When you see number 19 walking onto the turf on a Sunday afternoon, you’re looking at a guy who spends his weekdays much differently than most of his peers in the officiating world. Clay Martin isn't just an NFL referee with a penchant for high-stakes games. He’s a guy from Tulsa who has spent nearly two decades balancing the chaos of a professional football field with the precision of a high school gymnasium.
Most fans only know him by the flags he throws. Or doesn't throw. But the story of how he got here—and what he does when the pads come off—is actually way more interesting than a standard officiating bio.
The Dual Life of an NFL Referee
Honestly, it’s rare to find an official who has stayed so deeply rooted in their community. For 17 years, Clay Martin served as the head boys’ basketball coach at Jenks High School in Oklahoma. Think about that for a second. While he was climbing the ranks of the NFL, starting as an umpire in 2015, he was also running drills and drawing up plays for the Trojans.
He didn't just "show up" for the coaching job, either. He led them to a 299-136 record. That’s nearly 300 wins at one of the most competitive high schools in the state.
In August 2024, he finally stepped away from the whistle on the court to become the Athletic Director at Jenks. It was a move that made sense. Transitioning from coaching to administration allows him to oversee the entire program while still maintaining the rigid schedule required of a White Hat in the NFL.
Clay Martin’s Journey to the White Hat
Martin didn't start at the top. He earned his stripes. Literally.
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He broke into the NFL in 2015. Initially, he worked as an umpire. If you’ve never paid attention to the positions, the umpire is the one historically stationed right in the "meat grinder" behind the defensive line. It's a tough, physical spot.
In 2018, everything changed. Two legendary referees, Terry McAulay and Gene Steratore, retired. Their departures opened up rare vacancies at the head of officiating crews. The NFL tapped Martin for promotion. Since then, he’s been the one with the microphone, explaining complicated rulings to millions of viewers.
His Professional Background at a Glance
- NFL Debut: 2015 (Umpire)
- Promotion to Referee: 2018
- Uniform Number: 19
- Alma Mater: Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU)
At OBU, Martin was a beast on the court. He’s in their Hall of Fame. He wasn't just some guy who liked sports; he was an All-State athlete in both football and basketball back at Nathan Hale High School in Tulsa. This athletic background matters. It gives him a certain level of "player feel" that some officials lack. He knows what a real foul feels like because he’s been the one getting hacked in the paint or tackled on the field.
The 2024 and 2025 Seasons: By the Numbers
If you're a bettor or a hardcore stat-head, you probably look at Martin’s crew and think about flags. In the 2024 season, Martin’s crew was active. They threw 215 flags over 17 games. That averages out to about 12.65 penalties per game.
They aren't the "let 'em play" crew that some fans hope for, but they aren't the most flag-happy in history either. They finished eighth in total flags that year.
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Recent Crew Dynamics
For the 2025 season, Martin’s crew stayed largely consistent, which is a big deal for officiating chemistry. Most of his 2024 staff returned, including:
- Jerod Phillips (Down Judge)
- Alonzo Ramsey (Side Judge)
- Dave Hawkshaw (Field Judge)
- Greg Wilson (Back Judge)
A major addition for the 2025 campaign was Steve Woods, an experienced umpire who moved over from Craig Wrolstadt’s crew. Having a veteran like Woods right in the middle of the action helps a referee like Martin tremendously.
The COVID-19 Scare and Resilience
It’s easy to forget that Martin went through a pretty scary health crisis a few years back. In late 2020, right in the middle of the season, he was diagnosed with COVID-19. It wasn't just a mild case. He ended up hospitalized on New Year’s Eve.
Football fans were worried. Officiating a pro game is an aerobic nightmare—you're running, sprinting, and managing a high-stress environment for three-plus hours. Remarkably, he was discharged within a week and was back on the field to officiate a divisional playoff game between the Browns and the Chiefs on January 17, 2021.
That kind of turnaround says a lot about the guy's grit.
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Officiating Style: What to Expect
When Martin is under the hood or standing at mid-field, he’s known for a calm demeanor. Maybe it's the high school administrator in him. He’s used to dealing with angry parents and hormonal teenagers, so an irate NFL head coach probably feels like a walk in the park.
Data from recent seasons shows that Martin’s crew tends to trend toward the Under in betting totals. Historically, he’s around 54-41-3 to the under. If you see him assigned to a game, it might be a sign that the game will have a steady, controlled rhythm rather than a chaotic shootout plagued by massive yardage gains from penalties.
He also isn't particularly "home-friendly." True home teams have a losing record against the spread (ATS) in games he officiates. He calls it down the middle, regardless of how loud the stadium gets.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you are following an NFL game where Clay Martin is the referee, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Watch the Offensive Holding: His crew has historically ranked in the top third of the league for calling offensive holding. If a left tackle is getting "grabby," Martin's crew will likely spot it.
- Administrative Precision: Because of his background as an Athletic Director, Martin is known for being very "by the book" with game administration. You won't see many clock errors or procedural mess-ups with his unit.
- Respect the Veteran Presence: Now in his eighth season as a referee (and 11th overall), Martin is considered one of the steady hands in the league. He often gets assigned to meaningful divisional matchups because the league trusts him to keep the temperature down.
Whether he's at Jenks overseeing a track meet or at Arrowhead Stadium deciding the fate of a playoff drive, Clay Martin remains one of the most interesting "double-duty" figures in pro sports. He’s proof that you can reach the absolute pinnacle of a profession like officiating without ever leaving the community that raised you.
Next time you see a flag fly and a guy with a thick Oklahoma accent starts explaining a "loss of down" penalty, you'll know exactly who's behind the mic.