When Greg Meyer ’81 pitched for the Frogs in the late ’70s and early ’80s, umpires knew who he was — the guy who yelled a lot. “I was pretty hard on some of those Southwest Conference umpires,” he admits.

Today, Meyer is the one hearing flak from the fans, players and coaches. But he’s hearing it in the National Football League.

Meyer, who started refereeing pee-wee football after work as a way to pick up some extra cash in the early ’80s, was a rookie field judge in the NFL this past fall. If you caught the Colts-Steelers Monday night game in October, you probably saw him. He’s number 78.

“It’s been quite a thrill with all the new stadiums. I consider it a privilege to work for the NFL,” says Meyer, who worked his way up through the high school, college (Division I and II) and NFL Europe ranks. “NFL athletes do unbelievable things and the action is extremely quick. It requires complete concentration and focus. You can never relax.”

On the day before a game, Meyer and his fellow crew members spend at least four hours preparing. Come game day, he and fellow officials meet with the head coaches of each team, the replay officials and the network television crew three hours before kickoff. “It’s quite a choreographed effort,” he says.

While the travel can be taxing, Meyer has managed it thanks to his family (wife Debby, daughter Morgan and son Reid) and support from co-workers at his day job as a vice president for TexasBank in Fort Worth.

“I enjoy it,” he says. “The weekends can be challenging, but football officiating has provided many great opportunities for me.”