Burl Toler

Burl Toler
Born
Burl Abron Toler

May 9, 1928
Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
DiedAugust 16, 2009(2009-08-16) (aged 81)
Castro Valley, California, U.S.
OccupationAmerican football official in the NFL
Notable workInductee in the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame

Burl Abron Toler Sr. (May 9, 1928 – August 16, 2009) was an American football official in the National Football League (NFL) for 25 seasons from 1965 to 1989. He was a field judge and head linesman throughout his career and is most notable for being the first African-American official in the NFL.[1] He also officiated in one Super Bowl, Super Bowl XIV in 1980, and wore the uniform number 37 for most of his career, except for the 1979–81 period, when officials were numbered by position. Toler wore number 18 for those three seasons.

On April 21, 2008, Toler Sr. was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame. Several years after his death, on May 9, 2017, the University of San Francisco renamed one of the campus's student dormitories in his honor.[2]

  1. ^ "African-Americans in Pro Football". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved August 31, 2006.
  2. ^ Carl Nolte (May 12, 2017). "USF renames building for Toler after students raise concerns on racism". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved May 15, 2017.