Super Bowl LI will feature a referee making his first appearance in the big game. Fortunately, Carl Cheffers has prepared his whole lifetime for Sunday’s assignment.
Super Bowl referee 2017: Who are Carl Cheffers and the other officials
Cheffers was recently the target of Travis Kelce’s ire, and another Super Bowl official missed Richard Sherman’s pass interference against Julio Jones.
Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images
Cheffers is in his 17th season as an NFL official, though his affinity for the game was built into his bloodlines. Cheffers’ father worked as a referee for the Pac-10, and it was that same conference to give the budding side judge his first major gig on the gridiron. He’s been with the NFL since 2000, but earned his promotion to referee in 2008.
That extensive experience has made him the arbiter of several memorable games. He spent eight years overseas as a ref for NFL Europe before getting the call to the big leagues. He was on the field when Cris Carter made his 1,000th catch and when the Bills snapped an eight-year losing streak to the Patriots.
His crew was the one that called a phantom facemask penalty against the Lions to allow Aaron Rodgers to uncork the first in a litany of dramatic, game-changing Hail Marys. Most recently, he was the target of Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce’s vitriol after his crew called a holding penalty that wiped out the team’s game-tying two-point conversion back in the fourth quarter of the AFC Divisional Round.
But while Kelce thought Cheffers wasn’t fit to work at Foot Locker, the league disagreed (and for what it’s worth, Kelce later apologized). The NFL handed the veteran referee the biggest assignment of his life less than a month later. While he’s been an alternate before, this will be his first time with full run of the most watched game of the season.
He won’t be alone. Here’s a rundown on the rest of the crew who will be calling Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium Sunday.
- Umpire: Dan Ferrell. Ferrell has 16 years of pro football experience and 14 as an NCAA official. His entire pro career has been spent as an umpire, and he was an alternate for Super Bowl XLVIII. This will be his first action in the big game.
- Head linesman: Kent Payne. Payne has been with the league since 2003 and working in the postseason since 2004. He was a part of Cheffers’ crew throughout the 2016 regular season.
- Line judge: Jeff Seeman. Seeman has been a line judge since 2002 and worked Super Bowl XLIV. His father, Jerry Seeman, was formerly the league’s officiating supervisor.
- Field judge: Doug Rosenbaum. You may know him from the time he denied Cam Newton the ball after scoring a touchdown, thus preventing him from handing it off to a fan in the stands. He was just following league protocol — something he’s been doing since 2001.
- Side judge: Dyrol Prioleau. With only 10 years of experience, Prioleau is a relative baby on this squad. The Super Bowl will only be the fifth playoff game he has officiated.
- Back judge: Todd Prukop. But Prioleau is an aged veteran compared to Prukop, currently in year eight with the NFL. He’s best known in Atlanta for leaving his flag in his pocket despite an obvious pass interference penalty late in the Falcons’ early-season loss to the Seahawks.
- Replay official: Tom Sifferman. Sifferman has the most big game experience and may be the most recognizable member of Cheffers’ crew. He worked three straight Super Bowls from 2003 to 2005 and has been with the league since 1986. A hot mic caught referee Ed Hochuli calling him “jungle boy” once, which is a pretty great nickname for your replay official.
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