Speaker Recap for April 30, 2012
Posted by Steve Lamon
on May 2, 2012
Mr. Morelli hails from nearby Stockton, California, and is affiliated with Saint Mary’s High School there. In 1971, he began officiating football games with his father and two uncles, Joe and Tony. For his early performances, he was assigned to playoff and then championship games. He later progressed to the college level, officiating in the Big West Conference and the Western Athletic Conference. He did so well at that level, he was selected to work eleven playoff games, including the 1996 Liberty Bowl.
He continued to shine and rise to the top of his profession. He was eventually screened, interviewed, and hired by the NFL in 1997, as a “back judge,” then switched to a “field judge” in 1998, and was promoted to referee with the start of the 2003 season. He wears uniform number 135. As an official in the NFL, he is known for working Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002 as a field judge, and later as a referee in several conference play-off games.
Pete remembered starting in the NFL in 1997, and how “fast” the game appeared to unfold before his very eyes. He remarked that the speed of the NFL players is hard to follow at first, and only through years of training and heavy concentration has he been able to “slow the game down” while on the field in order to focus on the play and try to make the right calls.
He also explained how he and his crew are under constant supervision by the league, and that their every call is subject to scrutiny both during and after the games. With the help of slow motion cameras, he is able to “review” some challenged key plays during the games, but even then it is often left to his “gut feel” about what to call in the end. Even though he explained that to referees the NFL can often stand for “Not For Long,” we sure hope that he continues to get to make the calls, and that he will return again soon with more interesting and entertaining stories. We thank him for taking the time to meet with us this past week and wish him well.