Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Ivan Maisel, college football reporter for ESPN.com, has been "embedded" with a Big 12 Conference officiating crew to provide an inside look (both through video and the written word) at the world that surrounds college officials as they prepare for a big game, such as last week's Oklahoma State-Texas A&M showdown at College Station, Texas.

What will be even more interesting to our readers is that one of the officials for this certain crew, which just happens to have called the biggest games this year involving Big 12 teams -- even if the conferences doesn't designate any crew as its top unit -- has the name Walt Coleman.

Now, we know Little Rock's Walt Coleman of Coleman Dairy family fame is a referee in the National Football League. Coleman's officiating career includes the "tuck rule" call, the correct call as it read in the NFL rule book, to Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis' chagrin, that allowed New England to upset the Raiders in 2002 on the way to winning the Super Bowl XXXVI. Tom Brady appeared to fumble the football while being tackled, but when Coleman watched the play under the hood at the replay video screen, he noted the "tuck" rule, the Patriots kept the ball, and then they kicked the winning field goal in the final moments.

Coleman's Arkansas drawl is familiar to anyone who watches the NFL regularly.

Turns out the officiating bug, gene or what-have-you has been passed down to his son, who attended Southern Methodist University and lives in Dallas.

Maisel's story about the crew's preparation is a great read, from the teamwork involved in knowing what each member of the crew will be doing to their night-before-game meal at a popular diner outside College Station to the post-game review of their work. Saturday's 30-29 Oklahoma State win had a some big calls that went to the reviewer in the booth. Ultimately, as the story notes, everybody got it right it in the end, which is what good officiating is about -- no matter what Al Davis of the Raiders might think.

Maisel writes of the junior Coleman, who is a line judge:

Coleman, 32, is the youngest member of the crew. He is a legacy. His father, also named Walt, is an NFL official. Coleman started working Dallas high school games while an undergraduate at SMU. His body is a cross between a long-distance runner and a gymnast. With his official's hat pulled down low and his clean-shaven face, he doesn't look 32.

The week before, on the field at Doak Campbell Stadium, a Florida State coach pointed to Coleman and asked Taylor, "How old is that guy?"

"He's 48," Taylor deadpanned. "He looks young for his age."

And this next part should interest Arkansas fans concerning this Saturday's game with Texas A&M, as Coleman's crew saw the Aggies up close and personal.

Taylor and Coleman have worked the same sideline for five seasons. Taylor, as the field judge, lines up 20 yards downfield from the line of scrimmage. He eyeballs wide receivers and defensive backs. At breakfast Saturday, he brought up Texas A&M wide receiver Jeff Fuller, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound senior.