2022 Conference Championships
Hussey and Torbert are Conference Championship referees
The referees for this season’s Conference Championship games have been selected.
Football Zebras exclusive
Football Zebras has confirmed the assignment of referees John Hussey and Ron Torbert to the Conference Championship games on Sunday. John Hussey will be in Philadelphia for the NFC showdown between the 49ers and Eagles; Ron Torbert will be in Kansas City for the rematch of last season’s AFC Championship between the Bengals and Chiefs.
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).
Sunday, Jan. 29
NFC Championship Game: 49ers at Eagles, 3:00 p.m. Fox
John Hussey is the referee for the NFC Championship Game.
Hussey is in his 21st season and 8th as referee. This is Hussey’s 16th postseason assignment, including 6 Wild Card Playoffs, 5 Divisional Playoffs, 4 Conference Championships, and Super Bowl XLV. His Super Bowl assignment was as a line judge.
Hussey joined the NFL in 2002 after officiating in the collegiate ranks for both the Western Athletic Conference and the Pac-10 Conference, now the Pac-12. He was promoted to referee in the 2015 season following the retirement of Bill Leavy and after working 13 years as a line judge .
Before his hiring to the NFL staff, he worked in the Arena Football League, and after his NFL hire, he took some reps as a referee in 2007 for NFL Europe, 8 years before his NFL promotion.
Hussey, 58, is from Huntington Beach, Calif., and is the founder and CEO of Cuddly, a fundraising company that supports animal-welfare nonprofit organizations.
| Yrs | 2022 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 35 | John Hussey | 21 | Idaho State | sales representative | |
| U | 76 | Alan Eck | 7 | Hussey | Bloomsburg State | tax manager |
| DJ | 8 | Dana McKenzie | 15 | Blakeman | Toledo | claims adjuster |
| LJ | 47 | Tim Podraza | 15 | Torbert | Nebraska | business performance consultant |
| FJ | 26 | Jabir Walker | 8 | Hussey | Murray State | middle school teacher |
| SJ | 56 | Allen Baynes | 15 | Hussey | Auburn | realtor |
| BJ | 111 | Terrence Miles | 15 | Novak | Arizona State | quality control manager |
| RO | Jamie Nicholson | 5 | Hussey | Ferris State | teacher | |
| RA | Larry Hill Jr. | 2 | Hussey | Hampton | judge | |
| ALT | R | Clay Martin | 8 | Oklahoma Baptist | high school administrator | |
| ALT | U | Terry Killens | 4 | Hochuli | Penn State | campus security specialist |
| ALT | DJ | Danny Short | 6 | Kemp | North Carolina-Charlotte | executive director, global sales operations |
| ALT | LJ | Rusty Baynes | 13 | Boger | Auburn-Montgomery | general manager, safety services |
| ALT | FJ | Joe Blubaugh | 3 | Vinovich | Pittsburg State | regional sales manager |
| ALT | SJ | Chad Hill | 5 | Hochuli | Mississippi | medical sales |
| ALT | BJ | Grantis Bell | 3 | Wrolstad | West Virginia | school counselor |
| ALT | RO | Kevin Brown | 4 | Cheffers | Purdue | retired air traffic controller |
Alternates will be posted pending confirmation.
AFC Championship Game: Bengals at Chiefs, 6:30 p.m. CBS Para+
Ron Torbert will lead the crew for the AFC Championship Game. Although he is fresh off of his first Super Bowl assignment from last season, this is Torbert’s first Conference Championship.
Torbert is in his 13th season and 9th as referee. This is his 11th postseason assignment, including 3 Wild Card Playoffs, 6 Divisional Playoffs, 1 Conference Championship and Super Bowl LVI.
After working up the small college ladder, Torbert worked one year in the Mid-American Conference, followed by four years in the Big Ten Conference. Torbert worked in NFL Europe for the 2007 season, and was hired by the NFL in 2010 as a side judge. He was promoted to referee in 2014 following the retirements of Scott Green and Ron Winter.
Torbert, 59, is an attorney from Hanover, Md.
| Yrs | 2022 crew | College | Occupation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 62 | Ron Torbert | 13 | Michigan State | attorney | |
| U | 128 | Ramon George | 7 | Novak | Lenoir-Rhyne | financial underwriter |
| DJ | 79 | Kent Payne | 19 | Rogers | Nebraska Wesleyan | agribusinessman |
| LJ | 45 | Jeff Seeman | 21 | Cheffers | Minnesota | brokerage sales |
| FJ | 97 | Tom Hill | 24 | Blake | Carson Newman | retired teacher/coach |
| SJ | 41 | Boris Cheek | 27 | Allen | Morgan State | retired director of operations and management |
| BJ | 30 | Todd Prukop | 14 | Blake | Cal State-Fullerton | medical sales representative |
| RO | Roddy Ames | 5 | Hill | Colby College | attorney | |
| RA | Joe Wollan | 3 | Hill | St. Thomas | recruiting | |
| ALT | R | Bill Vinovich | 17 | San Diego | certified public accountant | |
| ALT | U | Mark Pellis | 9 | Torbert | Allegheny | financial advisor |
| ALT | DJ | Mark Hittner | 26 | Smith | Pittsburg State | investment broker |
| ALT | LJ | Walt Coleman IV | 8 | Novak | Southern Methodist | portfolio manager |
| ALT | FJ | Rick Patterson | 27 | Allen | Wofford | banker |
| ALT | SJ | Keith Washington | 15 | Torbert | Virginia Military Institute | program financial analyst |
| ALT | BJ | Greg Wilson | 15 | Martin | USC | retired police officer |
| ALT | RO | Mike Chase | 6 | Kemp | Arizona State | senior portfolio manager |
