The NFL announced the replacement for referee Tony Corrente, who is retiring after 27 seasons. Umpire Tra Blake has earned the promotion.
Blake has officiated in the NFL for only two seasons, joining the league in 2020 from the ACC. He began his NFL career as a swing field judge before becoming an umpire on Carl Cheffers’ crew in 2021.
Blake was an alternate umpire for the wild-card playoff game between the Eagles and Buccaneers this past postseason.
Land Clark was the last official promoted to referee, becoming the lead official for a crew in 2020.
Blake gained experience as a referee in the Alliance of American Football in 2019 and the XFL in 2020.
He graduated from the University of Central Florida and lives in Clermont, Florida. His day job is a quality assurance manager for a pharmaceutical software company, according to Football Zebras.