PROFILES
PERSONALITIES PLUS
‘Regis, Put Your Money on Notre Dame’ By Jeffrey Stern
R
egis Philbin’s death last summer had special meaning for collegiate football referee and retired dentist Jack Winters of Findlay, Ohio. Winters remembered a spring day 26 years earlier when he and six colleagues were introduced to the host of such programs as “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”
Working Notre Dame’s spring football game in 1994 led to the officiating crew meeting with longtime TV personality Regis Philbin. From left are Dennis Jackson, Sid Rodeheffer, Jack Winters, Larry Snyder, Philbin, Norm Eubanks, Brent Durbin and Jim Thomas.
In 1994, Winters was a referee in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Winters was asked by thenMAC officiating coordinator John Nealon to put together a crew to travel to South Bend, Ind., to work Notre Dame’s intersquad spring football game. Nealon, a Notre Dame alumnus, had come to know Fighting Irish Coach Lou Holtz during his days as a Big Ten football official. That connection led Holtz to call Nealon to arrange officials. Winters happily accepted the assignment. He’d had the same assignment the year before, but this year’s visit would give him a chance to see the renovations at storied Notre Dame Stadium, where
such notables as Knute Rockne, Ara Parseghian and Frank Leahy had coached and Heisman Trophy recipients Paul Hornung, John Lujack, Leon Hart and other great players had performed. The rest of Winters’ crew that day consisted of field judge Dennis Jackson, Marion, Ohio; head linesman Sid Rodeheffer, Findlay, Ohio; back judge Larry Snyder, Indianapolis; side judge Norm Eubanks, Leo, Ind.; field judge Brent Durbin, Kendallville, Ind.; and umpire Jim Thomas, Fort Wayne, Ind. “When we entered from the player’s tunnel, the sports information director came to me with a request,” Winters said. “He said, ‘Could we get the crew together for a picture with a very special alumnus who is on campus for the weekend?’” Winters and company agreed, and soon were introduced to Philbin, who was decked out in a Notre Dame jacket. “At that moment, I did not realize he had graduated from Notre Dame,” Winters said. After the photo was taken, Winters said Philbin told the crew, “Good luck today. Don’t screw it up!” To which Winters replied, “Rest assured. Put your money on Notre Dame. We guarantee you a win today.” Since spring games are intrasquad scrimmages without an actual winner and loser, that was a pledge Winters couldn’t break. Several weeks later, the sports information director sent Winters a copy of the photo. Winters sent it on to Philbin who returned it autographed. The inscription reads, “To Jack. Who are these guys? My best, Regis Philbin.” “I never sent an answer to his question,” Winters said. Winters noted Philbin’s love for Notre Dame was so deep that his ashes were scattered on the campus. Jeffrey Stern is Referee’s senior editor. He officiated high school and collegiate football and umpired high school baseball.
Still Going Strong Marchel Krieger Age: 56 Jamestown, N.D.
Marchel Krieger’s officiating career began soon after he graduated from high school. Almost 40 years and more than 3,000 games later, he still finds the same enjoyment as when he started. “It’s a lot of pairs of shoes, it’s a lot of miles on the car,” Krieger told the Jamestown (N.D.) Sun. “But it makes the winters go faster.” Although all of those games have taken a toll on his knees, retirement isn’t in his sights just yet. “When I first started, I always said I wanted to give something back that either I didn’t get as a player, or I did and I wanted to let other people experience the same thing in a fair game,” he said.
The Retiring Type Keith Pender Age: 47 St. John’s, Newfoundland
At 47, Keith Pender seems too young to retire as umpire-inchief for Softball Newfoundland Labrador (SNL). But considering he worked his first game at the tender age of 16, Pender’s decision is more understandable. During his 30-year career, Pender worked the Canadian Fastpitch Championships 11 times, served in various administrative roles for the Metro Umpires Association over an 18-year period and served as an umpire-in-chief for nine years. Pender was twice named SNL umpire of the year and was named Softball Canada umpire of the year in 2011. A statement from SNL noted, “There is no denying that Keith has a passion for the game of softball and his contributions on and off the field will have a lasting effect on the game for years.”
Do you know a person or group who should be profiled? Send info to us at profiles@referee.com
70 | REFEREE May 2021
May_21.indb 70
3/18/2021 9:06:48 AM
