Friday, July 27, 2012

It's ALL Relative: Familial Connections Beyond the NFL

The family links are not limited to the NFL itself. There are several sons and brothers of current officials racing up the ranks of the collegiate and AFL football. Here is a rundown:
  • Allen Baynes (SJ) and Rusty Baynes (LJ) have a brother, Mark Baynes, who is an up-and-comer in the Conference USA as an umpire [1]
  • Derick Bowers (HL) has a brother who is working in the AFL [2]
  • Walt Coleman (R) has a son, Walt Coleman, Jr., who is a rising star in the Big 12 as a line judge [3]
  • Kirk Dornan (BJ) has a son, Matt Dornan, who is working in the AFL as a head linesman [4]
  • Steve Freeman (BJ) has a son, Brad Freeman, who is an up-and-comer SEC as a field judge [5]
  • Ed Hochuli (R) has a son, Shawn Hochuli, who is a rising star in the Pac-12 and the AFL as a referee, and formerly worked in the Big 12 [6]
  • John McGrath (HL) has a brother, Kavin McGrath, who works as a head linesman in the Big East [7]
  • Gene Steratore (R) and Tony Steratore (BJ) have a cousin, Frank Steratore, Jr., who is a rising star in the Big 10 [8]
It is no great mystery where these officials are headed by virtue of their familial connection. These relatives of NFL officials are climbing the ladder, leaping over other officials who have more experience and better abilities, who deserved the opportunity, and who the players and coaches deserved to have officiating their games.

Sources
[1] "Former Tallassee coach earns NFL officials award": http://www.riverregionsports.com/wordpress/?p=11325/ and "Tulane vs Rice": http://www.conferenceusa.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2011-2012/rice1119.html
[2] Information from a current official
[8] "About Us--Steratore Sanitary Supply": http://www.steratoresanitary.com/about-us.html
Posted by at

1 comment:

  1. HDNovember 3, 2019 at 6:11 PM

    As the granddaughter of a former Pac 10 official, the daughter of a retired NFL official, and the sister of a current Pac 12 official, I 100% disagree with your statements above. You stated that "these relatives of NFL officials are climbing the ladder, leaping over other officials who have more experience and better abilities, who deserved the opportunity, and who the players and coaches deserved to have officiating their games." I can tell you from my own personal experience that this is not always the case.
    My grandfather worked very hard to get where he did in the Pac 10. Officiating numerous Pac 10 games, including the Rose Bowl. He never pushed my father into doing this profession, he threw out the idea to him as a young kid and it was up to my father to decide if this was something he wanted to pursue. My dad made the choice to try it out and he LOVED IT. He embraced the idea of officiating and he loved the game of football. He worked very hard to get to the NFL, years and years of hard work and dedication. He was never just handed down the title and he definitely did not "climb the ladder over other officials who were better qualified" to get where he was before he retired.
    I remember as a child growing up coming home from school and wanting to watch tv but couldn't because my dad would be watching the game he had previously officiated and was reviewing the game for any errors he may have made and what he could have done differently. He was a hard working official that not only EARNED his place as an NFL official, but clearly DESERVED his place as an NFL official. I don't know how much personal experience you have as an official, but you seem to have been misinformed or simply have a very biased opinion on the matter.
    My brother is currently a Pac 12 official who, just as my grandfather and father did, works very very hard at his job as an official. He continues to learn and thrive in a world so quick to judge and point blame from people who have no idea what it is like to be a football official. The time one spends attending clinics, meetings, game reviews, live games, etc is something most would find impossible, if not unimaginable.
    This world is more critical than ever when it comes to officiating and there is a lot to learn from someone who has, hands down, worked their butt off to get to the position they are today.
    I apologize for the rambling, but catching a glimpse of your assumption above had me frustrated and I wanted to express my feelings on this topic which is very personal to me. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)