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Walt Coleman, New England’s favorite referee is calling it a career

Over the course of his 20-year career as an NFL referee, Walt Coleman officiated 306 games — but one stands out among all of them, one of his 17 total postseason assignments: the 2001 AFC divisional round game between the New England Patriots and Oakland Raiders, more commonly known as the Tuck Rule Game. Coleman played as big a rule in the contest as Patriots quarterback Tom Brady or Raiders safety Charles Woodson.

You know the story by know. With under two minutes to go in the fourth quarter and the Patriots down 13-10 while at the Raiders’ 42-yard line, Woodson blitzed off the edge on a 1st and 10 pass attempt.