Opening night of the NBA season is still weeks away, but at least one NFL official already has the sport on his mind.
During a Week 5 matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans, lead official Clay Martin had a cross-sport Freudian slip following the review of a play involving Bills QB Josh Allen.
“After crew discussion, the runner runs out of bounds before he fumbles the basketball,” Martin said after reviewing the play. Of course, Martin’s assessment quickly raised eyebrows because of the slip-up.
Wrong sport, brother. pic.twitter.com/AcOZK838I4
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 6, 2024
As quickly pointed out by play-by-play announcer Ian Eagle, Martin has a long history with the game of basketball which could have contributed to the slip-up. And, to be fair, Allen’s 6-5, 237-pound frame also could lend itself to an impressive career as a forward on the basketball court.
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Who is Clay Martin?
Martin is an NFL referee. He has been officiating NFL games since the 2015 season.
Martin wears No. 19 and was promoted to lead referee ahead of the 2018 NFL season following the retirement of Terry McAulay and Gene Steratore. Martin lives in Tulsa, Okla., where he was the head basketball coach at Jenks High School.
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Before his coaching career, Martin starred at Oklahoma Baptist University, where he was enshrined into the school’s hall of fame for his exploits on the basketball court.
While he is no longer a coach, Martin is now the athletic director at Jenks.
