Merrill Douglas, NFL side judge in the 1980s, passes away

Merrill Douglas, a former NFL player and official, died on March 1, at the age of 88, just two weeks shy of his 89th birthday.

NFL player first, then an official

The Utah native was a star high school football player, who went on to play college football at the University of Utah, ending his collegiate career in the 1957 East-West Shrine Game. After he made his mark in college, as he went on to a five-year NFL playing career with the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.

Officiating takes Douglas back to the pros

After his playing season, Douglas took up football officiating and his career in the stripes got him back to the NFL in 1981. He was a side judge his entire career and wore number 102. He worked on crews lead by Jerry Markbreit, Fred Silva, Howard Roe and Dick Hantak. During his 11-year NFL career, he worked 147 regular season games and three postseason games: two divisional playoffs and a wild card playoff.

One of the more notable games he was a part of was in 1986 when he helped Jerry Markbreit sort out the flags after Charles Martin delivered a very late hit on Jim McMahon. Markbreit ejected Martin for the late hit, which in that era was not common for live-ball fouls.

In 1990, Douglas was sidelined for half a season with heart problems. But he returned for the last part of the season and worked the 1991 season before retirement.

A thankless job off the field

With all the pressure and second guessing and arguments on the field, you’d think Douglas would like to have a quiet job off the field. But no. Douglas worked in the Salt Lake County sheriff’s department.

Douglas is survived by his wife Anita, four children, five grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

Our sympathies to all who knew him and loved him.

Merrill George Douglas

1936-2025

He was born on March 15, 1936, in Salt Lake City, Utah to Walter Griffith Douglas and Gladys Irene Rupp Douglas.

He married Anita Perry on December 22, 1958. 

Merrill Douglas made his mark in football as both a player and as an official. He played football at Granite and Olympus High Schools, earning all-state fullback honors in his junior and senior seasons. That earned him a chance to play college football at the University of Utah, where he was All-Conference his junior and senior years and the conference scoring leader in 1957. Those efforts earned him the right to play in the East-West Shrine Game in 1957. From there, he played professional football for five years with the Chicago Bears, the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles. After his playing career, Douglas was a long-time NFL referee. Merrill was inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame in 1988. Merrill also served as a Salt Lake County sheriff after his NFL football career until his retirement.

He is survived by his wife, Anita Perry Douglas; his brother, Wally (Suzie) Douglas; his children, Scott Douglas, Maria (Troy) Cude, Rick Douglas, and Derik Douglas; his grandchildren, Whitney (Craig) Harris, Natalie (Aaron) Drewery, Joshua (Brooke) Cude, Aubrey (Colby) Siddoway, and Ashley (Kash) Johnson; and 15 great grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his siblings, Donna Spanton, Lola Harper, Sonny Douglas; and granddaughter, Primrose Drewery.

A Celebration of Life will be held on March 29, 2025, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at 10885 Pampus Drive (831 E), Sandy, Utah.

Interment will be at Memorial Mountain View Cemetery.