NFL officials are honoring former colleague and official vice president Wayne Mackie with a commemorative “WM” patch.
Mackie died suddenly in March at the age of 62. Al Riveron, former senior vice president of refereeing, remembered Mackie in an email to Football Zebras in March. He commented: “We lost a great father, husband and a dear friend. Wayne’s huge smile, infectious laugh, and ability to walk into a room and take us on emotionally will be sorely missed. Compassion, loyalty and an endless amount of faith are just a few of the many exceptional qualities he possessed.
Prior to joining the front office, Mackie was a down judge in the NFL for 10 seasons and worked in Super Bowl 50. He wore number 106 his entire career.
After retiring from the field, Mackie became Vice President of Officials Evaluation and Development, which involved coordinating the pool of officials for potential hires and additional additional training.
Last month, the NFL renamed the Officials Development Program for future professional officials the “Mackie Development Program.”
Photo: Ben Austro, soccer zebras