Armen Terzian
Armen Terzian (1915–1989) was an American-Armenian American football official in the National Football League (NFL) from 1961 to 1981. He was a field judge and wore uniform number 23, which was later worn by two African-American referees: Johnny Grier, and currently, Jerome Boger.
Terzian officiated an NFC Divisional Playoff game in December 1975 at Metropolitan Stadium between the Minnesota Vikings and the visiting Dallas Cowboys.[1] Following a late Hail Mary touchdown pass by the Cowboys to take the lead, an angry fan threw a whiskey bottle that hit Terzian in the forehead, rendering him momentarily unconscious.[2] He did not require stitches, but had to wear a large white bandage around his forehead for the final few seconds remaining in the game.[3][4]
The following season, he officiated Super Bowl XI, also a Vikings' loss.
References
- ↑ Jenkins, Dan (January 5, 1976). "In on a wing and a prayer". Sports Illustrated. p. 8.
- ↑ "Bottle gashes officials forehead". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. December 29, 1975. p. 18.
- ↑ "NFL official struck on head by bottle". Chicago Tribune. UPI. December 29, 1975. p. 2, sec. 4.
- ↑ "Cowboys get their miracle". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. December 29, 1975. p. 1C.
External links
- http://www.vikingupdate.com/history/historyprofiles/hailmarydall.html
- http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE7D9123FF934A35753C1A96E948260