So, I found myself looking into John Hussey, one of the NFL referees, the other day. It wasn’t for any huge reason, honestly. I think I just saw his name pop up during a broadcast or maybe read it somewhere, and thought, “Who’s this guy?” You know how it goes, one minute you’re watching football, the next you’re down a rabbit hole finding out about the guy in the white hat.

My first step was pretty basic. I just grabbed my phone and searched “John Hussey NFL referee”. Simple as that. Got a bunch of results, naturally – news articles, stats sites, forum discussions. I started clicking around, trying to piece together his story.
Finding Out the Basics
Pretty quickly I learned some key stuff. Like his number is 35. That’s always good to know so you can spot him on the field. I saw he didn’t just start out as the main referee. Like a lot of them, he worked his way up through different positions on the officiating crew. I think he started way back, maybe early 2000s? He spent time as a line judge, if I remember correctly, before getting promoted to referee, which means he’s the crew chief, the one making the announcements.
I also stumbled across mentions that a lot of these refs have, or had, other jobs. Makes sense, it’s demanding work but maybe not always the first career path. Didn’t dig too deep into his specific day job, but it adds a bit of perspective, knowing these are real folks often juggling multiple things.
Watching Him Work
I tried to find some clips of games he officiated. It’s one thing to read about a ref, another to see them in action. Here’s what I gathered:
- Seems Calm: From the bits I saw, he looks pretty composed out there. Doesn’t seem to get overly flustered, even when things get tense.
- Clear Explanations: I appreciate when a ref clearly explains the penalty – who it’s on, what the foul was. Hussey seems pretty good at that. Makes the game easier to follow.
- Experienced: He’s definitely been around. You see refs handle big moments, playoff games, and that experience shows. He’s officiated some important matchups.
Of course, like any referee, you’ll find discussions online about calls he’s made. That comes with the territory. Fans are passionate, and officiating is tough. Saw some posts praising certain calls, others questioning different ones. No ref escapes scrutiny, right?

Putting it Together
So, after poking around for a bit, I got a clearer picture. John Hussey is a veteran official, number 35, worked his way up the ranks, leads a crew now. He seems professional on the field, handles the pressure, and communicates clearly. Like all refs, he’s had his share of tough calls in big games that people talk about.
Overall, it was interesting just learning a little more about one of the faces you see on the field every Sunday. It’s a high-pressure job, making split-second decisions with millions watching. Definitely gives you a bit more appreciation for what these officials do. Just a regular guy doing a pretty extraordinary job when you think about it.