Where in the world is Anthony Jeffries?

Last Sunday the medical salesman from Birmingham was on the field at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. This is Jeffries’ seventh season as an NFL official, his 19th since picking up a whistle for the Alabama High School Athletic Association.

It proved to be the seed for Jeffries’ circuitous officiating journey that weaved through myriad collegiate conferences (including the SWAC and SEC) before reaching football’s pinnacle.

A journey nurtured at Birmingham’s Huffman High School and as a walk-on wide receiver at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Jeffries is a testament to discovering purpose in one’s passion, even if the path appears closed.

I’ve long shared with young athletes that even as most of them will not reach the highest level of their sport, there are numerous opportunities to stay in the game in other capacities — jobs too often overlooked in their singular pursuit of the NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB or other professional sport.

Jeffries is still in the game — at its pinnacle — because he walked off the field as a player and picked up a whistle. It has helped him make history.

Four years ago, on this day — Nov. 23, 2020 — Jeffries was one of seven Black men who walked onto the field at Raymond James Stadium to officiate a game between the Tampa Bay Bucs and Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football, then the league’s most prestigious weekly stage. They were the first all-African American officiating crew in league history.

Along with Jeffries, the side judge, were:

• Jerome Boger, Referee (retired in 2023 after 19 seasons)
• Barry Anderson, Umpire (former NC State defensive back)
• Carl Johnson, Line Judge (league’s first full-time official)
• Julian Mapp, Down Judge (one of three former SIAC officials who worked the game; Bogar and Anderson were the others)
• Dale Shaw, Field Judge (member of Allegheny College Gators Div. II national championship team)
• Greg Steed, Back Judge

Bruce Arians was the Buccaneers’ head coach that evening. “Way too long coming,” he said then. “I know a lot of those guys. They’re great officials. … It’s a historic night, and I think it’s fantastic.” (Later that season, Arian, then 68 years old, became the oldest head coach to win a championship when the Bucs routed the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 in Super Bowl LV.)

The historic crew members had a combined 89 seasons of NFL experience and had worked six Super Bowls.

From that game, the Pro Football Hall of Fame collected the football used for the opening kickoff, Boger’s jersey and an autographed football and media flip card, both signed by all of the officials.

Sadly, the man who paved the trail for them was not there on that historic evening. Burl Toler, a former linebacker at the University of San Francisco, became the NFL’s first Black official in 1965.

He went to the Chicago Bears in the ninth round of the 1951 draft, but suffered a knee injury during a college all-star event and never took the field as an NFL player.

Like Jeffries, though, it did not deter Toler’s NFL pursuit. He officiated in the NFL for 15 seasons.

In 1980, he worked Super Bowl XIV, a 31-19 Pittsburgh Steelers victory over the Rams at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. That afternoon, Toler became the first Black official to work the league’s ultimate annual game.

Years later, he told Ebony mag that being hired by the league as an official “was a big break for me, far different than the one I got so many years ago.”

While officiating, Toler taught middle school and was a principal in San Francisco. He served on the board of trustees at his alma mater from 1987 until 1998.

He died on August 16, 2009, at the age of 81.

Burl A. Toler Hall, a student residence on the campus of his alma mater, is named in his honor.

The ground Toler seeded bore much fruit.

Over several years, more and more African Americans were hired as officials. Many rose to become referees, the “head coach” of officials. Today, Black referees oversee four of the NFL’s 17 crews.

Last Sunday, Jefferies was the side judge as the San Francisco 49ers hosted the Seattle Seahawks.That’s the striped shirt responsible for monitoring the defensive backfield: pass interference, (in)completions, illegal blocks downfield and a plethora of other duties throughout the game. Backup timekeeper, too, in case the stadium clock breaks.

Where in the world is Jeffries scheduled to be this Sunday?

At NRG Stadium in Houston as part of Referee Brad Rogers’ crew as the Tennessee Titans visit the Texans.