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42 officials taking part in this season’s Officiating Development Program
This preseason, 42 officials will take part in the seventh year of the NFL’s Officiating Development Program.
This year’s development roster was released by the National Football League last week. The Officiating Development Program began in 2013 as a way to give certain college officials advanced training by working in NFL training camps and preseason games. Initially, the program had 21 officials, but has since expanded to 39, and also includes officials from the Canadian Football League. The NFL also sends some officials to the CFL to work some additional games.
This season, there are 39 college officials and 3 CFL officials in the program.
The college officials in the development pool are eligible to be hired by the NFL. Since the development program began, every new NFL official was in the development program for at least one season and, with one exception, also in the season prior to being hired. There are 2 women in the program this season, down from 3 last season, and the all-time high of 4 in 2017.
The positions listed below are those where an official worked an NFL preseason game or a college all-star game; all others are listed as training on the line of scrimmage (L), downfield (D), umpire (U), or referee (R). Uniform numbers are shown for officials who have worked a prior season in the development program.
| Â | Â | Â | ODP seasons | Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (L) | Â | Baron Ballester | 1 | American Athletic |
| (L) | Â | Cravonne Barrett | 2 | Pac-12 |
| (U/R) | Â | Tra Blake | 1 | ACC |
| SJ | Â | Joe Blubaugh | 2 | Big 12 |
| (D) | Â | Tra Boger | 1 | ACC |
| FJ | Â | Wes Booker | 2 | SEC |
| (D) | Â | Milton Britton | 1 | ACC |
| (L) | 147 | Max Causey | 2 | Conference USA |
| (U/R)Â | Â | Brandon Cruse | 2 | Big 12 |
| (D) | Â | Raymond Daniel | 2 | Big Ten |
| (L) | 138 | Robin DeLorenzo | 3 | MAC |
| (L) | Â | Michael Dolce | 2 | Big Ten |
| LJ | 140 | Tom Eaton | 2 | SEC |
| (U) | 141 | Ed Feaster | 3 | Big Ten |
| (D) | Â | Anthony Flemming | 2 | Big 12 |
| (D) | Â | Glen Fucik | 2 | SEC |
| (L) | Â | Daniel Gallagher | 1 | Big Ten |
| (D)Â | Â | Martin Hankins | 2 | SEC |
| (U/R) | Â | Jeff Heaser | 2 | ACC |
| (U/R) | Â | Duane Heydt | 1 | ACC |
| (L) | Â | John Hoffmann | 1 | ACC |
| (D)Â | Â | Jacques Hooper | 2 | ACC |
| (D) | Â | Joe Johnston | 1 | Pac-12 |
| (L)Â | Â | Frank LeBlanc | 2 | Big 12 |
| (D) | 161 | Jason Ledet | 1 | Big 12 |
| (L) | Â | Chad Lorance | 2 | SEC |
| (D) | 153 | LaShell Nelson | 4 | Conference USA |
| (D) | Â | Dominique Pender | 1 | Big Ten |
| (L) | Â | Brian Perry | 1 | American Athletic |
| (D)Â | Â | Maurice Pierre | 2 | Conference USA |
| (D) | Â | Alonzo Ramsey III | 1 | ACC |
| SJ | 151 | Clay Reynard | 4†| Pac-12 |
| (D) | Â | Tuta Salaam | 1 | Big 12 |
| (U/R) | 160 | Adam Savoie | 3 | American Athletic |
| SJ | 164 | Frank Steratore | 4 | Big Ten |
| (D) | Â | Steve Thielen | 1 | Big Ten |
| (U)Â | Â | William Thomas | 4** | American Athletic |
| (D) | Â | Lo Van Pham | 2 | Big 12 |
| (U/R) | Â | Marcus Woods | 1 | ACC |
| (D) | Â | Blair Brown | 1Â 🇨🇦 | CFL |
| (D) | Â | Jason Maggio | 2 🇨🇦 | CFL |
| (U/R) | 180 | Tim Kroeker | 1Â 🇨🇦 | CFL |
**-indicate 2 seasons in officiating development program for former NFL players. †Nonconsecutive seasons (Reynard was in the development program 2012-13, 2018).
Tra Boger is the son of Jerome, and Frank Steratore is a cousin of Tony and the retired Gene.
The number of program participants by college conference:
- 8 — ACC
- 7 — Big 12
- 7 — Big Ten
- 6 — SEC
- 4 — American Athletic
- 3 — Conference USA
- 3 — Pac-12
- 1 — Mid-American
