Lafayette's Greg Gautreaux is part of an elite group chosen to officiate the NFL's biggest game of the year. Lafayette Consolidated Government's athletic programs/maintenance manager in the parks and recreation department, Gautreaux is one of seven officials who will make key calls in Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Fla., Feb. 1. It's a first-time selection for Gautreaux, whose biggest officiating job before this came in the (heartbreaking) 2007 NFC Championship game between the Saints and the Bears.
Gautreaux, who is in his seventh year as an NFL field judge, has managed LCG's athletic programs for two decades and has officiated for 34 years. Prior to that, he was a college football official for 12 years and called games in NFL Europe for four summers.
And in case you're wondering what Gautreaux's responsibilities will be on game day, and where you can spot him on the field, Wiki notes that a field judge works downfield behind the defensive secondary on the same sideline as the line judge. "He makes decisions near the sideline on his side of field, judging the action of nearby running backs, receivers and defenders. He rules on pass interference, illegal blocks downfield, and incomplete passes. He is also responsible for counting defensive players. He has sometimes also been the official timekeeper. With the back judge, he rules whether field goal attempts are successful.