The officiating crew for Monday night’s College Football Playoff National Championship game had a definite Alabama flavor.
Four members of the SEC crew that worked the Ohio State vs. Notre Dame game at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta have ties to the state of Alabama. Two of them even played football for the Crimson Tide.
Head referee Steve Marlowe is a Sylacauga native and an Alabama graduate. He is the “white hat” official in the CFP title game for the first time, having served in the same role during the SEC championship game on Dec. 7 and the Penn State-Boise State quarterfinal game in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31.
Umpire Brent Sowell played on the offensive line at Alabama from 1982-85 under coaches Paul “Bear” Bryant and Ray Perkins. A Florida native, Sowell spent three seasons in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Field judge Phillip Davenport is a lifelong resident of Jasper. He is a graduate of Wallace State Community College.
Former Alabama quarterback David Smith is serving as the alternate official, which means he won’t see the field unless one of the other officials is injured or becomes ill. Smith was the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback in 1987 and 1988 under coach Bill Curry.
The full officiating crew for Notre Dame-Ohio State:
Referee: Steve Marlowe
Umpire: Brent Sowell
Center judge: Jason McArthur
Head linesman: Chad Green
Line judge: Jeremiah Harris
Side judge: Justin Larrew
Field judge: Phillip Davenport
