Larry Nemmers Larry Nemmers is a retired educator and better known as a former American football official in the National Football League ( NFL ) . Nemmers made his debut as an NFL official in the 1985 season and continued in this role until the end of the 2007 season . Prior to his officiating career , he was a college football player at Upper Iowa University . Nemmers is notable for officiating in Super Bowl XXV , as well as several playoff games . Beginning his seventeenth season as referee with the 2007 NFL season , Nemmers ' officiating crew consists of Undrey Wash , Mark Baltz , Mike Spanier , Mike Weir , Carl Cheffers , and Dino Paganelli . The 2007 season will also be the final year for Nemmers as he as announced his retirement . Personal . Early years . Larry Nemmers , the eldest of nine children , is a native of Waterloo , Iowa and a 1960 graduate of Columbus High School in Waterloo . There he was a good friend of future professional baseball player , Virg Erickson . He later attended Upper Iowa University in Fayette , Iowa , graduating in 1965 with a bachelor ' s degree in biology . Nemmers also has master ' s degrees in physics and chemistry , which he received at East Texas State University in Commerce , Texas and in educational administration from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb , Illinois . Family . He and his wife , Sherry , reside in Springfield , Missouri . He has three sons , Shane , Lance , and Brett , from a previous marriage as well as four grandchildren . Education career . Nemmers ' career in education began in 1965 and retired in 1994 . During his time as an educator , he served as a teacher , textbook publisher , assistant principal , and principal . Since his retirement from education , Nemmers has traveled across the country as a motivational speaker . He was principal of Elgin High School in Elgin , IL from 1982 to 1994 . Officiating career . Early years . As an educator , Nemmers also began his career in officiating . He officiated both high school football and basketball for 18 years and was selected to officiate in four state final championships . Nemmers also served as the Illinois High School rules interpreter for 15 years . Nemmers moved up to college officiating in 1975 and worked in the Big Ten Conference for nine years , working both football and basketball games . During his college football officiating career , Nemmers officiated in the 1984 Rose Bowl . NFL career . Nemmers began his NFL officiating career in 1985 as a side judge , and was assigned Super Bowl XXV in 1991 , his final game at that position before being promoted to referee for the start of the 1991 NFL season after Jerry Seeman and Jim Tunney announced their retirements . As a referee , he was an alternate for Super Bowl XXXV in 2001 . He wore uniform number 20 throughout his entire NFL officiating career . Memorable games . Nemmers has officiated games which involved a player breaking a statistical record . He was the referee in the January 6 , 2002 game that saw Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith accumulate 1 , 000 yards rushing in 11 consecutive seasons , breaking a record shared with Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders . In another memorable moment , he was the referee in the November 27 , 2005 game that saw New York Giants punter Jeff Feagles set the NFL record for consecutive games with 283 , breaking the record held by Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jim Marshall .