Jerome Boger

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Jerome Boger

Boger working the September 17, 2006 Oakland Raiders-Baltimore Ravens game.
Born Jerome Leonard Boger
1955 (age 58–59)
Nationality American
Occupation NFL official (2004–Present)

Jerome Leonard Boger (pronounced BOH-ger) (born 1955)[1][2] is an American football official in the National Football League (NFL) since the 2004 NFL season.[3] He wears uniform number 23 since 2006; before that, he wore uniform number 109. He started in the league as a line judge and was promoted to referee in 2006 after two seasons.[3] Along with Gene Steratore, he is one of two new referees for 2006, replacing retired officials Bernie Kukar and Tom White.[3] Boger became the third African-American referee in the NFL after Johnny Grier (1988), who previously wore uniform number 23, and Mike Carey (1995).

Personal

Boger played quarterback at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia as a four-year starter and graduated in 1977.[1][2] Realizing that he did not have the football skills to make it on a professional level, he decided to get into officiating, allowing him to stay close to the game.[1] He started working high school and recreational league games before moving up to small colleges. He spent 11 years in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and five seasons in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference from 1996 to 2000.

Boger has a son, Tra Boger, signed with the Green Bay Packers in the 2006 offseason, but was subsequently released. He currently plays defensive back in the Canadian Football League.[4]

Boger resides in Conyers, Georgia.[1] Outside of officiating, he worked as an underwriter for Allstate Insurance in Atlanta.[1]

Officiating career

Boger has also served as a referee in Conference USA, Arena Football League, and NFL Europe[3] (where he officiated in World Bowl XIV).

Boger was promoted to referee in 2006.[5]

Boger served as referee for a game between the Tennessee Titans and Dallas Cowboys during the 2006 NFL Season. In the 3rd quarter of the game, Titans defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth was ejected for stomping on the head of Cowboys offensive lineman Andre Gurode. Haynesworth received a 5-game suspension as a result of the incident, the longest suspension for an on-field incident in NFL history.

Boger also served as referee in 2006 in a Monday Night game where the Chicago Bears defeated the Arizona Cardinals in one of the greatest comebacks in league history.

During a 2011 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and St. Louis Rams, Boger was announcing a holding penalty against Rams offensive tackle Harvey Dahl when his open microphone picked up Dahl proclaiming "That's not fucking holding!". The obscenity was not only broadcast to the crowd at the Edward Jones Dome, but to the television audience watching on CBS as well. Dahl was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct for his profane rant.

Boger's 2013 NFL officiating crew consists of umpire Tony Michalek, head linesman Ed Camp, line judge Tom Stephan, field judge Dyrol Prioleau, side judge Allen Baynes and back judge Tony Steratore.[6]

Boger and another official working Super Bowl XLVII.

Boger was chosen to be the referee of Super Bowl XLVII, held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans on February 3, 2013, only the second African-American to do so behind Mike Carey five years earlier. His selection sparked some controversy: several other NFL officials questioned the leagues' officiating department's grading process, claiming that all of Boger's downgrades during the season were reversed.[7][8]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Smith, Michael (2003-09-21). "Program gets minority candidates in the game". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2006-09-04. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Alumni classes, 2007-2008". A Guide to Giving, 2007-08 & 2006-07. Morehouse College. p. 21. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Spofford, Mike (2006-08-08). "Training Camp Report: Boger's Father Gets Official Promotion". Green Bay Packers. Retrieved 2007-09-09. 
  4. ↑ "Jerome Boger". NFL and NCAA Referees. Retrieved 9 October 2012. 
  5. ↑ Neumann, Thomas. "Ed Hochuli, Mike Carey, Alberto Riveron top Page 2's Referee Rankings". ESPN - Page Two. Retrieved 9 October 2012. 
  6. ↑ http://www.football-refs.com/2013-crews 2013 NFL officiating crews
  7. ↑ Austro, Ben (2013-01-20). "NFL fixed grades for desired Super Bowl ref". Football Zebras.com. Retrieved 2013-06-01. 
  8. ↑ Adelson, Eric (2013-01-25). "Officials question NFL's process for selecting Super Bowl referee". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 2013-01-25. 
Current referees of the National Football League
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