Brad Rogers, professor of business and former student at Lubbock Christian University, will begin his career with the National Football League this fall as a part of their officiating crew. Rogers, who began officiating in 1991, started off calling high school games.
“A gentleman by the name of Tim Hadley, a former teacher [at LCU], was a local official,” explained Rogers. “He encouraged me to try it when I was a student here, and I’ve been working at it ever since. This will be my 26th season as a referee, but I started out doing intramural games and local junior high and high school games.”
When he is not on the field calling football games or studying film in the locker room, Rogers spends his days in the classroom at LCU, teaching business courses to undergraduate and graduate students.
“I deal with conflict resolution every Saturday in ball games,” he explained. “With what we have here at [at LCU], a growing, thriving university that is continuing to try to improve in every area, this helps generate lots of important discussions. It has helped me to be a better listener, helped me to better hear what other people need, and helped me to work to conform ideas and programs around those needs.”
Rogers is one of four new officials to make their debut this season and a product of the NFL Officiating Development Program, during which he participated as an eighth official, working with NFL crews to help call games. Additionally, he also worked as the middle judge in the 2017 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, which the NFL officiating department staffs with development officials.
NFLRA Executive Director Scott Green congratulated the new officials, saying, “It’s a long, tough road to become an NFL official. We congratulate these four outstanding individuals on their selection and welcome them to the union.”