TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Dr. Robert Breedlove said he was just an average high school football player.
“Actually, now that I think about it, I was probably a below-average high school football player,” Breedlove said. “But I absolutely loved high school football. I wanted to stay connected to it somehow.
“So, when I was in college, I started officiating games. I really enjoyed it, and it kept me connected to the sport. I still love it all these years later.”
Breedlove, a Stillwater physician, recently started his 52nd year of officiating high school football, believed to be the longest streak of any official in Oklahoma history.
It’ll be his last, too.
“The years catch up to you,” Breedlove told the Tulsa World . “So, next year, if my health holds up, then I’ll cut back to being a fill-in. I won’t do it full time.”
Breedlove may be the most recognizable high school sports official in state history. There’s nothing, when it comes to high school football, that he hasn’t officiated.
He’s been the referee (head official on the field) in state championship games at virtually every level.
He’s done some of the biggest games in state history, including many of the classic Jenks-Union games and dozens of major games in the Tulsa metro area.
Breedlove, besides the more than five decades of football, has also officiated basketball and baseball.
He said he believes it is time for younger officials.
“Football is not the same game that it was 50 years ago,” Breedlove said. “It isn’t even close to being the same game.
“Back when I started, it was 3 yards and a cloud of dust. Reset the ball, huddle up and then we’re on to the next play.
“That’s not football today. Football is now pitch-and-catch. Every high school in the state plays the up-tempo spread offense. It doesn’t matter what size of a school. You’ve got some smaller schools that should not be playing that style because they don’t have the personnel for it. But they all do it.”
As a result, officiating is dramatically different.
When Breedlove started, there were just three officials. “And our penalty flags were red,” he said.
Now, high school games have five officials, and Breedlove said he believes it should be seven.
“The game is played all over the field,” he said. “Today’s high school games are played by teams using every yard of the field, sideline to sideline and end zone to end zone.
“And there is no slowing down or stopping. As soon as you get the ball back placed down, they are ready to go and snapping it. There is no sitting in your rocking chair during the modern games. It is constant movement.”
Over the years, Breedlove estimates about 250 rule changes have been made in high school football. He believes about 10 percent of the changes have been to increase player safety.
“That is fantastic because we should do everything possible to keep the players safe,” he said.
He believes the other 90 percent of rule changes over the past 50 years “have been made to help the offense. Let’s be honest. People can say they enjoy a great defensive game, but what they really want is offense. So the rules have changed to help offenses.
“I can remember when (a final score of) 7-0 was not uncommon. These days, I’ve officiated games, and quite a few of them, with the two teams combining for over 100 points and 1,000 yards in offense. Like I said, it is a different game.”
Breedlove has officiated since he got hooked on it in college. He continued to officiate through medical school, including short stops in Alabama, Tennessee and California.
At one time, he was officiating high school games Friday nights and college games Saturday.
“I’d leave my house at 2 p.m. on Friday, and I’d get home at 2 a.m. Sunday,” he said.
He has, over the years, trimmed his schedule.
He used to officiate Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference football games.
“I would be somewhere around Tulsa on Friday night and then travel to Tahlequah, Durant, Weatherford or some other place in Oklahoma to do a Saturday game.”
Through his 40-year membership with the Greater Tulsa Officials Association, he’s also done some games in Arkansas.
“The GTOA is the best officiating group I’ve ever been associated with,” Breedlove said. “They do a fantastic job. They are organized and do a great job of education with all of the officials.”
He sees the changes in officiating, too. Each year, there are training sessions before the season begins to work with local officials. Every year, there is about a 10 percent turnover rate. The second year, the rate is another 5 percent.
“I started asking guys why they were leaving officiating,” Breedlove said. “It was the abuse. Sure, there is abuse from the grandstands. But there’s also abuse from the coaches and even players. I’m a glass half-full guy, but that’s just the way society is these days.”
He also said the money, which tops out at about $85 per game, just hasn’t changed much over the past 20 years. He’s not complaining.
“I do it because I love it, but you have to make it worth the time for these officials,” Breedlove said. “But I understand.
“Our schools here in Oklahoma are struggling to pay teachers and to provide the basic education tools. So wanting more money for sports officials probably falls way down on the list.”
Still, Breedlove knows when this season is over, his 52-year routine on Friday nights will forever change.
“I’m old school,” Breedlove said. “The game and the people that play it and coach it are all different. I don’t know if the discipline is there like it used to be.
“But I love it. Seeing those Friday night lights when I come into a town are still one of the great thrills for me. I have been a glass half-full person my entire life. So I’ve got nothing but great memories. I’m looking forward to making a few more memories this fall.”
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Information from: Tulsa World, http://www.tulsaworld.com
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