Cards: Ultimate W
Acquired: TTM 2022, C/o Work
Sent: 2/7 Received: 3/5 (26 days)

NOTES:

I asked Ed about his World League experience, and if had any great memories of the league.

I really enjoyed the World League, because the NFL decided to try me out as head Referee in the World League in 1991.  I had never Refereed (the crew chief / white hat) in high school or college, so it was a surprise when they put me at that position, and I guess they were really desperate, because that next year in the NFL, they moved me to Referee in the NFL.  And I definitely worked several games in San Antonio, so no doubt you and your Dad were booing me a lot? 

What a small world. I am sure after the game I walked right by Ed and didn’t look up- and yes, we probably booed him on quite a few occasions.

In RE: to the hardest calls/ penalties to throw…

Your other question was about the toughest thing to call . . . regardless of the type of foul, some are very obvious and some are very close.  It was the close ones – just enough to make it illegal – that were the toughest.  I’d say Roughing the passer was the toughest of those.  Some were easy, but some of them were very close, and it happens so fast, you’ve got to be ready! 

The World League was experimenting with ‘In the Grasp’ and other QB roughing penalties at this time, so I can totally understand his problem with this.

Ed is well respected among referees, and even developed sort of a cult following because of his shredded arms, with Phil Simms comically referring to him as ‘Hochules’.