Jerome Leonard Boger (/ˈboʊɡər/ BOH-gər; born July 1, 1955)[1][2] is a former American football official who worked in the National Football League (NFL) for the 2004 through 2022 seasons.[3] He has worn uniform number 23 since 2006; before that, he wore uniform number 109. He started in the league as a line judge and was promoted to referee in 2006 after two seasons.[3] Along with Gene Steratore, he was one of two new referees for 2006, replacing retired officials Bernie Kukar and Tom White.[3] Boger became the third African-American referee in the NFL after Johnny Grier (1988), who previously wore uniform number 23, and Mike Carey (1995).
Jerome Boger | |
|---|---|
 Boger working the September 17, 2006 Oakland Raiders-Baltimore Ravens game. | |
| Born | Jerome Leonard Boger July 1, 1955 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Education | Morehouse College |
| Occupation | NFL official (2004–2022) |
Personal life
editBoger played quarterback at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia as a four-year starter and graduated in 1977.[1][2] Realizing that he did not have the elite football skills to make it on a professional level, he decided to get into officiating, allowing him to stay close to the game.[1] He started working high school and recreational league games before moving up to small colleges. He spent 11 years in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and five seasons in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference from 1996 to 2000.
Boger has a son, Tra Boger, signed with the Green Bay Packers in the 2006 offseason, but was subsequently released. He later played defensive back in the Canadian Football League,[4] and currently is an NFL official working as a line judge.[5]
Boger resides in Conyers, Georgia.[1] Outside of officiating, he worked as an underwriter for Allstate Insurance in Atlanta.[1]
Officiating career
editBoger has also served as a referee in Conference USA, Arena Football League, and NFL Europe[3] (where he officiated in World Bowl XIV).
Boger was promoted to referee in 2006.[6]
Boger served as referee for a game between the Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans during the 2006 season. In the third quarter of the game, Titans' defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth was ejected for stomping on the head of Cowboys offensive lineman Andre Gurode. Haynesworth received a five-game suspension as a result of the incident, the longest suspension for an on-field incident in NFL history at the time.
Boger also served as referee in 2006 in a Monday Night game where the Chicago Bears defeated the Arizona Cardinals in one of the greatest comebacks in league history.
Boger was chosen to be the referee of Super Bowl XLVII, held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans on February 3, 2013, only the second African-American to do so behind Mike Carey five years earlier. This caused several other NFL officials to question the leagues' officiating department's grading process, claiming that all of Boger's downgrades during the season were reversed.[7][8] He was also the alternate referee of Super Bowl XLV, which was held on February 6, 2011, in Arlington, Texas.
Retirement
editOn March 2, 2023, Boger announced his retirement from officiating in the NFL.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Smith, Michael (September 21, 2003). "Program gets minority candidates in the game". The Boston Globe. Retrieved September 4, 2006.
- ^ a b "Alumni classes, 2007-2008" (PDF). A Guide to Giving, 2007-08 & 2006-07. Morehouse College. p. 21.
- ^ a b c d Spofford, Mike (August 8, 2006). "Training Camp Report: Boger's Father Gets Official Promotion". Green Bay Packers. Archived from the original on October 3, 2008. Retrieved September 9, 2007.
- ^ "Jerome Boger". NFL and NCAA Referees. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
- ^ Vangilder, Lenny (May 3, 2022). "Former Tulane player Tra Boger becomes NFL official". Crescent City Sports. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
- ^ Neumann, Thomas (October 19, 2011). "Ed Hochuli, Mike Carey, Alberto Riveron top Page 2's Referee Rankings". ESPN - Page Two. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
- ^ Austro, Ben (January 20, 2013). "NFL fixed grades for desired Super Bowl ref". Football Zebras.com. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
- ^ Adelson, Eric (January 25, 2013). "Officials question NFL's process for selecting Super Bowl referee". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
- ^ Dajani, Jordan (March 2, 2023). "Jerome Boger retires after 19 seasons as an NFL official, which included one Super Bowl". CBSSports.com. Retrieved February 17, 2024.