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 wore uniform number 94. Before becoming an official, he played college football as a running back for Santa Clara University.
Mike Carey was known as a respected official in the NFL. He was very prepared for games and acted professionally. In a survey by ESPN in 2008, NFL head coaches voted him one of the best referees. He was the first African American referee to work the Super Bowl XLII, a very important game.
Carey retired as one of the most experienced referees in the NFL. He was promoted to referee in 1995 when the league added new teams. This meant they needed more officials for the extra games.
Contents
About Mike Carey
Early Life and Education
Mike Carey graduated from Santa Clara University in 1971. He earned a bachelor's degree in biology. While at Santa Clara, he played running back for four years. An ankle injury ended his playing career. This injury still affects him today, limiting his running. He only runs on days when he is officiating games.
Family Life
Mike Carey lives in San Diego, California, with his wife, Wendy. Wendy also graduated from Santa Clara University. They have two daughters, Drisana and Danica. Mike Carey's older brother, Don Carey, was also an NFL official.
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 is "Cat Tracks." He created this device when he was 30 years old. It slips over a ski boot to help people walk better on slippery surfaces.
Officiating Career
Starting Out
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 college football. He joined the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). While in the WAC, he officiated three bowl games.
In the National Football League
The NFL hired Mike Carey in 1990 as a side judge. He was promoted to referee for the 1995 NFL season. He became the second African American referee in NFL history. The first was Johnny Grier in 1988.
Carey was chosen to be the referee for Super Bowl XLII. He was also an alternate official for Super Bowl XXXVI. During his career, he officiated many important playoff games. These included two conference championship games and several divisional and wild card playoff games.
Carey worked many memorable games. In 2005, Mike and 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 a call and bumped Mike Carey. Carey immediately ejected him from the game. After the game, Carey explained that Suggs "bumped me with malice in his heart and he was gone."
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. The field judge had to give him a penny to use instead.
Carey was also the referee for a 2005 playoff game. It was between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Redskins. During this game, Redskins player Sean Taylor spat at Buccaneers player Michael Pittman. Pittman reacted by slapping Taylor's helmet. Carey immediately ejected Taylor from the game. He decided not to penalize Pittman for his reaction. Later, the NFL's vice president of officiating, Mike Pereira, supported Carey's decision. Pereira said that ejecting someone for spitting was the right thing to do.
In 2014, it was 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 Highlights
Mike Carey was named referee for Super Bowl XLII in 2008. He felt it was a "personal honor" and understood its historical importance. He was the first African American referee to work the Super Bowl. He said it showed "the evolution of our society that all barriers are eroding."
During the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl, Carey made an important call. With just over a minute left, Giants quarterback Eli Manning was about to be tackled by several Patriots defenders. Manning managed to escape and throw a 32-yard pass to wide receiver David Tyree. Under NFL rules, officials must stop play when a player is "in the grasp and control" of the defense. Carey decided that Manning was never fully controlled. He explained that Manning's forward movement did not stop. Carey said he expected a sack, but Manning "spun out and then he started to come right back at me."
Other Work
On June 24, 2014, Mike Carey left the NFL. He joined CBS Sports as a rules analyst. He would explain rules and calls during Thursday night and Sunday broadcasts. He worked from the game sites and studios. His contract was not renewed after the 2015 season.
