Tom Dooley (American football official)
Encyclopedia
Robert Thomas "Tom" Dooley Jr. (born September 15, 1934 in Roanoke, Virginia
) was an American football official for 32 years with 14 of those years in the National Football League
(NFL) from 1978 to 1992 as a line judge and referee. Dooley was assigned Super Bowl XV
in 1981 as line judge. In the NFL, he wore the uniform number 6.
, Dooley attended Andrew Lewis High School
in Salem, Virginia
where he graduated in 1952 and later attended college at the Virginia Military Institute
, earning a bachelor's degree
in civil engineering
in 1956 and was a varsity football
player. One year later, he earned a master's degree
from the Georgia Institute of Technology
. Between 1957 and 1960, Dooley served in the United States Air Force
as a First Lieutenant
.
In 1960, after completing his tour in the Air Force, Dooley began a distinguished football officiating career. From 1960 to 1977, Dooley worked both junior high and high school football games and also officiated college football games from 1966 to 1977 in the Southern Conference
(Division I-AA).
Dooley was selected to join the NFL in 1978 as a line judge before being promoted to the referee position following his appearance at Super Bowl XV for the start of the 1981 NFL season
. Beginning with his Super Bowl
paycheck, Dooley signed away nearly every paycheck he received from the NFL for the next 14 years, which was an amount in excess of $500,000 to a scholarship fund he created at Virginia Military Institute called "Matthew 25
", http://www.naso.org/benefits/goldwhistle/tomdooley.htm named after the Biblical passage. Dooley retired from the NFL following the 1992 season
in order to spend more time with his family, but continues to supply funds to the scholarship with the checks he receives from his work mediating and arbitrating construction-related problems.
Outside of the NFL, Dooley founded his company, R.T. Dooley Construction in 1977 based out of Charlotte, North Carolina
. It specializes in commercial and medical buildings in North Carolina
and South Carolina
and has a staff of more than 100 employees. R.T. Dooley Construction made a policy to give a financial contribution every year to employees and other organizations.
Tom is married to Nancy and have three children, Nina, Bob, and David and lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. But now he is known as grandfather to his eight grand-daughters.
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
) was an American football official for 32 years with 14 of those years in the National Football League
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 1992 as a line judge and referee. Dooley was assigned Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV was an American football game played on January 25, 1981 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1980 regular season...
in 1981 as line judge. In the NFL, he wore the uniform number 6.
Biography
A native of VirginiaVirginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, Dooley attended Andrew Lewis High School
Andrew Lewis High School
Andrew Lewis High School is a former high school in Salem, Virginia, US which was named after Andrew Lewis, an American pioneer, surveyor, and soldier from Virginia. He served as a colonel of militia during the French and Indian War, and as a brigadier general in the American Revolutionary War. who...
in Salem, Virginia
Salem, Virginia
Salem is an independent city in Virginia, USA, bordered by the city of Roanoke to the east but otherwise adjacent to Roanoke County. It is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 24,802 according to 2010 U.S. Census...
where he graduated in 1952 and later attended college at the Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
, earning 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 civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
in 1956 and was a varsity 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...
player. One year later, he earned a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
from the Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
. Between 1957 and 1960, Dooley served in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
as a First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
.
In 1960, after completing his tour in the Air Force, Dooley began a distinguished football officiating career. From 1960 to 1977, Dooley worked both junior high and high school football games and also officiated college football games from 1966 to 1977 in the Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
(Division I-AA).
Dooley was selected to join the NFL in 1978 as a line judge before being promoted to the referee position following his appearance at Super Bowl XV for the start of the 1981 NFL season
1981 NFL season
The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
. Beginning with his Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
paycheck, Dooley signed away nearly every paycheck he received from the NFL for the next 14 years, which was an amount in excess of $500,000 to a scholarship fund he created at Virginia Military Institute called "Matthew 25
Matthew 25
Matthew 25, the twenty-fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, consists of three parables of Jesus:* Parable of the Ten Virgins * Parable of the talents or minas * The Sheep and the Goats...
", http://www.naso.org/benefits/goldwhistle/tomdooley.htm named after the Biblical passage. Dooley retired from the NFL following the 1992 season
1992 NFL season
The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that...
in order to spend more time with his family, but continues to supply funds to the scholarship with the checks he receives from his work mediating and arbitrating construction-related problems.
Outside of the NFL, Dooley founded his company, R.T. Dooley Construction in 1977 based out of Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. It specializes in commercial and medical buildings in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
and has a staff of more than 100 employees. R.T. Dooley Construction made a policy to give a financial contribution every year to employees and other organizations.
Tom is married to Nancy and have three children, Nina, Bob, and David and lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. But now he is known as grandfather to his eight grand-daughters.
Memorable Games
- Dooley was the referee in a 1989 NFL season1989 NFL seasonThe 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement...
game between the Chicago BearsChicago BearsThe 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...
and Green Bay PackersGreen Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
at Lambeau FieldLambeau FieldLambeau Field is an outdoor football stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Opened in 1957 as City Stadium, it replaced the original City Stadium as the Packers' home field...
in which Green Bay appeared to tie the game towards the end of the game on a Don MajkowskiDon MajkowskiDonald Francis Vincent Majkowski, "Majik", is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions.-College career:...
touchdown pass. Majkowski was penalized by Dooley's line judge, Jim QuirkJim QuirkJim Quirk Sr. was an American football official in the National Football League from the 1988 NFL season to the 2008 NFL season. Quirk, who wore uniform number 5, was notable for his hustle between plays on the football field, resulting in the length of games being shortened...
, for being across the line of scrimmage when he threw that pass, a violation of the rules, which would have nullified the touchdown and given the ball to Chicago since it was fourth down and the penalty included loss of down. The penalty call was reversed by the instant replayInstant replayInstant 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 who concluded the ball was not across the line of scrimmage when it was released. The touchdown was allowed and Green Bay won the game 14-13. The game would later become known in NFL lore as the "The Instant Replay Game". The call so infuriated the Bears that they note the game with an asterisk in their media guide.
- In another 1989 regular season game, Dooley was referee in a game between the Denver BroncosDenver BroncosThe Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
at Cleveland StadiumCleveland StadiumCleveland Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in Cleveland, Ohio. In its final years, the stadium seated 74,438, for baseball and 81,000, for football. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball and football...
, home of the infamous "Dawg PoundDawg PoundThe Dawg Pound is the name of the bleacher section behind the east end zone in Cleveland Browns Stadium, the home field of the Cleveland Browns. It is known for its extremely zealous fan base.-Formation:...
". The Dawg Pound rowdiness had a concrete impact on the outcome of a game. In the fourth quarter, a rain of dog bones, batteries, rocks and eggs coming down from the bleachers and was endangering the safety of the players. Dooley stopped the game and told Denver quarterbackQuarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
John ElwayJohn ElwayJohn Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
to take his team to the other end of the field, away from the east end where the Dawg Pound was located. Since there was a crosswind blowing, there was no real advantage from the wind to either team. At the end, Cleveland kicked a field goal to win.
Awards
- NASO Gold Whistle Award, 2000 http://www.naso.org/PressReleases/st55.htm
- 2010, For setting a faith-based example and giving back to the community, the YMCA of Greater Charlotte is honoring Tom Dooley with its John R. Mott Award. The honor is named for the Nobel Peace Prize winner who championed the cause of displaced prisoners in both World Wars. http://www.greatercharlottebiz.com/article.asp?id=1014
External links
- MATTHEW 25 SCHOLARSHIP. Virginia Military Institute (Accessed August 21, 2006).
- Former NFL referee Tom Dooley Earns NASO Gold Whistle Award NFLHS.com (Accessed August 21, 2006).