THE GOOD LIFE

THE GOOD LIFE

Spring Bank president and chief executive officer David Schuelke at Lambeau Field.

Spring Bank president works side gig at Lambeau Field

By Brandon Anderegg, staff writer

It was 1994 when the National Football League officially allowed coaches to communicate with players via radio. Before then, most teams used hand signals and player substitutions to make play calls.

It was around this time that David Schuelke, president and chief executive officer of Spring Bank in Brookfield, started his gig as an NFL official, in an era many consider to be the renaissance of the Green Bay Packers franchise.

More than 25 years later, Schuelke still travels to Lambeau Field for home games where his primary responsibility is to control communication between the coach and the quarterback – toggling the line off and on at the snap of the ball or when 15 seconds remain on the play clock.

However, he is not privy to their conversations.

“No, that would be way too cool,” Schuelke said. “Again, it’s all secure, every team has their own frequency and they’re very conscious of that.”

Schuelke loves the Packers and is a huge sports fan in general. And while he certainly gets to watch the game, it’s important for him to stay focused, because he can’t miss a second.

“You get to see the game, but you’re not high-fiving or watching replays; you’re focused on the game,” he said. “You can’t get sidetracked.”

NFL officials are often the subject of criticism, but Schuelke pointed out that many officials do not see the same angles viewers at home see on the television. The group of officials that Schuelke works with receives exceptional ratings, which is why he and his team have been asked to officiate multiple playoff games.

“My takeaway from the experience is how detail-oriented the National Football League is,” Schuelke said. “You think of some duty or some aspect of game day, they’ve got someone responsible for that and a protocol in place.” n

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