Ed Hochuli

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Ed Hochuli
official (1990–2017)
Attorney (Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, P.L.C.) (1983–2021)
Children6 (including Shawn Hochuli)
Websitejshfirm.com/attorneys/ehochuli

Edward G. Hochuli

American football official
. He served as an attorney at Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, P.L.C. from 1983 to 2021, and was an official in the National Football League (NFL) from 1990 to 2017; his uniform number was 85. Before becoming a football official, he played college football for four seasons at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP).

Hochuli worked numerous

playoff games including two Super Bowls. He is best known for his athletic/muscular physique[3] (height: 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m); weight: 230 pounds (100 kg)[4]), and for explaining on-field rulings in a manner that is comprehensive yet also clear and concise.[5] In a poll conducted by ESPN in 2008, Hochuli tied fellow referee Mike Carey for "best referee" votes (eight each) among NFL head coaches.[6] In his 28th season in the league and 26th as a referee (crew chief) with the 2017 NFL season, Hochuli's officiating crew consisted of umpire Shawn Smith, down judge Greg Bradley, line judge Rusty Baynes, field judge Dale Shaw, side judge Alex Kemp, and back judge Scott Helverson.[7]

After the retirements of

back judge
in the NFL—was promoted to referee.

Personal life

Early life

Hochuli was born on December 25, 1950, in

Carl Muecke.[9] After completing his education Hochuli was admitted to the State Bar of Arizona.[1]

Family

Hochuli resides in the

arenafootball2 games.[16] On August 13, 2011, a day after his father refereed a preseason game between the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars, Shawn was the head referee for ArenaBowl XXIV between the Jacksonville Sharks and Arizona Rattlers. Scott Hochuli, another of Ed Hochuli's sons, owns Hochuli Design & Remodeling Team which is a company in the Phoenix area that specializes in residential design and construction.[17] He is married to Lorrie Hochuli and they have two daughters: Devan and Ryann. Scott Hochuli's brother, Daniel Hochuli, is the town attorney for Sahuarita, Arizona, and his brother Peter is a judge at the Pima County Juvenile Court in Tucson.[18]

Attorney

Hochuli was a

trial lawyer[19] and a partner in the Arizona law firm of Jones, Skelton and Hochuli, P.L.C., having been a part of the firm since it was founded in 1983 to his retirement.[1] The firm began with five partners and seven associates and has expanded to over 80 attorneys.[9] He specializes in civil litigation in the areas of bad faith and extra-contractual liability, complex litigation, insurance coverage and fraud, legal malpractice and professional liability, product liability defense, trucking and transportation industry defense, and wrongful death and personal injury defense.[1] He claims to be involved in 200 cases at any time.[9] Hochuli finds interest in trying cases, calling it an "adrenaline rush" adding, "You love that challenge–the competition, if you will–of it. It's a game. It's obviously a very important game to people, and I don't mean to diminish the importance of it... You have to follow these rules, and there's a win-or-lose outcome. You're on a stage."[20]

He is admitted to practice in Arizona state and federal courts and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.[1] His recognition as an attorney includes being named Best Lawyers in America since 2003 and Southwest Super Lawyers in 2007.[1] Super Lawyers includes only the top five percent of lawyers in a state based on point totals, as chosen by peers and through independent research by Law & Politics.[21]

Comparing his law and officiating professions, he says "A trial is nothing, pressure-wise, compared to the NFL… I have that long [snaps his fingers] to make a decision with a million people watching and second-guessing (by video) in slow-motion. You've got to be right or wrong. I love the satisfaction when you are right — and the agony when you are wrong."[22] He finds similarities between the football field and courtroom saying, "On the football field, people like that I'm in charge and know what I'm doing, but a lot of the time, it's just appearance. I'm going to sell you on my decision. It's the same in the courtroom. You don't stand in front of a jury and say, 'I think my client is innocent.' You say, 'We're right!'"[9]

Officiating career

Early years

Hochuli began officiating

Pacific-10 Conference as a line judge during the 1980s.[11]

NFL career

Hochuli was hired by the NFL in 1990 as a back judge

Tokyo, Japan, as a back judge when he received a telephone call following the game from then-Senior Director of Officiating, Jerry Seeman.[10] Seeman asked Hochuli to work as referee for the first time when the Denver Broncos hosted the Cincinnati Bengals in a pre-season game.[2][10]

Since becoming a referee, Hochuli headed the officiating crews for

mentor, Jerry Markbreit, a four-time Super Bowl referee, as the greatest influence on his career.[30]

In his second year as referee, he worked the 1993

field goal attempt blocked.[10] The Cowboys' Leon Lett inadvertently touched the loose ball before the Dolphins' Jeff Dellenbach pounced on it.[10] At the time, Hochuli had "no idea" what happened during the play and had to confer with three other officials to piece together the sequence of events.[2] With the information gathered from the officials, he ruled that Miami retained possession of the football.[2]
Stoyanovich booted the ensuing winning field goal for the Miami win.

Hochuli was a referee for the 1999 AFC Divisional Playoff game between the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars; it was the final game for quarterback Dan Marino and coach Jimmy Johnson as the Jaguars won 62–7.

Hochuli was a referee in the 2003 Divisional Playoff game between the Packers and the Eagles.

On October 2, 2005, he officiated the first regular-season NFL game played outside the United States when the Arizona Cardinals played the San Francisco 49ers in Mexico City, Mexico[31] as part of the league's "Fútbol Americano" marketing campaign. On the first penalty announcement of the game, Hochuli gave the explanation in Spanish to pay respect to the host city and country.[31]

Jeff Bergman joined Hochuli for the wild card bout between the San Diego Chargers and New York Jets on January 8, 2005.[32]

Hochuli officiated the first regular season game at

University of Phoenix Stadium
on September 10, 2006, when the Cardinals hosted the 49ers.

He was the referee for the game between the

Minneapolis, Minnesota to break the record previously held by Dan Marino. He also reffed the Week 17 game in 2008 in which the Lions became the first of two NFL teams so far to go 0–16 in a season, with the other being the 2017 Browns.[34][35]

One of Hochuli's notable explanations came during a 2007 regular season game between the San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots. While nullifying a holding infraction, he announced through his microphone, "There was no foul on the play. It was not a hold. The defender was just overpowered."[22]

On September 14, 2008, Hochuli officiated a game between the San Diego Chargers and the Denver Broncos.[36] He made an incorrect call with 1:17 left in the game, while Denver was in possession of the ball at the San Diego one-yard line and they were trailing the Chargers by seven points. On a second-down play, Denver quarterback Jay Cutler fumbled the ball, and it was recovered by San Diego linebacker Tim Dobbins. Ed Hochuli blew his whistle during the play, signaling that the play was dead and ruling an incomplete pass. Hochuli later wrote, "Affecting the outcome of a game is a devastating feeling. Officials strive for perfection – I failed miserably."[37] The NFL passed a rule the following offseason allowing such plays to be reviewable under the instant replay rule for the 2009 NFL season.[38] Speaking to Referee in November 2009, Hochuli told the magazine, "It was really an easy play. I’ve thought many times why I did what I did. The best explanation is it was almost like dyslexia. I realized it was a fumble and did the wrong thing. I realized I was wrong but there was nothing I could do about it."[39]

2001 officials' strike

Hochuli has served as the head of the NFL Referees Association, the union which represents NFL game officials.

US$1,431 a game to a veteran official with twenty years of experience making $4,330 a game.[42] Officials were looking for a 400 percent increase in salary while the league was offering just 40 percent.[43] During the negotiations Hochuli believed the issue in finding a resolution was to convince the league that officials are full-time employees.[41]

At the start of the season, officials had rejected a league offer of a 60 percent immediate increase in salary, followed by an 85 percent salary increase in 2002, and a 100 percent increase in 2003.

Celebrity

Hochuli's presence on the football field created a

portmanteau of his last name and "Hercules", in homage to his large biceps. While he is aware of his celebrity status, Hochuli does not understand it. He said in a USA Today interview, "I get a kick out of the notoriety, because I'm just a referee. I'm not the players. The players are the game. They're what this is all about. I get notoriety because I explain things, and I get notoriety because I have a decent physique, which is funny because I'm a shrimp, a peewee compared to those players. Neither one of those things has anything to do with whether I'm a good referee."[22]

His recognition extends to the streets, in airports, and in the courtroom.[12] He has been approached by notable athletes such as former National Basketball Association (NBA) player Charles Barkley at the airport.[48] "It never ceases to amaze me," Hochuli told the Arizona Daily Star. "The number of people that will just come up to me and recognize me."[12] He appreciates the attention, saying, "I enjoy the fact that there are people who like me as a referee. I hear from a lot of people and I enjoy that. Like anybody, I like praise. Probably because of my personality, I thrive on that more than other people."[10]

Hochuli's career as an NFL official has been chronicled on the

television program detailed the game preparations that Hochuli went through from Monday to Saturday during the season. The preparation work includes fifteen hours of video tape game review, a "couple hours" completing administrative tasks for the NFL, reading the rulebook, taking a weekly written exam on rules, and communicating with league supervisors.[40]

Hochuli's celebrity status off the field includes being mentioned on the "

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Attorney Profile – Edward G. Hochuli". Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, P.L.C. Archived from the original on September 29, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "NFL Official Ed Hochuli — Part I". Officiating.com. July 2, 2001. Retrieved September 10, 2007.
  3. ^
    CNN Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original
    on September 15, 2008. Retrieved August 28, 2006.
  4. ^ "Rugged Males Over 60 Who Can Still Whoop Your Ass". The Rugged Male. May 7, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  5. ^ Schmidt, Michael S. (April 22, 2007). "30 Seconds with Ed Hochuli". The New York Times. Retrieved April 21, 2007.
  6. ^ Sando, Mike (July 11, 2008). "Rating refs touchy subject for NFL coaches". ESPN. Retrieved July 12, 2008.
  7. ^ "Officiating crews for the 2017 season". footballzebras.com. June 13, 2017.
  8. ^ "NFL referees Ed Hochuli, Jeff Triplette retiring". NFL.com. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g Bommersbach, Jana (June 2007). "Zebra Lawyer". Southwest Super Lawyers 2007. pp. 10–13.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Jackel, Peter (September 2004). "Ed hochuli: on balance". Referee. No. 335.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h "2007 AzFOA Hall of Fame Inductees". Arizona Football Officials Association. Archived from the original on August 27, 2008. Retrieved October 13, 2007.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Pascoe, Bruce (August 14, 2006). "Grad of CDO finds fame as NFL referee". Arizona Daily Star. Archived from the original on January 8, 2007. Retrieved August 24, 2006.
  13. Pomona College Magazine (Pitzer College). 1999. Archived from the original
    on June 24, 2002. Retrieved November 3, 2012.
  14. ^ Hansen, Greg (September 6, 2005). "Football for Aztecs has fallen into ruins". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved October 16, 2007.
  15. Arena Football League. March 1, 2008. Archived from the original
    on September 6, 2009. Retrieved May 19, 2008.
  16. ^ "Arena2 Football League". Referee. June 2007.
  17. ^ "About Us". Hochuli Design & Remodeling Team. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved October 18, 2007.
  18. ^ "Prosecutor Hochuli named to Juvenile Court bench". Tucson Citizen. March 20, 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  19. USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70). January 28, 2005. Archived from the original
    on November 16, 2007.
  20. ^ Merrill, Elizabeth (May 7, 2009). "Lock and Load". ESPN Outside the Lines. Retrieved January 10, 2010.
  21. ^ "Super Lawyers Selection Process". Super Lawyers. Retrieved September 6, 2008.
  22. ^ a b c d e Zillgitt, Jeff (October 10, 2007). "For NFL officials, scrutiny begins long before kickoff". USA Today. Retrieved October 14, 2007.
  23. ^ "Practice, Practice, Practice". NASO LockerRoom. 3 (4). April 15, 2002. Archived from the original on November 16, 2007.
  24. ^ a b "Hochuli's top-rated crew gets nod". Associated Press. January 29, 2004. Retrieved September 10, 2007.
  25. ^ Bell, Jarrett (January 29, 2004). "Hochuli to head Super Bowl officiating team". USA Today. Retrieved September 10, 2007.
  26. ^ Manoyan, Dan (January 23, 1997). "Tough test: Belichick calls Favre Elwayesque". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on November 16, 2004. Retrieved October 17, 2007.
  27. ^ Maske, Mark (February 2, 2005). "E. Smith Retirement May Come as Cowboy". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 23, 2007.
  28. ^ "NASO and NFHS Host the Power of Persuasive Officiating Summit" (Press release). National Association of Sports Officials. July 27, 2007. Archived from the original on November 16, 2007. Retrieved September 10, 2007.
  29. ^ a b Hait, Pam. "Meet: Ed Hochuli, NFL referee". Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. Archived from the original on January 12, 2009. Retrieved November 22, 2007.
  30. ^ "Gold Whistle Award 2007 Jerry Markbreit". Referee. August 2007.
  31. ^ a b "Señor Hochuli Habla Español". Referee. December 2005.
  32. ^ "Wild Card – New York Jets at San Diego Chargers – January 8th, 2005 | Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
  33. ^ a b "Favre sets completions record in victory over Lions". Associated Press. December 17, 2006. Retrieved October 16, 2007.
  34. ^ "Packers-Vikings Press Box Notes" (Press release). Green Bay Packers. September 30, 2007. Archived from the original on May 16, 2008. Retrieved October 17, 2007.
  35. ^ "Favre sets record, leads Packers past Vikings". Associated Press. October 2, 2007. Retrieved October 17, 2007.
  36. ^ "NFL will lower Ed Hochuli's grade after blown call". Associated Press. September 16, 2008. Retrieved December 13, 2008.
  37. ^ Sullivan, Tim (September 17, 2008). "Rules leave Hochuli helpless to fix mistake". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on September 20, 2008. Retrieved September 17, 2008.
  38. ^ "Replay review, draft order among changes made by owners". March 25, 2009. Retrieved March 26, 2009.
  39. ^ Stern, Jeffrey (November 2009). "We Don't Talk About Judgment Calls". Referee. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011.
  40. ^ a b Clayton, John (September 5, 2001). "Refereeing can often be full-time job". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 14, 2007.
  41. ^ a b "No news good news for NFL". Associated Press. August 31, 2001. Retrieved October 14, 2007.
  42. ^ Freeman, Mike (August 9, 2001). "N.F.L. May Lock Out Referees Unless Talks Progress". The New York Times. Retrieved October 21, 2007.
  43. ^ Clayton, John (August 24, 2001). "Clayton Q&A: The NFL vs. the refs". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 14, 2007.
  44. ^ a b Freeman, Steve (September 7, 2001). "N.F.L. Referees Reject Offer; Replacements to Take the Field". The New York Times. Retrieved October 21, 2007.
  45. ^ "NFL hiring replacements as talks with refs stall". Associated Press. August 22, 2001. Archived from the original on September 18, 2008. Retrieved October 14, 2007.
  46. ^ a b Miller, Ira (September 20, 2001). "NFL officials accept league's 'final' offer". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved October 14, 2007.
  47. ^ Mayer, Larry (July 31, 2008). "Hochuli discusses rule changes, cult-like popularity". Chicago Bears. Retrieved August 2, 2008.
  48. National Public Radio
    . January 7, 2004.
  49. ^ "Six Days to Sunday with Ed Hochuli" (RealPlayer). NFL Network. 2005. Retrieved October 18, 2007.
  50. CBS Broadcasting, Inc. January 29, 2002. Archived from the original
    on September 30, 2007. Retrieved September 10, 2007.
  51. ^ Miller, Jonathan (July 14, 2006). "The State of NFL Videogames". IGN. Archived from the original on July 17, 2006. Retrieved September 10, 2007.
  52. ^ Robinson, Jon (October 26, 2005). "Madden 360: A Closer Look". IGN. Retrieved September 10, 2007.
  53. ^ Carpenter, John (July 29, 2015). "Fallacy Ref nears goal line: An app to rule on debates". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 2, 2016.

Further reading

  • Bedard, Greg A. (October 9, 2005). "Celebrity status puzzles muscular referee Hochuli". The Palm Beach Post. pp. 7B.
  • Media related to Ed Hochuli at Wikimedia Commons