ATHENS, Ga. — On this Friday afternoon in August, Room 240 at the University of Georgia Hotel is host to a spirited debate among three Southeastern Conference game officials. Playing on the TV screen is a mostly unremarkable interior rushing play in a game last season between Missouri and UT-Martin, where the UT-Martin center appears to commit a holding foul. Or is it a hold? Russ Pulley, a 60-year-old former FBI agent and 18-year SEC officiating veteran, puts the play into question. The older wise man is challenging the two younger refs on either side of him. It becomes clear he knows something they don’t.
Behind the Scenes as SEC Refs Get a Unique Primer at Georgia Camp
