NFL relegates 3 officials to work in college conferences

Football Zebras exclusive

The NFL has increased its accountability measures under vice president of officiating Ramon George. Football Zebras has learned that three officials recently hired by the NFL have been dismissed, but it is the novel way that this was carried out that is noteworthy.

The three officials were essentially relegated back to Power conferences in college football, a move that was specifically brokered by George, according to five officiating sources. Previously, officials that have been dismissed were on their own accord to return to collegiate football.

The three officials that the NFL has placed back into the Power 5 conferences are second-year umpire James Carter, third-year line judge Robin DeLorenzo, and first-year down judge Robert Richeson. Carter was an alternate official in the wild card round last season, but due to multiple injuries at the position, that may have been a necessity. DeLorenzo did not qualify for a postseason game in her two eligible seasons. Richeson was not playoff eligible as he was only in his first season.

All three officials do have the ability to work at the college level, re-enter the development program, and work their way back into the NFL. Some of the sources we spoke to were skeptical that it is possible for an official to return to the league, but most of those we spoke to acknowledged that there is no way to be certain, since this hadn’t been done before.

The three officials either declined to comment or did not respond to our request. Scott Green, the executive director of the NFL Referees Association, also declined to comment. Ramon George referred us to a league spokesman who declined to comment after we published this report.

We do not have the destination conferences confirmed for all three officials.

What is now evident is that, approaching the first anniversary in the vice president role, George is advancing accountability among the officiating ranks. A source told us that George has insisted on using “data as a performance guidance,” and his emphasis is on continual improvement.

“The culture is is changing, it’s changing rapidly,” said an official who spoke to us on the condition of anonymity. “It’s changing into a competitive environment where everybody’s equal. There are no favorites. There’s no favoritism. There’s none of that; it’s all about performance.”

Another source stated that the union was not involved in the relegation process. As it was described, by these officials accepting the offer to the college conference, it bypasses the union entirely and an grievance process. Recently, the league has dismissed early-career officials, and a clause in the latest collective bargaining agreement has apparently made it much more difficult to win a reinstatement appeal from the commissioner.