Ed Hochuli has cultivated the largest cult following of perhaps any NFL official in the history of the game. His drawn-out, almost fatherly explanations of overturned calls are legendary the league over, only eclipsed by his biceps. He's a tough act for anyone to follow, especially if you're the man's own progeny. Shawn Hochuli will try his best, however, starting next season. Hochuli's son was named one of 12 first-year NFL officials for the 2014 season.
Ed Hochuli’s son, Shawn, among 12 first-year NFL officials for 2014 season
Ed Hochuli’s son will be joining him as an NFL ref. The younger Hochuli doesn’t have the biceps, but it appears he has the vocabulary.
Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Shawn Hochuli worked in the the Pac-12 Conference last season, along with field judge John Jenkins, head linesman Patrick Turner and line judge Ed Walker. The fact that the largest portion of the new officials hail from Pac-12 is curious given the conference’s less-than-stellar reputation. In 2011, the Pac-12’s officiating roster was overhauled, and this past season a Pac-12 crew was responsible for highly publicized gaffes in non-conference bouts between Wisconsin and Arizona State, and Utah and BYU.
To be fair, the same crew worked both games, and none of those officials will be making the jump to the NFL this year.
There is no word yet whether Hochuli will be allowed to work games alongside his father as a side judge. Peter King raised the possibility to NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino two months ago, but Blandino was demur.
“That remains to be seen,” Blandino said. “I’m leaning in one direction, but we’ll see.”
The full list is as follows, with notes below:
Uniform No. | Name | Position | 2013 FBS Conference |
122 | Brad Allen | U | ACC |
88 | Brad Freeman | FJ | SEC |
103 | Eugene Hall | FJ | BIG 12 |
83 | Shawn Hochuli | SJ | Pac-12 |
117 | John Jenkins | FJ | Pac-12 |
55 | Alex Kemp | SJ | B1G |
39 | Rich Martinez | BJ | SEC |
92 | Bryan Neale | U | B1G |
1 | Scott Novak | SJ | BIG 12 |
17 | Steve Patrick | BJ | SEC |
13 | Patrick Turner | HL | Pac-12 |
123 | Ed Walker | LJ | Pac-12 |
- The NFL may soon see its first non-replacement female official. Two women, Maia Chaka and Sarah Thomas of Conference USA, will be among 21 participants in the NFL’s Officiating Development Program for 2015. All of this year’s new hires were graduates of the program.
- There will be two new head referees this season in Ronald Torbert and Craig Wrolstad, who will be promoted to replace the retiring Scott Green and Ronald Winter.
- The NFL issues uniform Nos. 1 and 13 for the first time since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.
- Shawn and Ed Hochuli aren’t the only father-son combination forming this year. Brad Freeman will join his father and former NFL player Steve this season. The two worked an NFL preseason game in 2013.
- Shawn Hochuli explaining overtime rules in the Stanford-Notre Dame game suggests his lineage:
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