By Tony Softli

The NFL released its roster of game officials for the 2017 season Thursday (June 29th) which included eight first-year NFL officials in the field of 124.

Per NFL Communications “Line judge Brain Bolinger (Big Ten), line judge Mike Carr (Big Ten), side judge Ryan Dickson (Pac-12), down judge David Oliver (SEC), field judge Mearle 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.

All 17 referees from 2016 will return in 2017 and lead seven-person on-field officiating crews, led by the dean of NFL officials, Walt Coleman, who enters his 29th season”.

The NFL has assigned a instant replay official to work as part of the officiating crews, including the first female replay official in League History her name is Terri Valenti.  She is a current employee in instant replay for the NFL for the past five years holding the tile of communicator and replay assistant prior to her promotion.  Her background also includes officiating high school, collegiate and professional level of competition (Arena Football League, United Football League, International football leagues).

The NFL also announced that twelve officials will rotate to new positions in 2017.  This change is an effort to build strength within the crews as well as balance.  The goal is to ensure there are now weak links in the chain.

One change is in effect this year as well, the position known as “head linesman” will now be called “down judge” beginning in 2017.  The down judge will ensure the correct down and distance.

Three sets of fathers and sons make up the 2017 roster as well.  Walt Coleman/Walt IV; Ed Hochuli/Shawn; Steve Freeman/Brad;

Four sets of brothers are included in the roster build; Allen and Rusty Baynes; Jeff and Jerry Bergman; Carl, Dino and Perry Paganelli; Gene and Tony Steratore.

Two former NFL players now officials round out the roster in Steve Freeman and Phil McKinnely.

 

The 2017 NFL roster of officials grid below also includes crew assignments, schedule conflicts, etc

No. Name Pos. College Crew Assignment 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

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