Terry McAulay

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Terry McAulay (77)

Terry McAulay is an American football official in the National Football League (NFL) since 1998. Since joining the NFL, McAulay has officiated Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005, four conference championship games, one divisional game, and one wildcard game. McAulay began his career in the NFL at the side judge position and worked the 2000 NFC Championship game, but was promoted to referee starting with the 2001 NFL season. He wears the uniform number 77. Ironically, McAulay wears the same number and originally worked at the same position that was vacated by Mike Pereira, who is now the NFL's Senior Director of Officiating.

Prior to joining the NFL, McAulay was a referee in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

McAulay's 2006 NFL officiating crew consists of Bruce Stritesky, Kent Payne, Mark Steinkerchner, Greg Gautreaux, Michael Banks, and Steve Freeman. McAulay was the referee for the 2006 NFC championship game between the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears.

[edit] Dawg Pound Incident

McAulay was the referee during a late 2001 NFL season game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns were driving toward the east end zone for what would have been the winning score. Browns' wide receiver Quincy Morgan caught a pass for a first down on 4th and 1. After quarterback Tim Couch spiked the ball on the next play, McAulay reviewed Morgan's catch, saying that the replay officials had buzzed McAuley, indicating for a replay review before Couch spiked the ball. McAulay reviewed the play and determined that Morgan never had control of the ball, thus the pass was incomplete, and the Jaguars were awarded the ball. Fans in the infamous "Dawg Pound" began throwing plastic beer bottles and other objects directed at and striking players and officials. McAulay then declared the game over and sent the teams to the locker rooms. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue called the game supervisor to override McAulay's decision, sending the players back onto the field after a thirty-minute delay, where the Jaguars ran out the last seconds under a hail of debris ^[1].