The Shadow
It’s a fall Saturday.
Like so many other people, Nathan Black is geared up for college football this afternoon.
He will be at the University of Richmond as the Spiders take on William & Mary.
But the similarities between Nathan and most are few and far between when it comes to football.
Black is a referee.
The one guy in stripes with the white hat — the man in charge of the game.
Today he will oversee what is billed as “The South’s Oldest Rivalry.”
Football has always been in his blood. Dating all the way back to his days as a Bath County Charger.
Black was part of the resurgence of Charger football in the early 2000’s.
He was there when coach Chris Jones came along.
And he was a starting linebacker and team captain when the Chargers won the 2001 state championship.
“I remember that Nathan always played hard,” said Jones. “He always gave great effort. And obviously, he was part of something special at Bath County.”
It was in high school when Black also caught the officiating bug.
“I officiated little league basketball and umpired little league baseball,” he said. “I was drawn to it at an early age but never knew how to get involved in football.”
Black went on to Bridgewater College where he graduated in 2006.
A work colleague, who officiated in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, gave him the information he needed to start blowing the whistle and throwing flags on the football field.
“I missed the game terribly so for me it was my way of staying connected,” said Black. “Once I started working high school games, I learned quickly that my experience from my high school days of officiating would easily translate to the sport of football.”
That translation also started moving him up the officiating ladder.
From high school, to the Division III college level to now the Colonial Athletic Association — one of, if not the best, FCS college conference in the country.
“I was lucky to have great people around me that helped me get to the ODAC/USA South after a few years of doing high school,” Black reflected.
“After a few seasons at the Division III level I began to see what it would take to reach the next level and set that as my goal.
“I was also in the midst of transitioning to a referee (white hat) so I had to make a choice of potentially moving up sooner at another position or building experience as a (head) referee. I went the referee route and the rest is history.”
History that’s taken Black all over the East Coast this fall.
CAA officials not only work games in that conference, but also cover the Ivy League and Patriot League.
Nathan has officiated at Rhode Island, Towson, Delaware, James Madison, William & Mary, Louisiana-Lafayette and Harvard this season to name a few.
“Anything can happen on any weekend in the CAA,” Black said. “No doubt, it’s the best FCS conference top to bottom in the country. I’ve had some crazy games this year. A walk-off 55-yard field goal, double overtime and a miracle Hail Mary at Harvard. Harvard has probably been the highlight of the season. The history surrounding the Ivy League is always a cool experience.”
Black, who lives in Harrisonburg with his wife Lauren and two children, Jett (3) and Collins (1), is a project manager for the special projects division with Leidos Monday though Friday.
He and his wife also own a small business — Rocktown CrossFit in Harrisonburg.
The biggest misconception about officials?
“The common fan thinks we just show up, work the game and go home,” Black offered. “But it’s developed into so much more than that. It’s a year-round job for me now. I’m watching hours of film each week, rules tests in the off-season, spring football scrimmages in March and April and clinics every summer. Everything I put in my body, every workout I do is to prepare myself for the 14-week grind from August to December.
“The other piece that often gets overlooked is your team at home,” he added. “My wife is home with our small children every weekend so the season can take its toll on her as much as it does on me. Thankfully, she’s a rock star and I couldn’t do it without her.”
What’s the perfect game?
“It’s a game where we don’t have to throw a flag,” Black said. “The most important thing for me is that the coaches feel that we are communicating issues we have on the field with them and that we are staying out of it as much as possible.”
Black is working toward what he hopes is the next step to his officiating career.
“The goal currently is the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference),” he said. “If the NFL came calling, I don’t think I’d turn it down, but for now I’m enjoying the process and doing the best I can to make my crew and myself the best at the FCS level.
“The season goes by fast,” he finished. “I’ve learned to soak it in. You never know when it could end. The game owes us nothing. I’m just thankful to still be a part of it.”
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Bath County native Nathan Black is a football referee in the Colonial Athletic Association. Pictured is Black working a game at James Madison University earlier this season.
