Al Jury
Encyclopedia
Al Jury is a former American football official in the National Football League
(NFL) from 1978 to 2004. He started as a back judge, then switched to field judge after the league swapped position names in 1998. Over the course of his NFL career, Jury was selected to officiate in a record-tying five Super Bowls: XX
in 1986, XXII
in 1988, XXIV
in 1990, XXVIII
in 1994 and XXXIV
in 2000. On the field, Jury wore uniform number 106 for the majority of his career and is most recognizable for the prescription goggles he wore. Outside of the NFL, Jury was also a California Highway Patrol
officer for 28 years starting in 1969.
At the age of 18, Jury started officiating high school games after graduating from Pacific High School, in San Bernardino, California
, where he was a four-sport athlete, in 1959. One of the reasons Jury got into officiating was to earn extra money while attending San Bernardino Valley College
.
While officiating, Jury was also a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service
for seven years after which he joined the California Highway Patrol in 1969.
Jury moved up to junior college and then college football, joining the Pac-8 Conference in 1972 before being hired by the NFL in 1978, at the age of 35. He thought about seeking a promotion to referee (crew chief) early in his career, but chose the excitement of the back judge/field judge position over the higher paycheck of the referee.
Jury was forced to retire in 2004 after breaking his leg during a game. He now serves as an Assistant Supervisor for the NFL.
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) from 1978 to 2004. He started as a back judge, then switched to field judge after the league swapped position names in 1998. Over the course of his NFL career, Jury was selected to officiate in a record-tying five Super Bowls: XX
Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX was an American football championship game played on January 26, 1986 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1985 regular season...
in 1986, XXII
Super Bowl XXII
Super Bowl XXII was an American football game played on January 31, 1988 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1987 regular season...
in 1988, XXIV
Super Bowl XXIV
Super Bowl XXIV was an American football game played on January 28, 1990 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1989 regular season...
in 1990, XXVIII
Super Bowl XXVIII
Super Bowl XXVIII was an American football game played on January 30, 1994, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1993 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Dallas Cowboys defeated the American Football...
in 1994 and XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV featured the National Football Conference champion St. Louis Rams and the American Football Conference champion Tennessee Titans in an American football game to decide the National Football League champion for the 1999 regular season...
in 2000. On the field, Jury wore uniform number 106 for the majority of his career and is most recognizable for the prescription goggles he wore. Outside of the NFL, Jury was also a California Highway Patrol
California Highway Patrol
The California Highway Patrol is a law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of California. The CHP has patrol jurisdiction over all California highways and also acts as the state police....
officer for 28 years starting in 1969.
At the age of 18, Jury started officiating high school games after graduating from Pacific High School, in San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
, where he was a four-sport athlete, in 1959. One of the reasons Jury got into officiating was to earn extra money while attending San Bernardino Valley College
San Bernardino Valley College
San Bernardino Valley College is a community college located in San Bernardino, California. It is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The two-year college has an enrollment of approximately 25,000 students and covers...
.
While officiating, Jury was also a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
for seven years after which he joined the California Highway Patrol in 1969.
Jury moved up to junior college and then college football, joining the Pac-8 Conference in 1972 before being hired by the NFL in 1978, at the age of 35. He thought about seeking a promotion to referee (crew chief) early in his career, but chose the excitement of the back judge/field judge position over the higher paycheck of the referee.
Jury was forced to retire in 2004 after breaking his leg during a game. He now serves as an Assistant Supervisor for the NFL.
External links
- Rialto's Jury readies for 21st season as NFL official Soifer, Jerry. The Press-Enterprise, August 5, 1998. (Accessed August 5, 2006).
- More with Al Jury Referee