Fred Silva
Encyclopedia
Fred Silva was an American football official in the National Football League
(NFL) for 21 seasons from 1968 to 1988. Silva was widely known for his coolness under fire on the football field and clapping his hand together when signaling a first down. The pinnacle of Silva's officiating career in the NFL was being assigned to Super Bowl XIV
in 1980. On the field, Silva wore three different uniform numbers. From the 1968 to 1970 seasons, Silva wore uniform number 49, but changed to number 81 in 1971, which he wore until 1978. Finally, from 1979 until the end of his career in 1988, he wore the number 7.
Silva graduated in 1945 from Castlemont High School in Oakland where he played quarterback
on the school's football
team and earned all-state honors.
After completing high school, Silva joined the United States Marine Corps
and was honorably discharged a year later in 1946. Following his service in the military, Silva attended San Jose State University
, graduating with a bachelor's degree
in education
in March 1950. At San Jose State, Silva played football and was a running back
and linebacker
.
Silva became first athletic director
at San Jose City College
and he coached football, basketball
, baseball
, and track
teams during his tenure at the school. He led the football team to four championships during the 1950s and coached notable players that eventually played in the NFL such as Oakland Raiders
quarterback Chon Gallegos and Chicago Bears
offensive lineman Jim Cadile
.
Following his coaching career, Silva began a career in officiating. Silva worked football, basketball, and baseball games as an official. He spent several years officiating at the collegiate level in the Pac-8 (now known as the Pac-10). In the Pac-8, Silva officiated basketball games involving Lew Alcindor (better known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), who played for the University of California, Los Angeles
(UCLA) Bruins
from 1965 to 1969.
Silva joined the NFL in 1968 as a line judge on legendary referee Jim Tunney
's officiating crew and was promoted to referee in 1969. The highlight of Silva's career was being selected as referee for Super Bowl XIV
between the Los Angeles Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers
in 1980. He would retire following the 1988 NFL season
.
Silva and Jack Fette, another NFL official, sued the league for age discrimination in 1992. They accused the NFL of grading officials over age 60 more strict than their younger colleagues. He and Fette split a cash settlement with the league. In an ironic situation, Fette finished his career in the NFL with a Super Bowl assignment, his fifth, during the 1987 NFL season
after grading out with a perfect season. Fette stayed on for the next four seasons as an instant replay
official.
Silva died on December 3, 2004 at the age of 77 in Palo Alto, California
. The cause of death was attributed to congestive heart failure
.
A life-long friend of Silva said, "Fred had a great sense of humor and a razor-sharp wit, which occasionally served him well in tense situations during NFL games. He was also a mentor to many younger people interested in athletics as a career choice."
Silva is survived by son Fred, Jr., daughters Karen and Kathy, and four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
between the San Diego Chargers
and Cincinnati Bengals
at Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium. The game was played under the coldest wind chill temperature in NFL history. Air temperature was -9°F (-23°C), but the wind chill was -59°F (-51°C). The game would later become known in NFL lore as the "Freezer Bowl
".
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) for 21 seasons from 1968 to 1988. Silva was widely known for his coolness under fire on the football field and clapping his hand together when signaling a first down. The pinnacle of Silva's officiating career in the NFL was being assigned to Super Bowl XIV
Super Bowl XIV
Super Bowl XIV was an American football game played on January 20, 1980 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1979 regular season...
in 1980. On the field, Silva wore three different uniform numbers. From the 1968 to 1970 seasons, Silva wore uniform number 49, but changed to number 81 in 1971, which he wore until 1978. Finally, from 1979 until the end of his career in 1988, he wore the number 7.
Silva graduated in 1945 from Castlemont High School in Oakland where he played quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
on the school's football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team and earned all-state honors.
After completing high school, Silva joined the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and was honorably discharged a year later in 1946. Following his service in the military, Silva attended San Jose State University
San José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...
, graduating with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
in March 1950. At San Jose State, Silva played football and was a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
and linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
.
Silva became first athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
at San Jose City College
San Jose City College
San Jose City College, founded in 1921, is a community college located in the city of San Jose, Santa Clara County, California.San Jose City College was originally called San Jose Junior College and operated in downtown San Jose, California...
and he coached football, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, and track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
teams during his tenure at the school. He led the football team to four championships during the 1950s and coached notable players that eventually played in the NFL such as Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
quarterback Chon Gallegos and Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
offensive lineman Jim Cadile
Jim Cadile
James Cadile is a former professional football offensive guard. Cadile played 11 years in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears. He currently resides in Medford, Or....
.
Following his coaching career, Silva began a career in officiating. Silva worked football, basketball, and baseball games as an official. He spent several years officiating at the collegiate level in the Pac-8 (now known as the Pac-10). In the Pac-8, Silva officiated basketball games involving Lew Alcindor (better known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), who played for the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
(UCLA) Bruins
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
from 1965 to 1969.
Silva joined the NFL in 1968 as a line judge on legendary referee Jim Tunney
Jim Tunney (American football official)
Dr. Jim Tunney was an American football official in the National Football League from 1960 to 1991. In his 31 years as an NFL official, Jim Tunney received a record 29 post-season assignments, including ten Championship games and Super Bowls VI, XI, and XII and named as an alternate in Super Bowl...
's officiating crew and was promoted to referee in 1969. The highlight of Silva's career was being selected as referee for Super Bowl XIV
Super Bowl XIV
Super Bowl XIV was an American football game played on January 20, 1980 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1979 regular season...
between the Los Angeles Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
in 1980. He would retire following the 1988 NFL season
1988 NFL season
The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri to the Phoenix, Arizona area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division....
.
Silva and Jack Fette, another NFL official, sued the league for age discrimination in 1992. They accused the NFL of grading officials over age 60 more strict than their younger colleagues. He and Fette split a cash settlement with the league. In an ironic situation, Fette finished his career in the NFL with a Super Bowl assignment, his fifth, during the 1987 NFL season
1987 NFL season
The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players...
after grading out with a perfect season. Fette stayed on for the next four seasons as an instant replay
Instant replay
Instant replay is the replaying of video footage of an event or incident very soon after it has occurred. In television broadcasting of sports events, instant replay is often used during live broadcast, to show a passage of play which was important or remarkable, or which was unclear on first...
official.
Silva died on December 3, 2004 at the age of 77 in Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
. The cause of death was attributed to congestive heart failure
Congestive heart failure
Heart failure often called congestive heart failure is generally defined as the inability of the heart to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the needs of the body. Heart failure can cause a number of symptoms including shortness of breath, leg swelling, and exercise intolerance. The condition...
.
A life-long friend of Silva said, "Fred had a great sense of humor and a razor-sharp wit, which occasionally served him well in tense situations during NFL games. He was also a mentor to many younger people interested in athletics as a career choice."
Silva is survived by son Fred, Jr., daughters Karen and Kathy, and four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorable Games
Silva was the referee for the 1981 AFC Championship GameAFC Championship Game
The American Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the American...
between the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
at Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium. The game was played under the coldest wind chill temperature in NFL history. Air temperature was -9°F (-23°C), but the wind chill was -59°F (-51°C). The game would later become known in NFL lore as the "Freezer Bowl
Freezer Bowl
In NFL lore, the Freezer Bowl was the 1981 AFC Championship Game between the San Diego Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals. The game was played in the coldest temperature in NFL history in terms of wind chill...
".