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Fred Silva | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 18, 1927 Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Died | December 3, 2004 (aged 77) Palo Alto, California, U.S. |
| Education | San José State University |
| Occupation | NFL official (1968–1988) |
Fred Silva (October 18, 1927 – December 3, 2004) was an American football official in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons from 1968 to 1988. Silva was widely known for his coolness under fire on the football field [1] and clapping his hand together when signaling a first down. The pinnacle of Silva's officiating career in the NFL was being assigned to Super Bowl XIV in 1980. On the field, Silva wore three different uniform numbers. In the 1968 and 1969, seasons, Silva wore uniform number 49, but changed to number 81 in 1970, which he wore until 1978. Finally, from 1979 until the end of his career in 1988, he wore the number 7.
- ^ Petersen, Justin (December 17, 2004). "Retired NFL Referee Fred Silva Dead at 77". Evergreen Times. Retrieved August 20, 2006.