INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Sunday began in a strange fashion for Don Willard.
About an hour before kickoff in Indianapolis, he did the traditional microphone check and then he handled the coin toss — duties typically reserved for referees. Willard usually works NFL games as a side judge.
But there was nothing normal about this weekend after the Federal Aviation Association called for a nationwide ground stoppage Friday. The stoppage caused consternation and
chaos for professional and college teams throughout the country and even included moving at least one college football game from Saturday to Sunday.
NFL officials audibled by reassigning game officials for this week's matchups to stadiums closer to cities where they reside so they could drive, and Willard was asked to take over as the lead ref for the Miami Dolphins-Indianapolis Colts game as well as the Sunday night game in Cincinnati between the Bengals-Steelers.
Willard isn't the only one doing double duty Sunday.
When the early game ends, Willard and three members of his day crew — umpire Terry Killens, field judge Jabir Walker and side judge Justin Larrew — will jump in a minibus and make the two-hour drive down I-74 to work Sunday night's Pittsburgh Steelers-Cincinnati Bengals game. It's the first time this officiating crew has worked together.
League officials did not make any of the four officials working double duty available to the media before Sunday's early game.
The Miami Dolphins did not have any travel issues, a team spokesman said.
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