Jim Mello, former ANEFO Official, will be one of the NFL football officials on the field during the NFC Championship Game between the Minnesota Vikings vs Philadelphia Eagles. The game will be televised on FOX-TV at 6:40 p.m. on Sunday, January 21, 2018. Jim Mello also spoke at a meeting of the ANEFO two years ago!
Jim will be joining Ed Hochuli, referee, who is in his 27th season and 25th as referee. This is Hochuli’s 26th postseason assignment, the most of any active official, which includes 11 Wild Card Playoffs, 5 Divisional Playoffs, 9 Conference Championships, and Super Bowls XXII and XXXVIII.
Hochuli, 67, worked his last playoff assignment in the Wild Card Playoff game between the Falcons and Rams on January 6, 2018. Along with other officials this year, he is working more than one game, and he is the first referee since Walt Anderson and Bill Carollo in2004 to have multiple non-Super Bowl assignments in a postseason.
He ties Terry McAulay with 11 assignments to the title games, combing conference championships and Super Bowls, as the most among active officials. Hochuli lives in San Diego, California and Jim Mello lives in North Andover, Massachusetts. Congratulations to Jim Mello, Ed Hochuli, and all the other officials listed below!
Pos. No. Name Yrs Crew College Occupation
R 85 Ed Hochuli 28 Hochuli Texas-El Paso attorney
DJ 48 Jim Mello 14 Allen Northeastern facilities manager
U 14 Shawn Smith 3 Hochuli Ferris State internal auditor
LJ 59 Rusty Baynes 8 Hochuli Auburn-Montgomery general manager, safety*
FJ 103 Eugene Hall 4 Boger North Texas federal agent
SJ 88 Brad Freeman 4 Cheffers Mississippi State sports park director
BJ 30 Todd Prukop 9 Corrente Cal State-Fullerton medical sales representative
*indicates full-time official
• Replay: Tom Sifferman
• Alternates: Carl Cheffers (R), Carl Johnson (LJ), James Coleman (SJ)