NFL Official John Parry Joins ESPN as Officiating Analyst
· Parry Will Contribute to Monday Night Football and ESPN Studio Shows
· An NFL official for 19 seasons, Parry was head referee for Super Bowl LIII in February
National Football League official John Parry, who served as head referee for Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta in February, has joined ESPN as an Officiating Analyst. He will contribute to weekly Monday Night Football telecasts from the booth and offer analysis on ESPN's NFL studio shows, SportsCenter and more.
An NFL official for 19 seasons - including the past 12 years as a referee, Parry worked three Super Bowls: SB LIII (head referee), SB XLVI (referee) and SB XLI (side judge). His 13 other postseason assignments include two Wild Card playoff games, seven Divisional Playoff games and one Conference Championship. In 2019, Parry worked the Cowboys-Rams NFC Divisional Playoff game in addition to the Super Bowl. Prior to enjoying a successful career on the field, Parry served as a replay official for the NFL in 1999.
"John's role will be a first for ESPN's NFL coverage. He will educate our commentators, staff, and, most importantly, millions of fans," said MNF producer Jay Rothman. "John will appear on our array of studio shows throughout the season and be part of the Monday Night Football team. With the attention to replay and rules at an all-time high, he is uniquely qualified to teach, add perspective and bring clarity to fans."
Parry added: "I will fully embrace this new position. We hope to leverage 20 years of NFL officiating experience to our talent and to our great fans. Bringing clarity to a complicated game will be both challenging and rewarding. ESPN is a perfect fit based on their dedication to educating and entertaining fans."
Parry, who grew up in Michigan City, Ind., was a second-generation NFL official. His father, Dave Parry, is a former Supervisor of Officials for the Big Ten Conference and he was the side judge in Super Bowl XVII.
Parry has been a full-time game official following retirements as both a corporate pilot and financial advisor.
Former NFL officials who previously worked on Monday Night Football include Gerry Austin and Jeff Triplette.
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