Mike Carey (American football) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mike Carey
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| Born | August 17, 1949 San Diego, California, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Education | Santa Clara University (Bachelor's degree, 1971) |
| Occupation | NFL official (1990–2013) Co-owner, Seirus Innovation |
| Spouse(s) | Wendy |
| Children | Danica and Drisana |
Michael Carey (born August 17, 1949) is a former American football official in the National Football League (NFL). He was known for wearing uniform number 94. Before becoming an NFL official, he played college football as a running back for Santa Clara University.
Mike Carey was a highly respected official in the NFL. Coaches often praised him for his careful preparation before games and his fair approach. He was even chosen to be the referee for Super Bowl XLII, which was a very important game. This made him the first African American referee to lead a Super Bowl.
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Mike Carey's Life and Career
Early Life and College Days
Mike Carey was born on August 17, 1949. He went to Santa Clara University and graduated in 1971 with a degree in biology. While he was there, he played running back for the college football team for four years. His playing career ended because of an ankle injury. This injury still affects him today, limiting how much he can run. He only runs on days when he is scheduled to officiate games.
Family Life
Mike Carey lives in San Diego, California, with his wife, Wendy. Wendy also went to Santa Clara University. They have two daughters named Drisana and Danica. Mike Carey's older brother, Don Carey, was also a retired NFL official. He worked as a back judge and field judge for many years.
Inventor and Business Owner
Mike and Wendy Carey started a company called Seirus Innovation in 1979. This company makes ski and snowboarding gloves, face masks, and other gear for cold weather. Mike Carey is also an inventor. He has several patents for ski clothing. One of his inventions, called "Cat Tracks," helps skiers walk more easily by providing better grip on their ski boots. He created this device when he was 30 years old.
Mike Carey's Officiating Career
Starting as an Official
Carey began officiating football games in 1972. He started with Pop Warner youth football games in the San Diego, California, area. In 1985, he moved up to the college level, joining the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). While in the WAC, he officiated three important bowl games.
Working in the NFL
The NFL hired Mike Carey in 1990 as a side judge. He was promoted to referee at the start of the 1995 NFL season. He became the second African American referee in NFL history, following Johnny Grier who started in 1988.
Carey was chosen as the referee for Super Bowl XLII. He also served as an alternate official for Super Bowl XXXVI. Throughout his career, he officiated many important playoff games, including two conference championship games, four divisional playoffs, and eight wild card games.
Carey worked many memorable games during his career. In 2005, Mike and his brother Don Carey made history. They became the first brothers to officiate an NFL game together. This happened during a game between the Carolina Panthers and Green Bay Packers.
In another game in 2005, between the Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions, a player named Terrell Suggs was ejected. Suggs argued with Carey after a penalty and bumped him. Carey explained that Suggs was ejected because he "bumped me with malice in his heart."
Later that year, during a game between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers, Carey had a funny moment. At the start of overtime, he couldn't find his coin for the coin toss. He had given it to a child who was an honorary captain. Luckily, another official found a penny for him to use.
Carey was also the referee during a playoff game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Redskins. In this game, a player named Sean Taylor spit at another player, Michael Pittman. Pittman reacted by slapping Taylor's helmet. Carey immediately ejected Taylor from the game. He decided not to penalize Pittman for reacting. The NFL's vice president of officiating, Mike Pereira, supported Carey's decision.
It was later shared that Carey had asked the NFL not to assign him to games involving the Washington Redskins. He had not worked a game with them since 2006.
Super Bowl XLII Experience
Mike Carey was named the referee for Super Bowl XLII in 2008. He felt it was a "personal honor" and understood how important it was to be the first African American referee for the Super Bowl. He said it showed how society was changing and that "all barriers are eroding."
During the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLII, Carey made an important call. With just over a minute left, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning was being tackled by several New England Patriots defenders. Manning managed to escape and throw a 32-yard pass to wide receiver David Tyree. Under NFL rules, officials must stop play if a player is "in the grasp and control" of the defense. Carey decided that Manning was never fully controlled because his forward movement did not stop. He explained that Manning was trying to break free with "desperation" and then spun out to make the play.
Other Work
After leaving the NFL on June 24, 2014, Mike Carey joined CBS Sports. He worked as a rules analyst for their football broadcasts. His job was to explain and interpret rules during games. He provided analysis from the game sites and studios. His contract with CBS Sports was not renewed after the 2015 season.
Mike Carey was replaced as an NFL referee by Brad Allen.
