National Football Foundation

National Coordinator of College Football Officiating (CFO) Rogers Redding will be recognized with a 2019 NFF Legacy Award during the 62nd NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York City on Dec. 10. The NFF Legacy Award, established in 2007, honors individuals and organizations who have made extraordinary contributions to the NFF and/or embody its mission.
 
"We had the privilege of honoring Rogers Redding in 2010 as the recipient of the NFF Outstanding Football Official Award, and we quickly forged a partnership with him to support his efforts to improve officiating and enhance player safety," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "Rogers stands as a giant among those who have worn the college football stripes, and we are proud to call him a friend and recognize him as an ambassador for football with an NFF Legacy Award. He has left his mark on our game, which is without question better because of his contributions."
 
Since 2011, the NFF has partnered with Redding to help generate awareness for the rule changes in college football through a series of regular columns distributed by the NFF while supporting his efforts as the leader of the CFO, which functions as the national professional organization for all football officials who work games at the collegiate level. For the past seven years, the NFF has hosted Redding and the CFO at the NFF headquarters in Irving, Texas, for their annual winter meeting of conference coordinators for football officials. Redding was honored with the NFF's Outstanding Football Official Award in 2010.
 
Having officiated football for more than three decades, Redding started his career working high school football in Texas. He later officiated in the Southwest Conference from 1988-93 before serving as a referee in the Southeastern Conference for nearly a decade and working three national championship games.

Following his retirement from active officiating in 2004, Redding served as a technical advisor and instant replay official for the SEC before becoming the conference's coordinator of officials. Since 2011, Redding has served as the national coordinator of CFO, which functions as the national professional organization for all football officials who work games at the collegiate level. He recently announced he would retire at the end of this football season.
 
Redding also held the position of NCAA secretary-rules editor from 2008-17, working to enhance policies for the consistent application of NCAA playing rules in all games. His tenure saw the institution of instant replay across the FBS and the addition of the eight-person officiating system.
 
He received his bachelor's degree from Georgia Tech and later obtained a master's and Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Vanderbilt University. He has served as a physics professor and senior academic administrator at the University of North Texas, Northern Kentucky University, the United States Air Force Academy and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. He also had a small role as a referee in the 1991 comedy film "Necessary Roughness." Redding and his wife Shirley live in Birmingham, Alabama.