The NFL will hire 12 new officers. Several familiar names join the league – Football Zebras
The NFL has hired 12 new officers for the 2023 season.
The Big 12 and SEC employ 4 each, the Big 10 2, ACC and Pac-12 1 each. The officers hired are listed below along with the number of seasons they have participated in the NFL’s development program. Number of seasons worked in any iteration of AAF, USFL, and XFL. Their current conference and league this spring. A bowl game, conference championship game, or college invitational game you’ve worked on in the past year.
| LJMore | Brett Bergman | 1 | Four | Big Ten / USFL | orange Senior |
| DJ/LJ | Jay Bilbo | 1 | 1 | Big 12 / XFL | Gasparilla NFLPA |
| cormorant | Scott Campbell | 2 | 3 | Big 12 / USFL | pinstripe NFLPA |
| cormorant | James Carter | 6 | Four | SEC/USFL | Cheetto Senior |
| DJ/LJ | Walter Flowers | 1 | 2 | SEC/USFL | SEC Champ |
| BJs | Martin Hankins | Five | 2 | SEC/USFL | fiesta Senior |
| DJ/LJ | Dale Keller | 3 | Four | Pac-12 / XFL | peach NFLPA |
| FJ/SJ | Jason Redett | Four | 2 | Big 12 / USFL | citrus big 12 champ shrine |
| SJ/SJ | Sean Petty | 2 | 1 | SEC/XFL | fiesta shrine |
| DJ/LJ | Brian Sakowski | 3 | 1 | ACC/USFL | national champion |
| FJ/SJ | Frank Stella Torre | 7 | Four | Big Ten / USFL | gator NFLPA |
| BJs | Tyree Walton | 2 | Four | Big 12 / USFL | citrus mountain west champ shrine |
all about family
Did you notice any familiar names among the new recruits? Brett Bergman is the son of the recently retired Jeff Bergman, and Frank Stella Torre is the cousin of Gene and Tony Stella Torre. Bergman and Stella Torre have worked in the Big Ten for several seasons.
Since 1966, members of the Bergman family have been on the NFL’s board of directors. Patriarch Jerry and his sons Jeff and Jerry Jr. also leave the league this year. Bergman is pretty young, and if he finds success in his 20-year career, that means Bergman will be a referee in his NFL for over 75 years!
Age is no longer a number
It was common knowledge that once an official reached the age of 50, the NFL window would close. Not so in the last few years. The NFL began hiring officers in his 50s. I don’t know the ages of all the new officers, but judging by their long and successful careers in major college football, it’s possible that they wouldn’t have been hired if the ’50’ conventional wisdom was still in force. We can assume there is.
With staff paying more attention to conditioning, fitness and health, staff can be hired in their 50s and enjoy a successful career for 10-15 years.
