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Friday, June 20, 2003

By Gerry Dulac, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

The National Football League is looking for a few good men -- in striped shirts.

And they're looking for them in Western Pennsylvania.

The NFL will have a one-day officiating clinic tomorrow at the Wyndham Airport Hotel in Coraopolis. It is designed to promote interest in football officiating and perhaps increase the number of officials at all levels, including high school and college.

But the league also uses the clinic as a recruiting tool in which they identify officials who might be candidates to move up to Arena League, NFL Europe or even the NFL.

"We don't rely on guys writing us saying they're interested in becoming an NFL official," said Neely Dunn, a supervisor of officials for the NFL. "We go look for them."

The NFL employs 119 officials, and eight to 10 new ones are hired each year.

Dunn will head the one-day clinic that will include high school and college officials from Western Pennsylvania and the Tri-State area. The league had similar clinics earlier this year in Birmingham, Ala., and Orlando, Fla. It is the first time such a clinic has been staged in Pittsburgh.

Former NFL official Jerry Markbreit, who serves as trainer of officials for the league, is one of the instructors. Joining him are Pittsburgh native Dale Hamer, a retired NFL official who is currently a replay official for the league; Larry Upson, the NFL's director of officials operations; Jim Daopoulos, NFL officials supervisor; and NFL head linesman and Pittsburgh native Tom Stabile.

Dunn sent out more than 800 letters to officials in the area, inviting them to participate. The clinic sold out in three days, with 185 officials enrolling.

"It has served a two-fold purpose -- to promote officiating and tell guys we're looking for prospects," Dunn said. "Not every guy is going to get to this level, mainly because we don't have enough slots. And not everyone wants to get to this level. But we're all one big fraternity, and it's a way for us to give something back."

A high school football official will be paid $70 for working a WPIAL Quad A game next season. A rookie NFL official who works a full preseason schedule, the regular season and a postseason game will make $52,679 next season. A 10-year veteran working the same schedule will be paid $84,400.

This is the fifth year the NFL has had such clinics. Sessions are limited to classroom training and film study, but each official will be assigned to work with an instructor familiar with his officiating positions, such as referee or head linesman. Officials are charged a $35 registration fee, which includes lunch, a T-shirt and some NFL merchandise.

Dunn said it is the same clinic the league has each July with its own officials.

"Anytime you can enhance your skills, it's a good thing," said Bob Dornemburg, a high school official for the Greater Pittsburgh Football Officials Association. "It's a chance for officials who want to get recognized to get their name out and get some exposure."

Dunn said the clinics teach basic philosophies of officiating, such as how to detect offensive holding and what is a catch and a no-catch; identifies the mechanics of officiating, which include where and how an official should be positioned on the field; and enhances friendship and camaraderie among officials.

And, who knows, maybe provide future employment in the NFL.

"We'll get some high school guys, some guys doing college ball and some guys who have aspirations to get to the NFL," Dunn said. "We saw a couple individuals in Birmingham who we'll follow up on."