(Los Angeles) Historic NFL first: Referee Jerome Boger and his six assistants became the first all-black team to referee a National Football League game on Monday night, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers met and the Los Angeles Rams.
The team of umpires entered the field with impressive credentials, especially veteran Boger, the third black umpire in NFL history. A line judge, he was promoted to the rank of referee in 2006.
“I am proud of my origins and excited to participate in this historic match,” said Boger in preparation for the match. “I look forward to being able to work with a group of black official referees and show our competence in carrying out our mission.”
Alongside Boger were Barry Anderson, official referee for 14 years; Anthony Jeffries, official linesman for 3 years; Carl Johnson, official linesman for 17 years; Julian Mapp, official linesman for 12 years; Dale Shaw, official field judge for 8 years; and Greg Steed, official background judge for 18 years.
Boger was notably the referee of Super Bowl (the championship final) XLVII, and Anderson, Johnson and Steed were part of the refereeing team of Super Bowl LIV.
“The historic presence of this team […] is a testament to the countless and immeasurable contributions of black official referees to the game, their exemplary performance and the integrative power that is the hallmark of this great sport, ”said Troy Vincent, vice president of football operations for the league.
The game was won by the Rams 27-24, thanks in particular to a touchdown from Robert Woods, who scored about four minutes from the end of the first period, and which was the first of its kind validated by an all-black referee team.
