When the 2018 NFL season starts up, Ed Hochuli won’t be a part of it for the first time since he became an official in 1990. The league announced Tuesday that Hochuli is retiring.
6 photos from Ed Hochuli’s NFL career that show why we’ll miss him officiating games
The NFL referee with the biggest biceps is retiring, and we wish him the best.
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
Hochuli, 67, was the NFL’s most well-known official for two reasons: his buff biceps and his long-winded explanations for every single penalty. Now the NFL world will have to find a way forward without both.
In honor of his retirement, let’s look back on some of the finest photos from Hochuli’s career and all of the reasons we’ll miss him.
1. We’ll miss his sense of humor.
Hochuli even had jokes about the Pro Bowl, just like the rest of us.
2. He didn’t take any shit from Jeff Fisher.
We can only assume he’s telling Fisher that his 8-5 is better than a 7-9.
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
3. He got Ben Roethlisberger to do the chicken dance.
This is no small feat.
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
4. He’s too tough to put up with any shenanigans.
Whatever Jim Schwartz was trying to say to Hochuli probably seemed less important once Hochuli flexed on him.
Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images
5. There’s more to Hochuli than long explanations and bulging arm muscles.
He looks like he could be one hell of a dancer, too. Maybe he can combine those wordy explanations and interpretive dance as a new hobby in retirement.
6. He’s a caring guy.
Just look at him checking on Tim Couch’s well-being here. Hopefully he was just as concerned for all of the 27 Browns quarterbacks who came after Couch.
We won’t get to see Ed Hochuli on Sundays anymore. But the NFL won’t be Hochuli-less, because Ed will be replaced by his son, Shawn. We’ll have to wait and see if the muscles and the extremely detailed explanations of penalties run in the family.
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