Walt Anderson (American football)
Walt Anderson | |
|---|---|
official (1996–2019) (2006–present)Coordinator of Football Officials, Big 12 | |
| Spouse | Afshan |
| Children | 5 (1 with current wife) |
Walter John Anderson (born September 29, 1952)
Early life
Born in
Family
He is married to Afshan and they have one child together (he and his wife each have two children from previous marriages).[2] He currently resides in Sugar Land, Texas.[2] Son Derek is also an official who joined the NFL for the 2024 season.[5]
Other professions
After completing his undergraduate studies at Sam Houston State University and received a Doctorate of Dentistry from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Dentistry, he became a dentist.[2] He retired from dentistry in 2003 when he was promoted to referee in the NFL.[3]
On April 26, 2006, Anderson was named Coordinator of Football Officials for the Big 12 Conference, succeeding former NFL field judge Tim Millis in this position.[2]
Officiating career
Early years
Wanting to stay active in football following college, Anderson decided to pursue a career in officiating.[1] He began officiating junior high and little leagues, high school, then eventually college.[1] In 11 years of college experience, he worked games in the Lone Star (Division II), Southland (Division I-FCS), and Southwest Conferences (Division I).[2] At the college level, Anderson was scouted by ex-NFL officials who were looking to fill openings at the professional football level.[1]
National Football League
Anderson joined the NFL in 1996 and, as of 2015, he has officiated in 17 playoff games, including eight Wild Card, two Divisional, five Conference Championship games, and two Super Bowls:
Anderson refereed the final NFL game in San Diego, a Kansas City Chiefs win over the Chargers.[citation needed]
Anderson's 2019 NFL officiating crew consisted of umpire Ruben Fowler, down judge Tom Stephan, line judge Byron Boston, field judge Lee Dyer, side judge Rick Patterson, back judge Keith Ferguson, replay official Brian Matoren, and replay assistant Saleem Choudhry.[7]
Anderson's final NFL game as referee was a 2019 NFC Divisional Playoff game between the Minnesota Vikings and the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. After that game, he retired from officiating and was promoted to the NFL front office as a senior vice president.[8]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Q&A with NFL Referee Walt Anderson". Cleveland Browns. August 26, 2003. Archived from the original on August 28, 2003. Retrieved July 21, 2006.
- ^ CSTV. April 26, 2006. Archived from the originalon June 26, 2006. Retrieved July 21, 2006.
- ^ a b c d e Davis, Brian (November 17, 2006). "Big 12 officials get plenty of looks". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved September 4, 2007.
- ^ "'A Bearkat with Zebra Stripes' is Super Bowl-Bound".
- ^ NFL welcomes five new officials for 2024 season
- ^ "Super Bowl officiating crew includes Anderson as referee". nfl.com. July 26, 2012 [2011]. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
- ^ Filipe, Cameron (June 12, 2019). "Officiating crews for the 2019 season". Football Zebras. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
- ^ Schultz, Mark (January 29, 2020). "Walt Anderson promoted to NFL front office, leaves field after 24 seasons". Football Zebras. Retrieved February 17, 2024.