Local NFL Referee Retires After 20 Years
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - "I knew it was time. Right now, I'm the oldest official in the league."
What a career Tom Stabile had. He officiated a number of Steelers games in Pittsburgh, the 2012 Super Bowl and his last game was this year's Pro Bowl.
"When you get to be near 70, they start honing in on you. So, before they start honing in on you, you say, 'Whoa, wait a minute. I'm going to retire on my own terms,'" Stabile said.
Stabile will tell you the life of an NFL official is stressful and sometimes threatening.
There have been many times someone on his crew made a call the home crowd or a head coach did not like.
One such incident involved Baltimore Ravens' head coach John Harbaugh.
"There were three boys from Pittsburgh on the same crew. Gene Steratore, Tony Steratore and myself. We were on the same crew. We get this profile game on a Monday night in Pittsburgh. Who do you think they're playing? The Baltimore Ravens. He comes up to me before the game, usually you shake their hand and wish them good luck and everything," Stabile said.
"He says, 'Tom I got a real problem tonight. I'm in Pittsburgh and there are three guys from Pittsburgh on the crew.' He says. 'I'm very concerned.' I said, 'Coach, don't worry about it. It's all about integrity. We don't see black and gold, purple and black, we just see offense and defense. He says, 'The game is hard enough to play with 11, much less 14.'"
"We weren't into the game half a quarter and Gene has a hold on his tackle and that was it. He said, 'I told you you Pittsburgh boys were going to try to do it to us!'"
It's not easy to get into the business or stay in it. Just like the players, the NFL wants the best of the best on their officiating crews.
There is a strict background check involved. The NFL's security looks into their officials' finances every year. They also interview neighbors and friends to protect the integrity of the game so the fix is never in.
"If I call them up and say, 'You know what? I just got a call from the guy sown the street and he wants me to fix the game.' Call them up and [a league official] handles it," Stabile said. "There are people that start out by joking, but I say, 'Don't even go there.' But, that's part of the reason why they have such a collecting bargaining agreement. It specifically says we are not allowed to go into casinos or race tracks."
Stabile always did it the right way and more often than not, made the right call. After 20 years, he has no regrets.
"Knock on wood, in 20 years I was able to stay under the radar. What I mean is you didn't see me being picked apart on Monday morning," Stabile said.
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