2021 Wild Card Playoffs
Boger, Allen, Wrolstad, Kemp, Smith, and Martin are Wild Card referees
The six referees for Wild Card Weekend have been announced.
Football Zebras has confirmed the officiating crews for the Wild Card Playoffs. This is the second year of the expanded playoff system that now features six Wild Card Playoff games.
In 2020, the NFL moved to five alternates for the early postseason rounds, which will continue this season. The alternate officials are a referee, an umpire, a line of scrimmage official (down judge or line judge), a deep wing official (field judge or side judge), and a back judge. Officials who have alternate assignments are still eligible for an on-field assignment in the Divisional Playoffs.
All times are Eastern. The prior playoff experience that is listed for the crew chief includes his service as an NFL official, including as referee and any other crew position (excluding alternate assignments).
Scheduled assignments are subject to change.
Saturday, Jan. 15
AFC Wild Card: Raiders at Bengals, 4:30 p.m. NBC Peacock
Jerome Boger is the referee, who is in his 18th season and 16th as referee. This is Boger’s 7th postseason assignment, including 2 Wild Card Playoffs, 4 Divisional Playoffs and Super Bowl XLVII.
| Yrs | 2021 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 23 | Jerome Boger | 18 | Morehouse College | retired commercial insurance underwriter | |
| U | 20 | Barry Anderson | 15 | Boger | North Carolina State | builder/developer |
| DJ | 44 | Frank LeBlanc | 2 | Boger | Lamar Institute of Technology | neighborhood services manager |
| LJ | 84 | Mark Steinkerchner | 28 | Torbert | Akron | vice president |
| FJ | 57 | Joe Blubaugh | 2 | Vinovich | Pittsburg State | regional sales manager |
| SJ | 118 | David Meslow | 11 | Novak | Augsburg College | sales executive |
| BJ | 96 | Matt Edwards | 4 | Cheffers | Western Michigan | healthcare sales |
| RO | Tyler Cerimeli | 4 | Hochuli | Arizona State | high school officials coordinator | |
| RA | Mark Bitar | 2 | Hochuli | Seton Hall | teacher | |
| ALT | R | John Hussey | 20 | Idaho State | sales representative | |
| ALT | U | Alan Eck | 6 | Hussey | Bloomsburg State | tax manager |
| ALT | DJ | Tom Stephan | 23 | Clark | Pittsburg State | retired business broker |
| ALT | SJ | Jeff Lamberth | 20 | Wrolstad | Texas A&M | attorney |
| ALT | BJ | Greg Yette | 12 | Allen | Howard | defense contractor |
AFC Wild Card: Patriots at Bills, 8:15 p.m. CBS Para+
In this AFC East postseason battle, Brad Allen is the referee. He is in his 8th season after being hired directly to the referee position from the ACC in 2014. This is Allen’s 4th postseason assignment, including 3 Wild Card Playoffs and a Divisional Playoff.
| Yrs | 2021 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 122 | Brad Allen | 8 | Pembroke State | non-profit CEO | |
| U | 131 | Mark Pellis | 8 | Torbert | Allegheny | financial advisor |
| DJ | 8 | Dana McKenzie | 14 | Blakeman | Toledo | claims adjuster |
| LJ | 10 | Julian Mapp | 13 | Blakeman | Grambling State | software quality assurance tester |
| FJ | 50 | Aaron Santi | 7 | Rogers | Southern Oregon | middle school principal |
| SJ | 114 | Dominique Pender | 2 | Rogers | Howard | trade support, finance and banking |
| BJ | 46 | Perry Paganelli | 24 | Blakeman | Hope College | retired high school administrator |
| RO | Andrew Lambert | 4 | Cheffers | Central Virginia Community College | business development | |
| RA | Kirt Shay | 3 | Cheffers | Xavier | teacher | |
| ALT | R | Scott Novak | 8 | Phoenix | sales manager | |
| ALT | U | Bruce Stritesky | 16 | Allen | Embry Riddle | airline pilot |
| ALT | DJ | Kevin Codey | 7 | Torbert | Western New England | middle school physical education teacher |
| ALT | FJ | Tom Hill | 23 | Hochuli | Carson Newman | retired teacher/coach |
| ALT | BJ | Jimmy Russell | 3 | Vinovich | Pasco Hernando State | insurance agent |
Sunday, Jan. 16
NFC Wild Card: Eagles at Buccaneers, 1:00 p.m. FOX
Craig Wrolstad, a 19-year official and 8-year referee, will be in Tampa on Sunday. This is his 12th postseason assignment, including 5 Wild Card Playoffs, 4 Divisional Playoffs, 2 Conference Championships, and Super Bowl XLVII. His Super Bowl assignment was as a field judge.
| Yrs | 2021 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 4 | Craig Wrolstad | 19 | Washington | athletic director | |
| U | 81 | Roy Ellison | 19 | Hill | Savannah State | IT engineer |
| DJ | 13 | Patrick Turner | 8 | Corrente | Cal State-Long Beach | plant manager |
| LJ | 85 | Daniel Gallagher | 2 | Allen | Kent State | athletic programs manager |
| FJ | 80 | Greg Gautreaux | 19 | (swing) | SW Louisiana | accounting |
| SJ | 125 | Chad Hill | 4 | Hochuli | Mississippi | medical sales |
| BJ | 88 | Brad Freeman | 8 | Hussey | Mississippi State | sports park director |
| RO | Kevin Stine | 4 | Wrolstad | Alabama-Birmingham | regional sales manager | |
| RA | Gavin Anderson | 3 | Wrolstad | Green River | police officer | |
| ALT | R | Carl Cheffers | 22 | California-Irvine | sales manager | |
| ALT | U | Tra Blake | 2 | Cheffers | Central Florida | software quality assurance manager |
| ALT | DJ | Kent Payne | 18 | Rogers | Nebraska Wesleyan | agribusinessman |
| ALT | FJ | James Coleman | 17 | Martin | Arkansas | electrical engineer |
| ALT | BJ | Terrence Miles | 14 | Novak | Arizona State | quality control manager |
NFC Wild Card: 49ers at Cowboys, 4:30 p.m. CBS NICK Para+ Prime
Alex Kemp is the referee, who is in his 8th season and 4th as referee. This is Kemp’s 4th postseason assignment; all 4 have been Wild Card Playoff games.
| Yrs | 2021 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 55 | Alex Kemp | 8 | Central Michigan | insurance agent | |
| U | 128 | Ramon George | 6 | Novak | Lenoir-Rhyne | financial underwriter |
| DJ | 48 | Jim Mello | 18 | Wrolstad | Northeastern | facilities manager |
| LJ | 75 | Mark Stewart | 4 | Hill | Pittsburg State | rancher |
| FJ | 42 | Nate Jones | 3 | Cheffers | Rutgers | firefighter/EMT |
| SJ | 107 | Dave Hawkshaw | 3 | Smith | Justice Institute of British Columbia | firefighter |
| BJ | 27 | Grantis Bell | 2 | Wrolstad | West Virginia | school counselor |
| RO | Mike Chase | 5 | Kemp | Arizona State | senior portfolio manager | |
| RA | Durwood Manley | 3 | Kemp | Lubbock Christian | sales territory manager | |
| ALT | R | Land Clark | 4 | Sevier Valley Tech | chief building official | |
| ALT | U | Terry Killens | 3 | Hochuli | Penn State | campus security specialist |
| ALT | LJ | Mike Dolce | 2 | Smith | Grand Valley State | wealth management advisor |
| ALT | FJ | Michael Banks | 20 | Clark | Illinois State | carpenter foreman |
| ALT | BJ | Greg Wilson | 14 | Martin | USC | retired police officer |
AFC Wild Card: Steelers at Chiefs, 8:15 p.m. NBC Peacock
Shawn Smith will be the referee in Kansas City. He is in his 7th season and 4th as referee. This is Smith’s 6th postseason assignment, including 4 Wild Card Playoffs, a Divisional Playoff, and a Conference Championship.
| Yrs | 2021 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 14 | Shawn Smith | 7 | Ferris State | finance | |
| U | 110 | Tab Slaughter | 2 | Blakeman | Arkansas State | chief operating officer |
| DJ | 106 | Patrick Holt | 3 | Vinovich | North Carolina State | IT manager |
| LJ | 47 | Tim Podraza | 14 | Corrente | Nebraska | business performance consultant |
| FJ | 117 | John Jenkins | 8 | Kemp | St. Mary’s | sales executive |
| SJ | 86 | Jimmy Buchanan | 13 | Vinovich | South Carolina State | food service director |
| BJ | 39 | Rich Martinez | 8 | Hochuli | Canisius | sales manager |
| RO | Kevin Brown | 3 | Rogers | Purdue | retired air traffic controller | |
| RA | Bob Hubbell | 2 | Rogers | Texas A&M | steel sales | |
| ALT | R | Brad Rogers | 5 | Lubbock Christian | college professor | |
| ALT | U | Tony Michalek | 20 | Vinovich | Indiana | chief executive officer |
| ALT | LJ | Jeff Seeman | 20 | Cheffers | Minnesota | brokerage sales |
| ALT | SJ | Allen Baynes | 14 | Hussey | Auburn | realtor |
| ALT | BJ | Steve Patrick | 8 | Boger | Jacksonville State | owner, supply company |
Monday, Jan. 17
NFC Wild Card: Cardinals at Rams, 8:15 p.m. ABC ESPN ESPN2 ESPN+
The referee for this NFC West playoff clash is Clay Martin, who is in his 7th season as an NFL official and 4th as referee. This is Martin’s 3rd postseason assignment, including 2 Wild Card Playoffs and a Divisional Playoff.
| Yrs | 2021 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 19 | Clay Martin | 7 | Oklahoma Baptist | high school administrator | |
| U | 124 | Carl Paganelli | 22 | Rogers | Michigan State | retired federal probation officer |
| DJ | 113 | Danny Short | 5 | Allen | North Carolina-Charlotte | executive director, global sales operations |
| LJ | 40 | Brian Bolinger | 5 | Clark | Indiana State | corporate safety director |
| FJ | 26 | Jabir Walker | 7 | Hussey | Murray State | middle school teacher |
| SJ | 104 | Dale Shaw | 9 | Kemp | Allegheny | pharmaceutical sales |
| BJ | 67 | Tony Josselyn | 4 | Torbert | Eastern Kentucky | probation officer |
| RO | Brian Matoren | 17 | Martin | Florida | writer/producer | |
| RA | Randy Campbell | 2 | Martin | Kansas State | oil and gas | |
| ALT | R | Adrian Hill | 12 | Buffalo | aerospace software engineer | |
| ALT | U | Steve Woods | 5 | Wrolstad | Wabash | financial advisor |
| ALT | LJ | Tom Eaton | 2 | Rogers | Central Florida | fiscal manager |
| ALT | FJ | Dyrol Prioleau | 15 | Smith | Johnson C Smith | manager, law firm |
| ALT | BJ | Greg Meyer | 20 | Clark | Texas Christian | banker |
