NaDean Schroeder, Asst. A.D. for Media and Public Relations
4/7/2010 2:24:44 PM
MOORHEAD, Minn. – The Minnesota State University Moorhead Athletics Department and the Dragon Fire Walk committee announced Wednesday that the former Senior Director of Officiating for the National Football League, Jerry Seeman will be the guest speaker at the Dragon Fire Walk for Athletics Dinner on April 16, 2010. The event will be hosted at the Courtyard Marriott in Moorhead, Minn. with social hour beginning at 6 p.m.
Seeman, a native of Plainview, Minn., served as the Senior Director of Officiating for the NFL from 1991 through 2001, when he retired. He was appointed to the position after serving as the head official in Super Bowl XXV.
He began officiating in the NFL in 1975 after serving for three seasons as an official in the Big Ten Conference. Prior to his work at the NCAA DI level, Seeman officiated high school and collegiate football and basketball games in Minnesota and Wisconsin in the MIAC and WIAC, respectively.
Prior to becoming an official, Seeman was a three-year starting quarterback at Winona State University. He also played basketball for two years prior to graduating in 1957 with a degree in Mathematics.
In 2001, Seeman was honored as the first Medallion Honoree by the National Association of Sports Officials. The award was created in year 2000 by the NASO and first given in 2001 to Seeman, ‘by recognizing an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to the betterment of sports officials and the officiating profession.’
Seeman’s main contributions include but are not limited to being credited for modernizing and upgrading the training, reviewing and communication practices between officials, the officiating offices and NFL teams. He was also instrumental in developing the current instant replay system used by the league.
He is married to Marilyn and has three sons, Michael, Jon and Jeff. Jeff is currently an official in the NFL.
Seeman will speak at the Dragon Fire Walk for Athletics Dinner on April 16, which will kick-off the Dragon Fire Walk festivities that will run through the afternoon of April 17. The dinner will begin with a social hour at 6 p.m. and the dinner/speaker will begin at 7 p.m. The price to attend the dinner is $40, reservations can be made through registering at www.dragonwalk.com or calling 218-477-5824.
The Dragon Fire Walk is an annual fundraising effort to support Dragon Athletics. Events include a dinner, Dick Beardsley’s 5K & 10K walk/runs, the 10-Mile run, the 2010 Dragon Fire Walk, a business expo and more. All contributions from these efforts go directly into the athletics scholarship fund at MSUM. This one-day event is quickly becoming one of the largest events for friends and alumni of MSUM.