As of Thursday, the NFL will have fewer experienced referees to turn to for officiating games in the 2023 season. This is a result of the league’s longtime referee Jerome Boger deciding to retire from officiating.
Boger served 19 years as an NFL official and had 17 seasons as a referee. During that time, he became one of the most recognizable officials in the league.
Boger was a starter at quarterback during his college days but lacked the talent to make it to the pros. Wanting to stay close to the game of football, he decided to give officiating a shot and ended up making a successful career out of it.
After making his way through high school and college officiating, Boger joined the NFL in 2004 as a line judge before being promoted to a referee two years later. He refereed Super Bowl XLVII between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers while also handling seven playoff games over the course of his officiating career.
The news about Boger’s retirement caused several former and current players to say their goodbyes and share some of their stories related to the retired referee. This includes legendary New York Jets corner Darrelle Revis, who called Boger “one of the best refs in NFL history.”
