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Mike Carey
Nationality	United States
Education	Santa Clara University (Bachelor's degree, 1971)
Occupation(s)	NFL official (1990–Present) Co-Owner, Seirus Innovation
Spouse	Married
Children	Two

Michael "Mike" Carey (born c. 1949) is a co-owner of Seirus Innovation since 1979 and better known as an American football official in the National Football League (NFL) since the 1990 NFL season. Prior to his officiating career, he played college football as a running back for Santa Clara University (SCU).

Carey is a respected official in the NFL for his thorough pre-game preparation, professional demeanor, and fair play. He has also ejected the most players in the league among current referees, as of 2002, including incidents involving Sean Taylor and Terrell Suggs. Beginning his thirteenth year as referee with the 2007 NFL season, Carey's crew consists of Dan Ferrell, Kent Payne, Mark Perlman, Buddy Horton, Tom Fincken, and Bill Schmitz.

Carey has been designated as referee of Super Bowl XLII, becoming the first African American referee to receive the prestigous assignment.

Personal

Early years

Carey attended and later graduated from SCU in 1971 with a bachelor's degree in biology. While at SCU, he played running back for four years until an ankle injury ended his playing career. The injury continues to impact Carey today as it limits his running ability. He only allows himself to run on days he is scheduled to officiate games.

Family

Carey currently resides in San Diego, California along with his wife, Wendy. Wendy, also a graduate of SCU, is the Chief Financial Officer of Seirus Innovation. The couple have two daughters, Drisana and Danica. Mike Carey's brother, Don Carey, is also a NFL official, as a back judge since the 1995 NFL season.

Entrepreneur and inventor

Mike and Wendy Carey founded Serius Innovation, a privately held company that manufactures ski and snowboarding gloves, face protection, and other cold-weather accessories, in 1979. In September 2007, Mike Carey was named Chairman of the Board for SnowSports Industries America. As chair, his goal is to "get the suppliers, retailers, reps, media and resorts to come together as one community and work together, then we can create synergy to help strengthen the snow sports industry as a whole."

Carey is an inventor who owns or shares eight ski apparel patents, including "Cat Tracks," a device which he created at age 30 to slip over the sole of a ski boot to provide increased traction when walking (with the boots on the wearer, but detached from skis).

Officiating career

Early years

Carey began officiating football in 1972 working Pop Warner football games in the San Diego, California area after a suggestion by a friend. Progessing to the college level in 1985, he joined the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). In the WAC, he officiated three Bowl games.

National Football League

Carey was hired by the NFL in 1990 as a side judge, before being promoted to referee for the start of the 1995 NFL season. He became the second African American referee in NFL history after Johnny Grier in 1988. In addition to being selected as referee in Super Bowl XLII, he served as an alternate for Super Bowl XXXVI.

Memorable games

Carey has worked memorable games throughout his career, most notably during the 2005 NFL season. On October 3, 2005, Mike and Don Carey became the first brothers to officiate an NFL game together when they were assigned on the same officiating crew for the game between the Carolina Panthers and Green Bay Packers.

The following week of the 2005 regular season on October 9, 2005, Carey was involved in a game between the Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions, which featured the ejection of two Baltimore players. In the third quarter with Detroit possession from Baltimore's 6 yard line, Terrell Suggs was penalized for roughing Detroit quarterback Joey Harrington following an incomplete pass. Suggs then quickly approached Mike Carey to argue the call and was immediately ejected from the game. Television replays were inconclusive to determine if contact with an official was made. After the game, Carey spoke to reporters and said, "He bumped me with malice in his heart and he was gone. He said a number of things to me."

Two months later at the start of overtime during a game between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers in December 2005, Carey was unable to locate a coin to use for the coin toss. He had given his coin to a child, who served as the Packers' honorary captain, at the game's opening kickoff. The field judge was able to supply Carey with a penny.

Carey was the referee during a 2005-06 playoff game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Redskins. At the conclusion of a play during this game, Redskins safety Sean Taylor spit in the face of Buccaneers running back Michael Pittman. Pittman retaliated with a slap to Taylor's helmet. Carey immediately ejected Taylor from the game, as it could be heard through a microphone attached to Carey. Head linesman Steve Stelljes conferred with Carey over Pittman's actions, but Carey decided not to penalize Pittman. When questioned about taking no action against Pittman by Redskin players, Carey said in response to being spit upon, "What would you do?" Mike Pereira, the vice president of officiating, approved of Carey's handling of the incident saying, "offsetting personal fouls would not have been appropriate". Pereira added, "If anybody didn't eject somebody for spitting in somebody's face, I'd be disappointed."

References

1. ^ "Mike Carey Keynotes SCU Convocation" (Press release). Santa Clara University. Retrieved 2007-09-13.
2. ^ Attner, Paul (2002-10-07). "Showing their stripes". The Sporting News. Retrieved 2006-08-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
3. "National Football League Game Summary: Philadelphia Eagles At Green Bay Packers" (PDF). National Football League. 2007-09-09. Retrieved 2008-01-18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
4. "Carey to be first black referee in Super Bowl". Associated Press. 2008-01-18. Retrieved 2008-01-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
5. ^ "Carey brothers mark NFL milestone". Associated Press. 2005-10-03. Retrieved 2006-09-01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
6. ^ "Industry Veterans Join The SIA Board Of Directors, New Chairman Appointed" (Press release). Transworld Media. 2007-09-17. Retrieved 2008-01-16. {{cite press release}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
7. "Super Bowl Notebook". 2002-02-02. Retrieved 2007-12-01. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |pulisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help)
8. ^ Hensley, Jamison (2005-10-10). "Total meltdown". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2008-01-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
9. ^ "Can't Have Coin Toss Without Coin". The New York Times. 2005-12-13. Retrieved 2007-12-01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
10. ^ "Videotape Shows Taylor Spitting at Buc". The Washington Post. 2006-01-13. Retrieved 2007-12-01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

• American football officials
• Living people
• African American sportspeople
• People from San Diego