Life Lessons from a NFL Referee: DePaul Students Chat with Tony Michalek

By Erin Henze

Most people watching or attending a football game don’t fully understand one of the most important and complex positions on the field: the referee.

On Wednesday, Oct. 12, students in Andy Clark’s Introduction to Sports Management class and Bruce Leech’s Intro to Entrepreneurship course had the opportunity to hear from longtime NFL umpire Tony Michalek about his journey from high school officiating to refereeing the Super Bowl. 

“When you put the stripes on you know you’re gonna be catching grief,” Michalek said when asked by a student how he keeps his composure during games. “It can be really hard but it’s what you have to do.” 

Michalek has been an NFL umpire for over 20 years, officiating a Super Bowl and forming relationships with football legends like Tom Brady and Bill Belichick

Michalek began the class by giving students some background information on his life- he attended Indiana University after high school where he played football. After graduating, Tony worked as a floor trader at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange- a position he would hold for over 20 years. During that time, he began to officiate various sporting events on weekends and evenings, including high school football games. Eventually, Michalek entered the world of collegiate refereeing where he was able to make a name for himself and work his way up to the NFL.

“You’d be surprised at how small the sports world is,” Michalek told the class. “Everybody’s connected, so once you’re in it may not be long before you’re making your way to the top.” 

Tony also impressed upon the class the benefits of refereeing, especially once you get to high levels. In 2019, the average NFL referee salary was set at just over $200,000- a job that only requires three to four days of work each week. If we’re looking at this from a business perspective, refereeing is a great use of your time that has a high payout and a high reward, even if you’re just officiating a middle or high school basketball game. The job also has another obvious perk- you get to be on the field for some of the best games in sports history. 

Michalek was the umpire for the 2008 Super Bowl that pitted the New York Giants against the New England Patriots. To this day, the game is considered one of the greatest upsets in the history of professional sports as the Giants took down the undefeated Patriots by a score of 17-14. Not only did Michalek get to be on the field for that historic game, he also got his very own championship ring. 

“You’d think it’s just the players who get one of these, but no, referees get one too,” Michalek told the class as he showed off the shiny ring on his finger. 

In addition to the hearty paycheck and athletic glory comes the lasting relationships a referee can make with players and coaches. Because he officiates such high-pressure games, Michalek tries to keep the atmosphere light and humorous. He told the class a story about how, during a Bears game he officiated, he asked the linemen in between plays to not embarrass him because his mom, wife, and daughters were all in the stands watching him ref. 

“You have to try and have fun with it and use humor to keep your composure,” Michalek explained to the class. “I’ve never had a brawl in one of my games because we never get that buildup of tension.” 

Michalek also explained how referring at any level helps to build character skills such as conflict resolution, communication, teamwork, and networking. 

“When you get into something like this, the people around you remember you and they want to work with you,” Michalek said. “Once they see that you commit to doing something like officiating they respect you and you become a part of the community.”

Networking also plays a huge role in working your way to the top of the refereeing chain, a fact that we can translate into the everyday world of business. No matter the occupation you choose, getting to know people, making connections, and showcasing yourself as a hardworking and dedicated individual to those around you will pay off in the end. 

Whether you’re officiating a middle school soccer game or an NBA championship, the principle of refereeing remains the same: keep your composure and the personal payout will be worth it. 

“You have to train yourself to keep composure,” Michalek told the class. “Remember that it’s not personal- it’s just because you’re wearing the stripes.”

Michalek brought along some of his referee shirts so that students could roleplay and get a feel for what it’s like to throw flags during an actual NFL game.

After nearly 21 years in the NFL, Michalek is just as passionate about what he does as he was when he first started all those years ago. And with the sports world experiencing a massive referee shortage, it needs people like Tony Michalek to instill a passion for the occupation into young people around the world. 

Photo Credits: Kathy Hillegonds