NFL referee Don Willard will make history Sunday by officiating two games in the same day, becoming the first NFL referee to do so, WMUR reported.
Willard will begin his day in Indianapolis, Indiana, to referee the Miami Dolphins game against the Indianapolis Colts, which kicks off at 1 p.m. Next, he will make a 109-mile journey by car to Cincinnati to officiate the Sunday Night Football matchup featuring the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals.
This grueling schedule comes on the heels of Friday’s Federal Aviation Administration ground stop, which brought a halt to flights across the country. Thousands of flights were affected by the nearly five-hour ground stop, leaving passengers stranded.
Per the NFL: “Due to the ongoing nationwide impact to air travel this weekend, the NFL has adjusted its officiating assignments for Week 10 games, reassigning officials to games within driving distance of their hometowns. The changes will necessitate that three back up referees…”
According to Bleacher Report, Willard will arrive at Lucas Oil Stadium at 10 a.m. By 4 p.m., the Dolphins-Colts game should be complete. His departure from central Indiana is planned for 5:30 p.m. so he can begin traveling toward southern Ohio.
He is expected to reach Paycor Stadium by 7:20 p.m., just in time for the 8:20 p.m. start between the Bengals and Steelers. The contest is projected to wrap up by 11:30 p.m., allowing him to exit the venue near 12:15 a.m.
In a statement, the NFL said,
“Due to the ongoing nationwide impact to air travel this weekend, the NFL has adjusted its officiating assignments for Week 10 games, reassigning officials to games within driving distance of their hometowns. The changes will necessitate that three back up referees – umpires Barry Anderson and Duane Heydt and side judge Don Willard – will work as referees in the following games: Carolina-New Orleans – Duane Heydt: Jacksonville-Tennessee – Barry Anderson: Miami-Indianapolis and Pittsburgh-Cincinnati: Don Willard. Each of the league’s 17 officiating crews have a backup referee identified, and that individual trains throughout the year to work at the referee position should the need arise.”
🚨 NFL ref Don Willard is set to make history as the first official to work two NFL games in one day Willard will ref Dolphins-Colts in Indy before driving 109 miles to Cincinnati for Steelers-Bengals on Sunday Night Football pic.twitter.com/PVpTtorM4o
Willard has been an NFL official for nine seasons.
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