Jim Tunney (American football official)
Encyclopedia
Dr. Jim Tunney was an American football official in the National Football League
(NFL) from 1960 to 1991. In his 31 years as an NFL official, Jim Tunney received a record 29 post-season assignments, including ten Championship games and Super Bowls VI
, XI
, and XII
and named as an alternate in Super Bowl XVIII
. He is still the only referee who has worked consecutive Super Bowls, and likely will be the only one to do so.
Nicknamed the "Dean of NFL Referees", Tunney was the first official to be named to the "All-Madden Team" in 1990 and won the "Gold Whistle Award" in 1992 from the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO). He wore uniform number 32 for most of his career, but when the NFL numbered each position separately from 1979 through 1981 rather than assigning one number per official, he wore number 3. Tunney's trademark signal upon a successful field goal, or extra point, featured raising his arms with fists clenched, then opening both fists simultaneously to indicate the attempt as "good".
Officials who worked on Tunney's crew for many years included former NFL great Pat Harder
at umpire and head linesman Burl Toler
, the NFL's first African-American official.
After graduating from Occidental College
in 1951, Tunney starting officiating football
and basketball
working high school, college, and Pacific Coast Conference
(Pac-10) games until 1967. In 1960, he was hired to work in the NFL as a field judge before being promoted to the referee position in 1967 where he would stay for the remainder of his career until retiring after the 1990 NFL season
. His final game was the 1991 AFC Championship Game
between the Buffalo Bills
and Los Angeles Raiders played January 20, 1991.
Still active in league affairs and many sports issues, Tunney was a member of Commissioner Tagliabue's
Officiating 2000 Committee, and was Vice Chair of the U.S. Olympic Committee for Northern California
(Sydney 2000 Games). In 1993, he founded the Jim Tunney Youth Foundation, which supports community programs and resources that work with youth to develop leadership, work skills, wellness, and self-esteem. He writes a weekly column for the Monterey Herald and is a motivational speaker.
Jim Tunney was the Boy's Vice Principal at Abraham Lincoln High School in the City of Los Angeles, California.
(1964–1970), Franklin
(1972), and Hollywood High School
(1973–74). He became assistant superintendent of secondary education for the Bellflower Unified School District
in 1975 and served as the district's superintendent in 1977. He left education for 16 years before becoming headmaster from 1993 to 1994 of the York School
in Monterey, California
, joining the school's board of trustees in 1995 and remaining in that post to this day. He also joined the board of trustees for Monterey Peninsula College
in 1997 and still serves on the board.
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) from 1960 to 1991. In his 31 years as an NFL official, Jim Tunney received a record 29 post-season assignments, including ten Championship games and Super Bowls VI
Super Bowl VI
Super Bowl VI was an American football game played on January 16, 1972, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1971 regular season...
, XI
Super Bowl XI
Super Bowl XI was a football game played on January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1976 regular season...
, and XII
Super Bowl XII
Super Bowl XII was an American football game played on January 15, 1978 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1977 regular season...
and named as an alternate in Super Bowl XVIII
Super Bowl XVIII
Super Bowl XVIII was an American football game played on January 22, 1984, at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida, deciding the National Football League champion following the 1983 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Los Angeles Raiders defeated the National Football Conference...
. He is still the only referee who has worked consecutive Super Bowls, and likely will be the only one to do so.
Nicknamed the "Dean of NFL Referees", Tunney was the first official to be named to the "All-Madden Team" in 1990 and won the "Gold Whistle Award" in 1992 from the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO). He wore uniform number 32 for most of his career, but when the NFL numbered each position separately from 1979 through 1981 rather than assigning one number per official, he wore number 3. Tunney's trademark signal upon a successful field goal, or extra point, featured raising his arms with fists clenched, then opening both fists simultaneously to indicate the attempt as "good".
Officials who worked on Tunney's crew for many years included former NFL great Pat Harder
Pat Harder
Marlin M. "Pat" Harder was a college and professional football player, playing fullback and kicker. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1993....
at umpire and head linesman Burl Toler
Burl Toler
Burl Abron Toler, Sr. was an American football official in the National Football League for 24 seasons from 1965 to 1989. He served as a field judge and head linesman throughout his career and is most notable for being the first African-American official in the NFL...
, the NFL's first African-American official.
After graduating from Occidental College
Occidental College
Occidental College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887, Occidental College, or "Oxy" as it is called by students and alumni, is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges on the West Coast...
in 1951, Tunney starting officiating football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
working high school, college, and Pacific Coast Conference
Pacific Coast Conference
The Pacific Coast Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pacific-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, the older league had a completely different charter and was disbanded in 1959 due to a major crisis...
(Pac-10) games until 1967. In 1960, he was hired to work in the NFL as a field judge before being promoted to the referee position in 1967 where he would stay for the remainder of his career until retiring after the 1990 NFL season
1990 NFL season
The 1990 NFL season was the 71st regular season of the National Football League. To increase revenue, the league changed the regular season so that all NFL teams would play their 16-game schedule over a 17-week period...
. His final game was the 1991 AFC Championship Game
AFC Championship Game
The American Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the American...
between the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Los Angeles Raiders played January 20, 1991.
Still active in league affairs and many sports issues, Tunney was a member of Commissioner Tagliabue's
Paul Tagliabue
Paul John Tagliabue is a former Commissioner of the National Football League. He took the position in 1989 and was succeeded by Roger Goodell, who was elected to the position on August 8, 2006. Tagliabue's retirement took effect on September 1, 2006. He had previously served as a lawyer for the NFL...
Officiating 2000 Committee, and was Vice Chair of the U.S. Olympic Committee for Northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
(Sydney 2000 Games). In 1993, he founded the Jim Tunney Youth Foundation, which supports community programs and resources that work with youth to develop leadership, work skills, wellness, and self-esteem. He writes a weekly column for the Monterey Herald and is a motivational speaker.
Jim Tunney was the Boy's Vice Principal at Abraham Lincoln High School in the City of Los Angeles, California.
Memorable Games
Here is a listing of some notable games Tunney was involved in:- "The Field Goal" - Baltimore at Green Bay (12/26/65)--field judge
- "The Ice BowlNFL Championship Game, 1967The 1967 National Football League Championship Game between the Western Conference champion Green Bay Packers and the Eastern Conference champion Dallas Cowboys was the 35th championship game in NFL history. The game was held at Lambeau Field on December 31, 1967. The winner of the game was...
" - Dallas at Green Bay (12/31/67)--alternate referee - "The KickTom DempseyThomas Dempsey is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints , Philadelphia Eagles , Los Angeles Rams , Houston Oilers and Buffalo Bills . He attended high school at San Dieguito High School and played college football at Palomar College...
" - Detroit at New Orleans (11/8/70) - 1979 AFC championship game - Houston at Pittsburgh (1/6/80) (In this game, Oilers wide receiver Mike RenfroMike RenfroMichael Ray Renfro is a former American professional football player.- NFL draft :Renfro was selected by the Houston Oilers in the fourth round of the 1978 NFL Draft. A 6'0", 186-lb...
was ruled to have been out of bounds on an apparent touchdown pass from Dan PastoriniDan PastoriniDante "Dan" Anthony Pastorini is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, and the Philadelphia Eagles.-NFL career:...
late in the third quarter that would have tied the game. Replays showed that Renfro got both feet down inbounds, but Houston had to settle for a field goal.) - "The CatchThe Catch (American football)The Catch refers to the winning touchdown reception by Dwight Clark off a Joe Montana pass in the January 10, 1982, NFC Championship Game between the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers...
" - Dallas at San Francisco (1/10/82) - "The 100th Game" - Green Bay at Chicago (11/20/83)
- "The Snowball GameSnowball GameIn American football, the Snowball Game was the name given to the November 11, 1985 National Football League game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos...
" - San Francisco at Denver (11/11/85) - "The FumbleThe FumbleIn American football, The Fumble refers to a specific incident in the AFC Championship Game between the Cleveland Browns and the Denver Broncos on January 17, 1988 at Mile High Stadium...
" - Cleveland at Denver (1/17/88) - "The Fog BowlFog Bowl (American football)In American football, the Fog Bowl was the name given to the December 31, 1988 National Football League playoff game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Chicago Bears. A heavy, dense fog rolled over Chicago's Soldier Field during the 2nd quarter, cutting visibility to about 10-20 yards for the...
" - Philadelphia at Chicago (12/31/88)
Other Game Notes
- Tunney is the last referee to conduct the coin toss for the Super Bowl, and was also the first referee to supervise a coin toss conducted by a special guest. Prior to Super Bowl XIISuper Bowl XIISuper Bowl XII was an American football game played on January 15, 1978 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1977 regular season...
, Pro Football Hall of FamePro Football Hall of FameThe Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
running back Red GrangeRed GrangeHarold Edward "Red" Grange, nicknamed "The Galloping Ghost", was a college and professional American football halfback for the University of Illinois, the Chicago Bears, and for the short-lived New York Yankees. His signing with the Bears helped legitimize the National Football League...
tossed the coin at the Louisiana SuperdomeLouisiana SuperdomeThe Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
. - During the 1987 AFC Championship game, two legendary referees were on the field when Earnest BynerEarnest BynerEarnest Alexander Byner is a former American football running back in the National Football League and is currently a running backs coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars...
fumbled near the goal line late in the contest. Alternate referee Jerry SeemanJerry SeemanJerry Seeman was an American football official in the National Football League from 1975 to 1990 and was the NFL's Senior Director of Officiating from 1991 to 2001, succeeding Art McNally...
was forced to take over at field judge (now back judge) when Dick Dolack, the regular field judge who was also a long-time member of Tunney's regular season crew, pulled his hamstring on a long touchdown pass from John ElwayJohn ElwayJohn Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
to Mark Jackson. Seeman gave the initial signal that Denver's Jeremiah CastilleJeremiah CastilleJeremiah Castille is an American professional football player. A 5'10", 175-lb. defensive back from the University of Alabama, Castille was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He played in six seasons in the NFL from 1983–1988 for the Buccaneers and...
recovered Byner's fumble. - Tunney would indicate a successful field goal or PAT by raising both arms with fists clenched, followed by unclenching his fists and extending all ten fingers upward.
Educator
Off the field, Tunney has had a long career as an educator and school administrator, starting out in 1951 as a teacher at Los Angeles' Lincoln High School, later becoming vice principal from 1959 to 1964. He then served as a principal of Los Angeles high schools FairfaxFairfax High School (Los Angeles)
Fairfax High School is a Los Angeles Unified School District high school located in Los Angeles, USA, near the border of West Hollywood in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles...
(1964–1970), Franklin
Franklin High School (Los Angeles)
Benjamin Franklin High School is a public high school in the Highland Park neighborhood, approximately seven miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, California, United States...
(1972), and Hollywood High School
Hollywood High School
Hollywood High School is a Los Angeles Unified School District high school located at the intersection of North Highland Avenue and West Sunset Boulevard in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California.-History:...
(1973–74). He became assistant superintendent of secondary education for the Bellflower Unified School District
Bellflower Unified School District
The Bellflower Unified School District is a school district in Los Angeles County, California. It serves the city of Bellflower as well as portions of Cerritos and Lakewood.-Middle/High schools:*Bellflower High School*Mayfair High School...
in 1975 and served as the district's superintendent in 1977. He left education for 16 years before becoming headmaster from 1993 to 1994 of the York School
York School (California)
York School is a coeducational day school consisting of about 235 students on a hilltop near Highway 68 in Monterey, California.-History:York was founded in 1959 with 12 seventh-grade boys and two teachers. For the first year, only seventh-grade boys were admitted, but it was planned that a grade...
in Monterey, California
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
, joining the school's board of trustees in 1995 and remaining in that post to this day. He also joined the board of trustees for Monterey Peninsula College
Monterey Peninsula College
Monterey Peninsula College commonly called MPC is a public community college located in Monterey, California. Established in 1947, it is a part of the California Community Colleges system.-External links:*...
in 1997 and still serves on the board.
Books by Tunney
- Impartial Judgment: "The Dean of NFL Referees" Calls Pro Football As He Sees It, 1988 (ISBN 0-531-15095-X)
- Chicken Soup for the Sports Fan's Soul, 2000 (ISBN 1-55874-875-X)
- It's The Will, Not The Skill, 2004 (ISBN 1-4134-5832-7)