National Football Foundation

After 34 years of following players and plays up and down football fields, blowing whistles and calling penalties, Ken Faulkner finally hung up his stripes for the last time on November 27, 1982. The game was Rice vs. Houston, two of his native state favorites. It was while working that game that Faulkner broke his ankle.

That injury, 12 years ago, took him off the field, but not away from college football. He still had his other love, serving as business manager of the Southwest Conference. When he finally retired in 1991, he also stepped down as SWC supervisor of football officials, a responsibility he handled for eight years.

When it comes to football, Ken Faulkner's dedication and devotion have made him a true "Legend of the Southwest" in officiating circles. Ask his SWC colleagues. To a man they'll tell you Faulkner made "a great impact on every football person he has ever worked with. He attracted enormous respect".

That respect has brought him recognition from the entire amateur football community and today he is honored by the National Football Foundation for his many years of work and contributions to the game.

Last year, Faulkner was similarly honored by the Collegiate Commissioners Association which presented him with its 1993 Football Officials Award of Merit.

During Faulkner's tenure as business manager, the Southwest Conference enjoyed a period of growth and athletic success unparalleled in the Conference's history. He oversaw distribution of Conference revenues for its nine member institutions which had combined to win 40 NCAA championships in 12 different sports during his nine-year watch. He managed $9 million annually for the SWC while, at the same time, supervising a crew of 40 officials.

Faulkner officiated his first football game while he was himself still a college student at what is today known as Mideastern State in Wichita Falls, Texas.

Faulkner said, "I discovered it was fun, something I really enjoyed." So he kept on doing it, even after he graduated with his bachelor's degree in physical education in 1950. Faulkner then got a job working for a freight company. But he kept those stripes and cleats clean for the weekend.

As he progressed in his professional life, he was also stepping up on the gridiron. From officiating small college games, he graduated to larger ones and, finally, he was working major college games, some of the biggest games college football offered.

Among the Bowl Games Faulkner worked were the Orange, Sugar and Fiesta. He also regularly officiated one of college football's great rivalries, Texas versus Oklahoma.

In his off-the-field pursuits, Faulkner was a very successful major corporation internal auditor for 25 years. Then, in 1982, he joined the Southwest Conference as business manager. For Faulkner it was a perfect union of professional and personal pleasure.

Faulkner also became very involved in the work of the Collegiate Commissioners Association. For eight years he headed the CCA group that drafted and published officiating guidelines for the country's more than 10,000 college football officials.

These manuals deal with the mechanics of the job. "They tell the official everything he has to do from the time he gets out of his car at the stadium to the time he gets back home," says Faulkner. In addition to writing and producing the guidelines, Faulkner organized the distribution system to get them out to the officials all across the nation.

"That was midnight oil stuff," he says, "in addition to my duties with the Conference." And with no small amount of pride, he adds, "The system I set up is still in effect today."

Even though he officially retired in 1991, Faulkner is still involved in football. One of the things he does is scout college games, assessing officials who might be candidates to work for the National Football League.