Nate Jones talks going from NFL player to NFL ref, Bill Belichick vs Bill Parcells, officiating the tush push

NFL: Good Morning Football

iHeartPodcasts and NFL

Football, Sports

4.3 • 655 Ratings

🗓️ 16 July 2025

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Former NFL cornerback turned NFL official Nate Jones joins Peanut and Roman for a candid, behind-the-scenes look at life on both sides of the whistle. He dives into the mental and physical demands of officiating, the reality of “makeup calls,” and what it’s like dealing with overzealous parents at youth games. Nate reflects on what it was like being coached by both Bill Belichick and Bill Parcells, and the sting of the infamous Tony Romo botched field goal game. He also opens up about retiring on his own terms, finding a new passion in officiating, and the feeling of being “drafted” to the NFL as a ref. From the evolution of technology in football to his personal Mount Rushmore of influences, Nate brings insight, humor, and heart to this one-of-a-kind conversation.

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Transcript

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1:09.8	Do you like practice like, to everybody, story, you'll play? Yeah, yeah, but like in the mirror you ever like you practice. That's a thing. That's a thing. Like you get to like you practice first down. And practice the field goes correct. And more than that, you got to know your mechanics, how you look. Right. And sometimes you'll see it as soon we get excited and we start missing it and go backwards.
1:29.3	Yeah, that's a fumble for us, right?
1:31.5	Like, you look crazy.
1:32.5	But, you know, you want to be spools with it when you get it because you do this.
1:36.8	It makes you look nervous.
1:49.2	What's up, everybody? I'm Peanut Tillman and this is the NFL player second act podcast.
1:52.8	With me as always is my trusty co-hosts, Roman.
1:54.6	Yeah, you like it.
1:56.1	Just, yeah, appreciate that.
1:57.3	Horrible.
1:58.6	I'm really looking for it.
	...

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