Bryan Neale
NFL Official
My parents got divorced when I was 9. I was devastated. I was quiet and shy and didn’t have a lot of friends. My grandpa signed me up for little league football. I knocked the crap out of some kid and my coaches erupted in pride and praise. I had found my outlet: Football.
After 8 years of playing, though, my average size and painfully slow speed precluded me from playing any further [insert tears]. One of my coaches suggested I get my officiating license—he said it would be good for beer money. Little did he—or I—know what would come of it.
After reffing my first game, I realized I’d found the path to continue my relationship with the game that saved my soul.
I did what my coaches taught me and wrote my goals on a notecard when I was 19. The card read: Ref in Big Ten at 36, Ref in NFL at 41. Flash forward to March 22, 2014, 11:48 EDT, when Dean Blandino called and said, “I want you to come ref for me in the NFL.” [insert tears, Pt 2]. Luckiest guy in the world.