Mother and son share unique bond as high school football referees – Tennessean

Mother and son share unique bond as high school football referees  Tennessean

It hit Teresa Edmondson like a blitzing linebacker in 2017 that football was no longer part of her family’s life.

Her youngest son, Noah, had graduated from Mt. Juliet where he played football, and there was no longer a link to the sport she loved so dearly. Her older son Gabriel played at Mt. Juliet before Noah. 

She played basketball and tennis at Maplewood, but football was always her favorite sport.

Not long after Noah graduated, Teresa found a way to get football back in the family. And she did it in the most unusual way.

She became a high school football referee.

“I’ve always had a love for the game,” she said. “I like the camaraderie, I like the teamwork and I like it being played in the cold. I like being out in the cold. That’s part of the game.”

She also likes the company she gets to keep in some of the games she calls. Noah, who admittedly never cared for referees when he was a wide receiver at Mt. Juliet, also became a high school official last year.

The mother-and-son duo are part of the Middle Tennessee Football Officials Association. Twice last season they were assigned to work the same game and they will work another game together on Sept. 11 at Goodpasture when Green Hill visits.

Teresa is a line judge and Noah is a back judge.

They also worked on the chain crew together for several games in the TSSAA BlueCross Bowl Championships in Cookeville.

Teresa had to coax her son into putting on the zebra stripes. He was not initially keen on the idea.

“When my mom told me she was going to be a referee I told her I don’t like referees because they always ruin the games,” Noah said. “When I played I was always on the refs and said it was their fault anytime we lost.”

After watching his mom call games for a couple of seasons Noah’s disdain for officials eventually went away and he decided to join her.

Like his mom, Noah started out officiating youth games before earning his TSSAA whistle in 2019.

“After going to a bunch of her games I saw how the refs have their own culture and they’re all a family and how it is a lot like being on a team,” Noah said. “It looked like something I’d like to do.”

Teresa and Atenzia Young-Seigler are the only two female football referees in Middle Tennessee, and Teresa and Noah are the only mother-and-son duo in the state.

“I have three brothers and five uncles so football has always been in my life; I had no choice in the matter,” Teresa said. “I always wanted to find a way to get on the field and the way I found was to become an official.”

Teresa also works on the chain crew for Tennessee State’s home games.

With Teresa and Noah both being officials it makes for interesting conversation when the family gets together.

“We talk about our games all the time,” Noah said. “I see how she does her work and I take a lot of tips from her because she’s a veteran and I’m still kind of new at it.”

Jalen Ramsey giving $1 million to Nashville school

Former Brentwood Academy standout cornerback Jalen Ramsey, now with the Los Angeles Rams, is donating $1 million to Purpose Preparatory Academy in Nashville.

Ramsey’s donation will help the school provide education for underprivileged children in kindergarten though fourth grade.

“I chose to support Purpose Prep because it is important for every child to have the opportunity to receive a great education, and the Purpose Prep programs are designed for underprivileged children in my hometown to have access to those services. I believe in its mission and want to help level the playing field since a solid elementary education is the foundation to a successful future,” Ramsey said in a statement.

Ramsey, who began his career with Jacksonville, is in the final year of his contract with the Rams and will become a free agent in March.

“As a Nashville native who has become a household name in the NFL, Jalen’s generous support has demonstrated to our students not only the heights they can rise to and their undisputed potential, but also the importance of opening doors, reaching back and pulling forward to help others succeed,” Purpose Prep founder and head of school Lagra Newman said.

Austin Peay opener watched by nearly 16,000 locally

The Austin Peay-Central Arkansas game last Saturday, the first college football game of the 2020 season, earned a 1.6 local television rating, according to WTVF-5 senior programming director Mark Binda.

That means 15,731 Nashville households tuned in during prime time on ESPN to see Austin Peay jump to a 7-0 lead on a 75-yard run on the first play by CJ Evans Jr. in the FCS Kickoff Classic in Montgomery, Alabama.

Central Arkansas, however, rallied for a 24-17 victory.

The national rating was 0.33 and 501,000 viewers, according to Sports Media Watch. That was a 30% dip from last year’s FCS Kickoff Classic featuring Youngstown State-Samford (0.47, 718,000 viewers).

Vandy’s Cunningham signs $58 million deal with Texans

Former Vanderbilt linebacker Zach Cunningham agreed to a four-year, $58 million contract extension with the Houston Texans. 

Cunningham, a second-round pick in the 2017 draft, was set to become a free agent at the end of the 2020 season.

He is coming off his best season after having 142 tackles, two sacks and two passes defended in 2019.

Cunningham has a total of 339 tackles and 3.5 sacks in his career.

Lipscomb golfer Nolan Ray turning pro

Former Brentwood High golfer Nolan Ray, who transferred from Tennessee to Lipscomb, announced he will forgo his final year of eligibility to begin his professional career.

Ray’s decision came after the Atlantic Sun Conference postponed fall sports due to the  COVID-19 pandemic.

“Nolan and I discussed the situation fully and after the fall season was canceled it made more sense for him to go ahead and initiate the learning curve of professional golf,” Lipscomb Director of Golf Will Brewer said. “He has plenty of events he can compete in and better prepare himself for the future.”

Ray spent one season as a graduate transfer at Lipscomb and was named to the All-ASUN team after leading the conference with a 70.45 scoring average. 

Midstate coach Brud Spickard dies

Former Franklin, Spring Hill and Columbia Academy football coach Brud Spickard died on Aug. 26. He was 88.

Spickard, a native of Gladeville, graduated from Middle Tennessee State in 1959 where he played football and baseball.

After serving as superintendent of the City of Columbia Parks and Recreation department, Spickard embarked on his coaching career in 1964 at Columbia Academy before moving to Spring Hill in 1974 and then Franklin in 1978.

Hunt’s plaque destroyed in tornado replaced by football foundation

Longtime Cumberland baseball coach Woody Hunt, who also served as the school’s athletics director when the football program was resurrected in 1990, was the recipient of the National Football Foundation/Middle Tennessee chapter’s highest honor in February when he received the Fred Russell Distinguished American Award.

Unfortunately, however, the plaque commemorating the award was lost in March along with many of Hunt’s other possessions when a tornado destroyed his home.

The NFF had a new plaque made and presented it to Hunt Wednesday during a ceremony at Cumberland.

Ex-St. Cecilia coach joins Cumberland soccer staff

Kalyn Pruett, who spent the last three seasons as head soccer coach at St. Cecilia Academy, has joined the Cumberland women’s soccer team as an assistant.

Pruett played soccer and basketball at Father Ryan. She helped lead the Irish to the 2012 Division II-AA state championship.

She went on to play at Tennessee Tech where she was at three-year starting forward.

Old Timers Baseball Association Golf Tournament coming up

The 23rd annual Nashville Old Timers Baseball Association Golf Tournament is Sept. 17 at Ted Rhodes Course.

Some changes have been made due to COVID-19 restrictions including limiting the field to 20 teams. Also, instead of a shotgun start tee times will be assigned and no spectators will be allowed on the course.

Entry fee is $125 the day of the tournament and $100 before Sept. 10. Proceeds benefit the association’s scholarship fund.

Register by contacting Rip Ryman (615-859-0409), John Morgan ( 615-833-5939), Tom Parker (615-371-0001) or Carter Brown (CBrown@Ivy-Insurance.com).

If you have an item for Midstate Chatter contact Mike Organ at 615-969-1742 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter. 

Published 2:22 PM EDT Sep 2, 2020