Injury led to Sumstine becoming Hawaii’s first NFL official

He didn’t know it at the time, but an injury 25 years ago led to Matt Sumstine now getting a job as the first NFL game official from Hawaii. He will start as a replay assistant in the 2018 season.

Sumstine, in his third year as a Hawaii high school football official in 1993, was the line judge during a game between Farrington and Waianae at Aloha Stadium. Following an interception, a player accidentally crashed into his left knee, tearing Sumstine’s ACL.

Following a year of recovery he returned to the field, and from 2005 to 2013 Sumstine worked Western Athletic Conference, Conference-USA and Mountain West games. But lingering pain from the injury forced him off the field.

“I called the conference and said it’s starting to get in my head because of the pain, and I wouldn’t be as valuable as I expect to be,” he said. “A week later I got a call and was asked if I wanted to do replay and I said ‘yes.’

“Like George (Gusman) says, ‘Sometimes things happen for a reason.’”

Gusman, a Big 12 referee from Waipio who has worked two national championship games, confirmed Sumstine is the first NFL official from Hawaii.

“He’s really good with video and computers,” Gusman said of Sumstine. “I’m really excited for him and anyone else who aspires to be part of the NFL. The door’s open now.”

Tony Corrente, a 23-year NFL referee, said Sumstine will succeed because “he is a tremendous student of the game, not just the rules, but the way the game is played.

“He’s able to take the written rule and put it to practical use. That’s why he got a job in the NFL,” Corrente added.

Sumstine, 55, has extensive high school and college officiating experience, which most recently includes more than 50 games as replay official or communicator for Big 12 and Mountain West games. He has also worked 12 bowl games in various capacities.

“As (NFL) replay assistant I’ll be selecting views of plays using the tools we have for slow-motion and various angles,” he said. “I’ll have access to all the available network views, and if we have a play to review, then we’ll select the best angles of that play to forward to the referee.”

Power 5 college conferences pay around $3,200 per game for replay officials (with which they cover expenses). Sumstine said he does not yet know how much he will be compensated per NFL game.

Sumstine also is football officials coordinator for the Hawaii High School Athletic Association and a co-founder of the Football Officials International Aloha Clinic. That clinic, in its 14th year, is today at Aloha Stadium. Around 20 NFL and NCAA officials will be tutoring about 60 local officials, 20 of whom will be first-time attendees.

They will work six Junior Prep Sports (JPS) games starting at 9 a.m.

Sumstine has also produced training videos for officials.

“He is literally world renown for his videos,” said Carl Cheffers, a veteran NFL referee who, like Corrente, works the Aloha clinic each year. “I was at a clinic in Copenhagen and some guys from Norway wanted me to give a gift to him because his videos were so helpful.”

Sumstine and JPS led a successful recruiting campaign the past two years to help alleviate a shortage of football officials for high school games here.

“JPS played a huge role in funding, and the opportunity with two more football seasons where officials can gain experience,” Sumstine said.

Although working for the NFL will keep him traveling back-and-forth for five months instead of the four he did as a college football replay official, Sumstine plans to continue with his strong presence in the Hawaii football community.

“I’m super passionate about the development of Hawaii’s youth and high school officials,” he said.

Sumstine, who works as a Realtor, grew up in Tucson, Ariz., and moved to Hawaii after serving in the Navy. He and his wife Tricia and their daughter Samantha live in Kapolei.

Anyone interested in becoming a football official can apply at RefereeClinic.com for information about the Hawaii Football Officials Association’s training program.