ATLANTA — There will be plenty of familiar faces when the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars hit the field for the NFL preseason finale on Saturday. There will be plenty of Georgia Bulldogs, players from the state of Georgia and two men making history.
“I’ve learned a lot about officiating from my dad Jerome Boger,” Tra said of his father, an 18-year NFL official and counting.
Jerome and Tra Boger are from metro Atlanta and are the first African American father-son duo to officiate an NFL game together. Tra will begin his officiating journey as a field judge and Jerome is continuing his career in the NFL that started back in 2004.
“Seeing Tra advance to the NFL is very exciting for me,” Jerome said.
Jerome played quarterback at Morehouse College in Atlanta in the 1970s. His son played at Southwest Dekalb High School, Tulane University and in the CFL. Tra’s officiating journey not only begins with his dad by his side, but in his own backyard at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“To work a game in the NFL with my Dad it sounds so cliché, but it really is a dream come true," he said. "To see all of the hard work that he’s put in to get to where he is in his career, it’s a moment that I’ll never forget and I’ll cherish with me for the rest of my life."
Tra had his NFL officiating debut on August 13 and will join his Dad on the field for a game on August 27.
“To see his hard work and developing his officiating talent pay off for him is exponentially rewarding,” Jerome said.
Jerome Boger was also a part of the first all-black officiating crew in the NFL in 2020 and now he is continuing to make history. This time along with his son, who went from watching from the sidelines to standing side by side with his Dad on the football field. “My Dad has just been so consistent with me my entire life. Similar to how he is on the football field, what you see is what you get,” said Tra. “This moment brings great joy to me watching my son following in my footsteps without being made to do it.
“I’m just excited to have an opportunity to work at the highest level possible in the NFL as an official,” Tra concluded.