NFL Players To Participate In Officiating Academy

NFL PLAYERS TO PARTICIPATE IN OFFICIATING ACADEMY

BEGINNING TODAY IN BALTIMORE

Fifteen current and former NFL players will take part in the 2015 Legends Officiating Development Program and the Tom Beard Football Officials Clinic in Baltimore, it was announced today. The event begins today and continues through Sunday.

NFL Player Engagement and the NFL Football Officiating Academy selected the players for the three-day program. "The transition of our former players into officiating is a natural fit.," said MATT BIRK, NFL Director of Football Development, "Not only do our players have high football intelligence, but they understand the game from multiple perspectives We need to encourage more former players to explore officiating as a way to stay involved in football and, quite possibly, as a career."

Former players and current NFL Player Engagement representatives JAMES THRASH, KEITH ELIAS,andDWIGHT HOLLIER will also speak with the participants about transitioning.

The officials clinic will include classroom and on-field instruction, including breakouts by position group and on-field scrimmage work. Instructors include current and former officials and officiating supervisors at all levels including Super Bowl XLVIII referee TERRY MCAULAY and Super Bowl XLXIX Field Judge BOB WAGONER. NFL officials scouting recruiter and former NFL official RON BAYNES will provide the keynote address. 

"The challenge is always to bring the most knowledgeable and athletic officials to the field and empower them with consistency and clarity in our development efforts," said TROY VINCENT, Executive Vice President of Football Operations. "We encourage former players who want to remain in the game by officiating as they have built-in knowledge of the game and have seen it at game speed, which gives them a great foundation to continue serving the sport they love."

Following are the players participating in the clinics:

The clinic will be co-hosted by several former players from the classes of 2013 and 2014, including CHARLES ALI, RICK DEMULLING, NATE JONES, TERRY KILLENS, LANDON TRUSTYandWILLIAM THOMAS, all whom have collectively worked more than 300 football games ranging from pee-wee to Division I.

Killens is in his 5th year of officiating and was selected to work the AAC 2015 season. Jones, in just two seasons, has been offered a position in Conference USA. "My experience with the NFL Officiating Development program has been nothing short of outstanding," said Jones.  "I've made tremendous strides in my first two years by taking full advantage of the resources at my disposal. I can say without a doubt this has been my best career decision since I retired from the league."

About NFL Football Development

NFL Football Development institutes a culture of clarity, consistency and credibility to players, coaches, clubs and fans to develop the future player, preserve and innovate the game, and protect the NFL brand. Football development serves and support the clubs in in delivering the best product to fans, in growing participation, and in developing a pipeline of talent. For further information, visit operations.nfl.com

About NFL Player Engagement

NFL Player Engagement assists players in reaching their highest potential on and off-the-field with guidance, support, and resources provided before, during, and after their NFL experiences. NFL Player Engagement works with three core audiences: Prep, Life, and Next. NFL Life (current players) and NFL Next (former players) reach more than 2,000 NFL players and spouses each year through a variety of programs and services focused on career development, financial and continuing education, as well as personal, psychological, and physical wellness. NFL Prep provides high-school and college student-athletes of all sports with tools to help them succeed in life, focused on awareness, prevention, and education. More information can be found at www.nflplayerengagement.com