For the first time in its history, Monday night, the NFL will bet on a group of referees entirely made up of blacks during one of its meetings, the one between the Los Angeles Rams and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.
The field of seven officials will be led by Jerome Boger, who served at Super Bowl XLVII. The 17-season NFL veteran will be joined by Barry Anderson, Julian Mapp, Carl Johnson, Dale Shaw, Antony Jeffries and Greg Steed.
“This historic group of the 11th week of the campaign is a recognition of the immeasurable and relentless contribution of black referees to football, as well as their exemplary performance and their power of inclusion in this magnificent sport,” explained the vice – Executive Chairman of NFL Football Operations, Troy Vincent, in a statement obtained by ESPN.
Boger is one of the league’s four chief referees. Usually, each group of officials is formed at the start of the season and remains intact for the remainder of the calendar. This year, the groups were dialed from the areas they live in because of the COVID-19 pandemic. All this allows those wishing to travel by car and not by plane for the matches.
In the case of Monday’s duel, the NFL wanted to build a septet of black referees from various groups after it hit the 100-year mark.
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