Thomas DeJoseph

Enshrined : 2008
Colonial Football Officials
Tom DeJoseph has done almost everything an official dreams of doing: moving from the high school ranks to the college ranks, and then from the college ranks to the elite of the collegiate game. Staring out more than 30 years ago in the Fairfield County Football Officials Association, DeJoseph soon showed himself to be an official's official. He quickly moved up the ranks in that association, becoming a referee and getting his own crew, working many top-ranked FCIAC games. But officals like Tom move up, and he did. He joined the Eastern Association of Intercollegiate Football Officials in 1982 and was up in Division I-A in a few short years, working several Ivy and Patriot League contests. He moved to the Big East and then Atlantic Coast Conference, working nationally televised games and becoming a familiar face to national audiences. He has several bowl games to his credit, including the Peach Bowl, and worked an Army-Navy game. While moving up the ladder, he never forgot where he came from. He was president of the FCFOA in 1985 after moving from district rep to vice-president. He worked on the Better Officiating and New Candidates committees as well and was the group's representative to the State Board. When the Colonial Football Officials Association began, he was one of the founding members. He was the group's president and has worked on the Assignment Committee.