Blue White Illustrated

Outside of tags to the quarterback – with the play called dead on his whistle out of the backfield for protection – the game was to be officiated with relative normalcy. A running clock would be im- plemented at his discretion, but even bang-bang play clock violations could be given a pass, he told us. In fact, only the most egregious of penalties needed to be called, unlike the instruction of a spring practice session in which every minor infraction is identified for the players' benefit. In other words, keep the kids safe, keep the game moving and enjoy the after- noon of consequence-free football. The relaxed atmosphere was a complete departure for McGinn and his officiating crew. During the fall, the stakes are high and so is the scrutiny, and that's why the officials take their responsibilities so se- riously. They are the nameless men whose judgment is a critical component of the product that millions of fans watch, and they dedicate a considerable amount of time to the game they love. Given the height- ened responsibili- ties that accompa- ny officiating in the high-stakes world of major-college football, it's a job for the confident, competitive and passion- ate few. To a man, they wouldn't want it any other way. "We love what we do or we wouldn't do it," said Steratore, two decades into his career as an official and entering his sixth season with the Big Ten. "It's just been something that has been a part of the better portion of our lives. The peo- ple you meet, the places that you have the opportunity to work at and travel around to are all great, but I'd say the reason why most of us do what we do is because of the competitiveness within us to try to just be the best official or crewmate that we can be." That motivation manifests itself in many ways, and not just during games. It's evident long before the officials step between the white lines. Needing many games' worth of experi- ence at the high school level before they STARS & STRIPES Spring football helps officials prepare for the season to come. The Big Ten crew that worked the Blue- White Game received spe- cial instructions from Franklin, a departure from the game day routine in the regular season. Photos by Nate Bauer (above) and Steve Manuel (right)

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