2022 Divisional Playoffs
Hochuli, Blakeman, Cheffers, and Vinovich are Divisional Playoff referees
Football Zebras has learned the officials assigned to the Divisional Playoffs.
Football Zebras learned the referees assigned for the Divisional Playoffs and we are working to confirm the full crews.
Five alternates are assigned to each game: 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.
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). Also of note, the eventual Super Bowl officials are on the field for this weekend’s games, but not all are from the same crew.
All times are Eastern. Scheduled assignments are subject to change.
Saturday, Jan. 21
AFC Divisional: Jaguars at Chiefs, 4:30 p.m. NBC Peacock
Shawn Hochuli is the referee, who is in his 9th season and 5th as referee. This is Hochuli’s 7th postseason assignment, including a Wild Card Playoff and 6 Divisional Playoffs.
| Yrs | 2022 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 83 | Shawn Hochuli | 9 | Claremont | financial advisor | |
| U | 121 | Paul King | 14 | Clark | Nichols College | teacher |
| DJ | 113 | Danny Short | 6 | Kemp | North Carolina-Charlotte | executive director, global sales operations |
| LJ | 98 | Greg Bradley | 14 | Hochuli | Tennessee | chemical engineer |
| FJ | 43 | Terry Brown | 17 | Blakeman | Tennessee | court director |
| SJ | 125 | Chad Hill | 5 | Hochuli | Mississippi | medical sales |
| BJ | 78 | Greg Meyer | 21 | Clark | Texas Christian | banker |
| RO | Tyler Cerimeli | 5 | Hochuli | Arizona State | high school officials coordinator | |
| RA | Mark Bitar | 3 | Hochuli | Seton Hall | teacher | |
| ALT | R | Brad Allen | 9 | Pembroke State | non-profit CEO | |
| ALT | U | Tab Slaughter | 3 | Blakeman | Arkansas State | chief operating officer |
| ALT | DJ | Patrick Holt | 4 | Hochuli | North Carolina State | IT manager |
| ALT | FJ | Anthony Flemming | 3 | Hochuli | Texas A&M-Commerce | senior auditor |
| ALT | BJ | Tony Josselyn | 5 | Torbert | Eastern Kentucky | probation officer |
NFC Divisional: Giants at Eagles, 8:15 p.m. Fox
Clete Blakeman is the referee, who is in his 15th season and 13th as referee. This is Blakeman’s 13th postseason assignment, including 4 Wild Card Playoffs, 5 Divisional Playoffs, 3 Conference Championships, and Super Bowl 50.
| Yrs | 2022 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 34 | Clete Blakeman | 15 | Nebraska | attorney | |
| U | 124 | Carl Paganelli | 23 | Rogers | Michigan State | retired federal probation officer |
| DJ | 6 | Jerod Phillips | 7 | Martin | Northeastern State | elementary school teacher |
| LJ | 65 | Walt Coleman IV | 8 | Novak | Southern Methodist | portfolio manager |
| FJ | 33 | Nate Jones | 4 | Cheffers | Rutgers | firefighter/EMT |
| SJ | 103 | Eugene Hall | 9 | Cheffers | North Texas | federal agent |
| BJ | 46 | Perry Paganelli | 25 | Blakeman | Hope College | retired high school administrator |
| RO | Chad Adams | 5 | Blakeman | Cincinnati | operations | |
| RA | Ken Hall | 2 | Blakeman | |||
| ALT | R | Craig Wrolstad | 20 | Washington | athletic director | |
| ALT | U | Steve Woods | 6 | Wrolstad | Wabash | financial advisor |
| ALT | LJ | Jeff Seeman | 21 | Cheffers | Minnesota | brokerage sales |
| ALT | SJ | Allen Baynes | 15 | Hussey | Auburn | realtor |
| ALT | BJ | Scott Helverson | 20 | Kemp | Iowa | sales, printing and promotions |
Sunday, Jan. 22
AFC Divisional: Bengals at Bills, 3:00 p.m. CBS PARA+
Carl Cheffers is the referee, who is in his 23rd season and 15th as referee. This is Cheffers’s 17th postseason assignment, including 5 Wild Card Playoffs, 7 Divisional Playoffs, 3 Conference Championships, and Super Bowls LI and LV. Both of his Super Bowl assignments were as a referee.
| Yrs | 2022 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 51 | Carl Cheffers | 23 | California-Irvine | sales manager | |
| U | 81 | Roy Ellison | 20 | Hill | Savannah State | IT engineer |
| DJ | 24 | David Oliver | 6 | Hill | Baker | information systems manager |
| LJ | 32 | Jeff Bergman | 30 | Kemp | Robert Morris | president and chief executive officer, medical services |
| FJ | 117 | John Jenkins | 9 | Kemp | St. Mary’s | sales executive |
| SJ | 36 | Anthony Jeffries | 5 | Rogers | Alabama-Birmingham | medical sales |
| BJ | 105 | Dino Paganelli | 17 | Smith | Aquinas College | educator |
| RO | Kevin Brown | 4 | Cheffers | Purdue | retired air traffic controller | |
| RA | Larry Hanson | 3 | Allen | California-San Diego | health and safety | |
| ALT | R | Alex Kemp | 9 | Central Michigan | insurance agent | |
| ALT | U | Tony Michalek | 21 | Blake | Indiana | chief executive officer |
| ALT | LJ | Tom Eaton | 3 | Rogers | Central Florida | fiscal manager |
| ALT | FJ | Tom Hill | 24 | Blake | Carson Newman | retired teacher/coach |
| ALT | BJ | Terrence Miles | 15 | Novak | Arizona State | quality control manager |
NFC Divisional: Cowboys at 49ers, 6:40 p.m. Fox
Bill Vinovich is the referee, who is in his 17th season and 14th as referee. This is his 17th postseason assignment, including 3 Wild Card Playoffs, 6 Divisional Playoffs, 6 Conference Championships, and Super Bowls XLIX and LIV. Both of his Super Bowl assignments were as a referee.
| Yrs | 2022 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 52 | Bill Vinovich | 17 | San Diego | certified public accountant | |
| U | 92 | Bryan Neale | 9 | Smith | Indiana | sales consultant |
| DJ | 28 | Mark Hittner | 26 | Smith | Pittsburg State | investment broker |
| LJ | 59 | Rusty Baynes | 13 | Boger | Auburn-Montgomery | general manager, safety services |
| FJ | 15 | Rick Patterson | 27 | Allen | Wofford | banker |
| SJ | 58 | Don Willard | 5 | Blake | Illinois State | physical therapist |
| BJ | 88 | Brad Freeman | 9 | Hussey | Mississippi State | sports park director |
| RO | Mark Butterworth | 6 | Vinovich | Walsh | non-profit COO | |
| RA | RA | Gerald Frye | 3 | Torbert | Gannon | veterinarian |
| ALT | R | Shawn Smith | 8 | Ferris State | finance | |
| ALT | U | Fred Bryan | 14 | Martin | Northern Iowa | superintendent, juvenile correctional facility |
| ALT | LJ | Mark Perlman | 22 | Vinovich | Salem | teacher |
| ALT | FJ | Jabir Walker | 8 | Hussey | Murray State | middle school teacher |
| ALT | BJ | Greg Yette | 13 | Allen | Howard | defense contractor |
