonville State | Blakeman | 4 |
15 | Rick Patterson | FJ/SJ | Wofford | 22 | |
79 | Kent Payne | LJ* | Nebraska Wesleyan | Cheffers | 14 |
131 | Mark Pellis | U | Allegheny | Parry | 4 |
9 | Mark Perlman | LJ | Salem | Vinovich | 17 |
6 | Jerod Phillips | DJ | Northeastern State | Anderson | 2 |
47 | Tim Podraza | LJ | Nebraska | Morelli | 10 |
109 | Dyrol Prioleau | SJ | Johnson C. Smith | Blakeman | 11 |
30 | Todd Prukop | BJ | Cal State-Fullerton | Corrente | 9 |
5 | Jim Quirk | BJ | Middlebury | Cheffers | 8 |
44 | Jeff Rice | U | Northwestern | Coleman | 23 |
31 | Mearl Robinson | FJ | Air Force | Cheffers | 1 |
126 | Brad Rogers | FJ | Lubbock Christian | Morelli | 1 |
50 | Aaron Santi | FJ | Southern Oregon | Torbert | 3 |
129 | Bill Schuster | U | Alfred | 18 | |
45 | Jeff Seeman | LJ | Minnesota | Parry | 16 |
104 | Dale Shaw | FJ | Allegheny | Hochuli | 5 |
113 | Danny Short | LJ | North Carolina-Charlotte | Triplette | 1 |
14 | Shawn Smith | U | Ferris State | Hochuli | 3 |
90 | Mike Spanier | DJ | St. Cloud State | Parry | 19 |
12 | Greg Steed | BJ | Howard | Morelli | 15 |
84 | Mark Steinkerchner | LJ | Akron | Torbert | 24 |
22 | Steve Stelljes | DJ | Friends | Morelli | 16 |
68 | Tom Stephan | DJ/LJ | Pittsburg State | 19 | |
114 | Gene Steratore | R | Kent State | Steratore | 15 |
112 | Tony Steratore | BJ | California, Pa. | Boger | 18 |
102 | Bruce Stritesky | U | Embry Riddle | Vinovich | 12 |
100 | Tom Symonette | DJ* | Florida | Cheffers | 14 |
53 | Sarah Thomas | DJ* | Mobile | Torbert | 3 |
62 | Ron Torbert | R | Michigan State | Torbert | 8 |
42 | Jeff Triplette | R | Wake Forest | Triplette | 22 |
13 | Patrick Turner | DJ | Cal State-Long Beach | Corrente | 4 |
52 | Bill Vinovich | R | San Diego | Vinovich | 13 |
123 | Ed Walker | DJ | San Jose State | Hussey | 4 |
26 | Jabir Walker | SJ | Murray State | Allen | 3 |
7 | Keith Washington | SJ | Virginia Military Institute | Parry | 10 |
116 | Mike Weatherford | FJ | Oklahoma State | Steratore | 16 |
119 | Greg Wilson | BJ | USC | Anderson | 10 |
54 | Steve Woods | U | Wabash | McAulay | 1 |
4 | Craig Wrolstad | R | Washington | Wrolstad | 15 |
38 | Greg Yette | BJ | Howard | Torbert | 8 |
33 | Steve Zimmer | FJ | Hofstra | Wrolstad | 21 |
*Denotes new position for 2017