NFL referee Don Willard isn’t just working one game today, he’s pulling double duty, clocking in as the head ref for *two* different matchups and covering a wild 112 miles between them. Yeah, you read that right. The man is going from Indianapolis to Cincinnati all in the same day, and honestly, it’s gonna be one of the wildest storylines this football Sunday.
Chaos From the Sky: How One Ref Got A Double Booking
So, what in the world happened to make this happen? Blame it on the FAA. A ground stop on Friday messed with sports schedules all weekend, even pushing back or postponing college football games. For the NFL, the real headache hit the officials. The league had to scramble, changing up assignments big time to make sure everyone could get to their assigned games. That’s why we’ve got a few officials working two games today, all because they were close enough to pull it off. But Willard? He’s the MVP of this logistical nightmare. He, along with side judge Justin Larrew, umpire Terry Killens, and field judge Jabir Walker, are starting their day calling the Colts vs. Dolphins game in Indianapolis. Then, once that’s wrapped up, they’re jetting down to Cincinnati to officiate the Bengals vs. Steelers game on Sunday night. Willard’s the one making that insane 112-mile drive south, planning to bounce from Indy around 5:00 p.m. and expecting a two-hour drive. Think about that for a second: dude finishes one high-pressure NFL game and immediately hops in the car for two hours just to do it all over again. Unbelievable.
Meet the Man Under the Hat: Who Is Don Willard?
What makes this even crazier is that Willard is stepping up as the *head referee* for both games. He’s filling in for Carl Cheffers in Indianapolis and Clete Blakeman in Cincinnati, basically becoming one of the most important figures in football today. Usually, Willard is a side judge on Scott Novak’s crew, and get this, he was actually supposed to have the week off! Novak’s crew was idle, but when the NFL needed local officials for these two Midwest games, they called him up. Talk about a curveball! According to Football Zebras, Willard is in his ninth season as an NFL official. When he’s not making calls on the gridiron, he works as a physical therapist. The guy went to Illinois State, and he’s spent most of his officiating career as a side judge. But the NFL trains backup referees for exactly these kinds of emergencies, and Willard is clearly one of their top options.
It’s going to be a long, long day for Don Willard, but he’s about to make history. Keep an eye on those two games today, because every call he makes, every flag he throws, is coming from a guy who’s already put in a full day’s work and then some. This isn’t just officiating, this is an endurance test. Can he nail every decision after a massive road trip and another game? We’re all watching to find out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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