Western Pa. native is trading in his whistle for a microphone. Why now?
Gene Steratore worked his first football game as an official 35 years ago in Erie, Pa. He earned a $22 paycheck to referee a junior varsity game in front of dozens. His final act as an official came on a slightly bigger stage.
Steratore was the referee in the 2018 Super Bowl in Minneapolis before 67,000 at U.S. Bank Stadium and more than 100 million television viewers worldwide.
After working thousands of games over the years — first in the WPIAL and later in some of nation’s most recognizable football and basketball venues — Steratore is hanging up his whistle and trading it in for a microphone.