Art McNally, who is considered by many to be one of the pioneers of modern NFL officiating, has died.
Pro Football Hall of Fame president Jim Porter announced in a statement on Monday that McNally has died at age 97.
“Art McNally was a quiet, honest man of integrity. To see Art’s decades of service recognized with his enshrinement as part of the Class of 2022 was a special moment for the Hall,” Porter said. “His legacy as a strong leader who helped usher in the advanced training of officials and the technology necessary to keep up with a faster and more complicated game will be preserved forever in Canton.”
McNally was enshrined in the Hall of Fame last year. He became the first on-field official to ever be inducted into Canton. McNally began in the NFL as a field judge in 1959 and was a referee until 1967. He was then named the NFL’s supervisor of officials in 1967 and worked his way up the administrative ranks. He was supervisor of officials until 1991, when he retired.
McNally later returned to the NFL in 1995 as an assistant supervisor to officials. He served in that role until 2007.
One of McNally’s biggest achievements was helping to introduce instant replay in 1986. The Art McNally Award was created in his honor in 2002 and is now given to current or former officials who embody professionalism, leadership and sportsmanship.
In 2022, McNally received the Ralph Hay Pioneer Award. The award, which has been presented only 10 times since its creation in 1972, recognizes individuals who make “significant innovative contributions to professional football.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell issued the following statement on the death of McNally:
Statement from Commissioner Roger Goodell
on the Passing of Art McNally: https://t.co/0NCdRryydK pic.twitter.com/uirEEXyUAW— NFL345 (@NFL345) January 2, 2023
