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Show Popular DHS coach Robison gets the 'call' to NFL post see that the door had been opened for Utah officials," he said. Still, the pros weren't part of his game plan until 1984, when he worked an NAIA playoff game in Grand Junction, Colo. One of his fellow officials, who worked Big Eight games, strongly urged John to apply for an NFL job. The following fol-lowing year, when he turned 35 (the minimum age for the league), he applied. He made the list of 17 finalists in 1986, but was not chosen. Last year, he was one of 23 finalists, along with fellow Utahn Douj "They were probably the finest group of people from top to bottom that I've ever been around. They were willing to help, give hints, whatever it took to make us feel welcome," he said. John will become part of a crew that works western games, from Chicago to the coast. His crew -chief is veteran Pat Haggerty. Though officials learn about their assignments only two weeks in advance, John does not fear that his NFL career will interfere with his teaching or coaching responsibilities. "We generally fly to our game cities on Saturday mornings, and return home Sunday nights. Of course, the rare Saturday or Monday Mon-day night assignments could alter that. But by the time we begin basketball bas-ketball practice this year, I'll have already worked 12ofthe 19weeksl expect to work," he said. He added that rookie officials do not work post-season games. John will be a field judge, equivalent equiva-lent to the back judge in college. He will begin each play behind the safety, and has responsibility for pass interference calls, all punts Editor's Note: Davis County Clipper sports editor Tom Haraldsen was the first reporter in Utah to learn of John Rohison's selection as a National Football Foot-ball League official. Mr. Robison offered Haraldsen this exclusive interview inter-view last Thursday. By TOM HARALDSEN Sports Editor CENTERVILLE For John Robison, Saturday night will be the night that a dream becomes reality. After 18 years of football officiating, officiat-ing, Robison has received the "call," and will work his first of 19 National Football League games as one of the league's newest offi- Toole, a physical therapist fron! Salt Lake City. Both years saw John endure a rigorous interview and background check process the NFL uses in selecting, and maintaining, main-taining, its corps of officials. "We all went through a psychological psycho-logical interview, mine being conducted con-ducted in San Francisco. Then both years, an official from the league offices came here to interview inter-view me. That was in February this year." The first week of April, John found two telephone messages in his box at Davis High, one from Toole and one from the NFL. He called Toole and learned that his friend had been selected. "I figured that since Doug had been selected, that was it. I knew there was no way they'd take two from Utah, and I knew the NFL called to tell you whether you'd made it or not. So when I returned the call to New York, I figured I'd just tell them, 'Thanks for your time, and I hope I'll still be in consideration con-sideration in the future'," he said. But that quickly changed when the league official began his conversation con-versation by asking John, "Are you sitting down? Welcome to the NFL." cials. The popular Davis High head basketball coach received word earlier this year that he had been selected as one of the league's new O officials. It was the culmination of a dream that began when he first worked a junior high football game in Davis County in 1970, while a senior at the University of Utah. John moved to Salt Lake City from his native Colorado when he was in seventh grade. By the time he'd reached eighth grade, he'd already decided that "I wanted to be a coach. That was always a goal, but I honestly hadn't thought much about being a referee." With the goal of coaching in mind, Robison played both basketball basket-ball and baseball at Granite High, from where he graduated in 1967. It was at Granite that his coach, Davis School District athletic coordinator coor-dinator Jim Hill, first met and befriended bef-riended John. "I have to give the credit to Jim for getting me involved in officiating. officiat-ing. When I began pursuing a degree de-gree in education, Jim told me I'd need to supplement my income, and he suggested I consider offi-ciatine." offi-ciatine." John stated. . - -' ' ' r - ' . . ..40B- ' i . : immiMmmmmi. - ;vvl - ' ' ' V 1 -.,,.- I :.' s 4 ' ' ' - - r. - mm . ' 1 . I JOHN ROBISON "I was stunned, and I was on the verge of tears. If I hadn't been in the school office, I might very well have begun crying," he said with a smile. Though he learned about the selection in April, John couldn't officially "confirm" his selection until this month. He returned last week from a pair of East Coast and West Coast training sessions for officials, both clinics running four days and both very intense. "It still doesn't seem real in some ways," he said, adding that this Saturday's game will help accomplish another dream come true. "I've always had Dallas coach Tom Landry as one of my role models, for the way he handles himself on and off the field. One of my responsibilities this week will be to explain rules to the visiting team coaching staff, and I'll actually actual-ly be talking to Coach Landry face-to-face." NFL officials have to be more than just experts at the rules, as John learned through his application applica-tion process. He was subject to an FBI security check, in addition to psychological and stress tests. "Integrity is the most important characteristic they're looking for," he explained. "The National Football League is a billion dollar business, and everyone employed within it is a representative of that league. They require that all their officials be above reproach." John found the veteran officials he met at these training clinics to be extremely helpful. Jim Tunney, perhaps the best-known official in the country, spent 20 minutes visiting visit-ing with him on a one-to-one basis. By the time John was a senior, Hill had become arbiter for the Utah High School Activities Association. Asso-ciation. John worked some junior high games, along with sophomore and JV high school games that year, in 1970. A few weeks before the season ended, he was called to substitute for a varsity official who'd become ill. "My first varsity game was Murray Mur-ray at Hillcrest, and I filled in as a line judge. After the game, the head official told Jim that I had done an adequate job, and I worked varsity the rest of the year." By the time he'd reached his third season, John had moved into the collegiate ranks, working games in the old Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, which included in-cluded Westminster and Southern Utah State. "I remember when we'd drive all day to Rexburg to work junior college games for $30 a game. But we were happy to be working college col-lege games, and it was when I worked in the RMAC that officiating officiat-ing in the Western Athletic Conference Confer-ence became a goal," he recalled. Nine years ago, he took the next step, working games in the Pacific Coast Athletic Association the same year that Utah State joined the conference. It proved an important im-portant step, because PCAA Ceames gave him exposure on the Vest Coast. In 1980, Merrill Douglas, a deputy depu-ty in the Salt Lake County Sheriffs office, became the first Utahn to get the call to the NFL. "When Merrill made it, it gave the rest of us inspiration. We could and field goals, and the back of the end zone. He will also coordinate all TV time outs with an official on the sidelines. He's found the NFL to be very "family conscious. In fact, one official told me that if I didn't take my wife Joan to at least two games with me, I'd be in trouble," he laughed. Officials do receive a travel allowance for all games, so Joan, and some of their five children, chil-dren, may very well see some of John's games this year. Though the weeks ahead will un doubtedly leave Robison with many impressions (he's scheduled to work the Phoenix Cardinals' first-ever home game next week), what's been most impressive to him so far is how well prepared NFL officials are each week. "There's not another professional profes-sional sport that has their people as well-trained as the NFL. Officials take weekly tests, watch videos each week, and are constantly evaluated. eva-luated. But I look forward to the challenges ahead, because this really is a dream come true." |