Quote:
Originally posted by ABoselli
I just read the article in Referee tonight about the former NFL official who works high school games in Portland. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and his friend arranged to have Red Cashion and a crew of other former NFL guys (including his son) + one Pac 10 guy work his last game ever with him. Quite a story - poignant and touching. It said there were 100 officials lined up as a tunnel as he entered the field to wish him well. Were you there? That must have been quite a scene to behold.
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Yes, I am proud to say I was there. It was without a doubt the proudest moment of my officiating career. I was assigned the Oregon City @ Rex Putnam with a 7:00 kickoff and Vern's game had a 3:00 kickoff so it worked out perfect for my crew, we stayed at Vern's game until the third quarter and then headed for our pregame.
As for Vern's game, the article in Referee Magazine was great but it doesn't hold a candle to being there. I think the only thing they could of done better would have been to replace the picture of Verns son's helping him up and out of the chair with the picture they had in The Oregonian of Vern signaling the first touchdown of the game. You see while the article said Vern only lasted for the first series (Which was true), what the article didn't tell you is the first series ended in a touchdown. Vern gave the signal for the touchdown. The extra point was good. Vern signaled touchdown (his last signal) to the press box, and then his day was done. Vern walked off the field, he needed a little help leaving, his son wrapped him in a blanket and walked him off the field to a standing ovation from 100 to 150 stripped shirt officials. Vern tipped his hat (just a little suttle tip, but enough) to acknowledge the ovation, and just like that, Vern's 50 year career was over. He stayed on the sideline shaking hands will all of us till the end of the first quarter (believe it of not cutting himself down for the lousy job he did on coverage on one of the plays) and then his son Joe walked him off the field to the locker room. 35 days later Vern died. Close to 600 people attended his funeral that at his request DID NOT have any "Stuffy Orgon Music"!
Vern was a class act from a generation of Americans that is slowly fading away. We will be designing a patch to wear on our uniforms in Vern's memory for next years season.
It is very rare when NFL officials return to high school officiating when there NFL career (Vern worked 13 NFL seasons) is over.
It is extremely rare to see 6 former NFL (and 1 former (25 year) PAC-10 official) officials work a high school game anywhere!
There were 6 Super bowls and 96 years of NFL experiance officiating football on the Lincoln High School football field that day. There were 125+ applauding officials in uniform on the sidelines that day, and not alot of dry eyes.
It was a sight that these eyes most likely will never see again...
God Bless
[Edited by KWH on Dec 17th, 2002 at 02:13 AM]