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Jan. 2 (UPI) — Art McNally, the first NFL official to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the “Father of Instant Replay” died at 97 years old on Sunday.
“He was surrounded by his loving wife, Sharon, his kids and his grandkids,” said McNally’s son Tom.
McNally died of natural causes.
McNally is credited as a pioneering official in the world of football, having been involved in the game in some capacity for more than 50 years. He started as a field official in 1959 before transitioning to the role of referee from 1960 to 1967. In 1968 he was elevated to the position of supervisor of officials, a role he carried out until retiring in 1991.
During his time as supervisor of officials, McNally promoted Johnny Grier as a referee, making him the league’s first Black referee.
Retirement was not the end of McNally’s involvement with football. He transitioned into the role of supervisor of officials for the World of American Football in 1992, and continued consulting for the NFL. He would come back to a direct NFL in 1995, and continued to oversee officials in a variety of ways.
Perhaps the biggest contribution to the game was being a champion for the adoption of instant replay. The NFL considered instant replay as a tool to improve the integrity of the game starting in the 70s, but it was not until the 1980s that it considered actually using instant replay to make rulings on the game. In 1986, the league officially gave officials the power to use instant replay.
“This led to the beginning of our replay, and the system we used from 1986 to 1990 was very good. Not as good as it is now,” McNally said.
In 2022, McNally was inducted into the Hall of Fame, to which he was the oldest living member.
“Art McNally was an extraordinary man, the epitome of integrity and class,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said.
“Throughout his distinguished officiating career, he earned the eternal respect of the entire football community.”
“Fittingly, he was the first game official enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio,” Goodell continued. “But more importantly, he was a Hall of Fame person in absolutely every way. Our thoughts go out to his wife, Sharon, his children Marybeth, Tom, and Michael, and his grandchildren.”
