For Tom O’Neil, the place to be on a crisp fall Friday night or Saturday afternoon is on the football field.
He’s closely watched the actions of 22 young men as they march up and down a field — one half looking to score a touchdown, the other group doing its best to make a big defensive stand – for more than 30 years. He’s thoroughly happy with the experience.
“It’s a lot of hard work. But it’s very enjoyable work. I enjoy what I’m doing,” O’Neil said.
His perspective is different than most, though.
On those football days, the Ansonia native is dressed in that infamous black-and-white striped garb. The official’s uniform.
He’s one of the guys responsible for making sure the game is played the right way, that the ball is spotted correctly for a crucial down, and that the young players are given a fair chance.
“You don’t ever want to put a team at a disadvantage. You want to get the call right,” he said.
O’Neil’s work has not gone unnoticed. Now, it will be immortalized.
O’Neil will be inducted into the Connecticut Football Officials Association Hall of Fame. The ceremony will be held on March 28 at the Foxon Country House in East Haven.
O’Neil became interested in officiating football games while at Ansonia High School, where he graduated in 1955. Of course, becoming a high school football official doesn’t happen overnight. He, like other officials, had to work for about four years in the Pop Warner, junior varsity and freshman football ranks before being called to handle varsity duties.
“You just don’t step on the field and cover varsity football,” he said.
Jim Carey, secretary and treasurer for the CFOA and a man who helped train O’Neil, said he remembers O’Neil’s dedication to preparation and his desire to learn and get better, from knowing where to be on certain plays to his interactions with coaches.
“He wanted to be good and he worked at it,” Carey said. ​“He never left anything to chance. His knowledge of the game is great and … he has a passion for the game. With each passing year, he got better at the job he was doing.”
Even as he moved up from one of the field officials to ​“wearing the white hat” as a referee, Carey said O’Neil always carried himself as a professional. But he also sets a tone that he’s in charge of a game.
“He has a meeting with the group (of officials), he goes over all the possibilities, he makes sure the coverage is good and he expects them to act as professionals,” Carey said. ​“He’s a great example of a real professional and a committed official.”
Ron Herrick, head of the Western Connecticut Football Officials Association, nominated O’Neil for the Hall of Fame. He sees O’Neil as a man who always commands respect from coaches and his fellow officials.
“He’s in control out there. Sometimes, he’s a little direct. When he wears the white hat, he’s in charge and everybody knows that,” he said.
O’Neil said he’s thankful for men like Carey who helped him become a great official. But don’t expect him to talk much about previous games he’s covered. For him, being dubbed a Hall of Famer was something he didn’t think about ​“in my wildest dreams.”
It’s all plain and simple for O’Neil — get the game right.
“I don’t have a scrap book. When I do a game, I leave it on field. I leave everything on the field,” he said. ​“I’ve been blessed with the people I’ve been with and I’ve had good football people with me.”
Tickets for the CFOA Hall of Fame event are $45. For more information, call Ron Herrick at (203) 881‑9904.
