By JOHNNY PEPPO

Sports Editor

LAPLACE – Walking into this plain brick and tan house just down the street from LaPlace Elementary, you probably wouldn’t guess that one of college football’s top referees calls it home.

It’s a modest house in many ways, just like the ones next door to it on either side. And the homeowner is much the same. Like so many other cordial, personable, Southern born, River Parish products that you come across in this part of Louisiana, he seems as though he would fit right in at a crawfish boil.

But his neighbors could likely tell you that he has something of a high profile job.

&#8220When I was interviewed for the NFL, I had retired FBI agents knocking on doors in a quarter-mile radius from my house and asking about me,” said Rg (pronounced almost like &#8220Archie”) Detillier. &#8220It’s a full background check. They want to know everything about you – if you drink, if you smokeŠ It’s some serious scrutiny to get up to that level You have to have the integrity.”

The 57-year-old Destrehan graduate is a native of Norco, and a 22-year veteran head referee in Division I college football with some 17 bowl games to his credit. He’s refereed in the short-lived XFL, spent seven seasons in the Big East Conference and, currently works with Conference USA.

For the last 17 seasons, he has worked non-stop from August to May when he accepted a post in the Arena Football League in 1989.

With the arena playoffs coming to a close a month ago, Detillier has a fleeting break of just a few weeks before getting started back with the fall semester. He has been close several times to reaching the ranks of NFL referee but says it is unlikely to happen now that he’s past the age of 50.

Even without the NFL job, Detillier has already achieved a number of milestones and memorable moments. One such example is the time he got to meet George W. Bush on the football field in 2001 when he introduced the current President to the captains of the Army and Navy teams in their January bowl game.

&#8220It was the biggest deal that we didn’t know whether to call him Mr. President or Mr. Commander-in-Chief since it was the Army/Navy game – we went with Mr. President. And after the coin toss, he reached out and we shook hands, which wasn’t exactly in the script. I looked down and realized that I must’ve had 50 red dots on my shirt from secret servicemen arranged in different places throughout the stadium.”

In the Beginning

Detillier’s start in officiating began humbly, as all referee careers do, with the pee-wee leagues. He said that during a game at Larayo in 1971, a friend asked him to help call a game for Destrehan. After doing that and seeing that he enjoyed contributing to the game, Detillier accepted an invitation to referee regularly at Sam Bart High School (now Ecole Classique).

&#8220I didn’t know anything about calling a game,” he said of his first high school game. &#8220I had only been helping watch the sidelines in the pee-wees. But they told me I could do it and I showed up. They wrote our officials line-up on the back of a popcorn box. I wish I still had it – that’s where it all starts.”

In 1986, Detillier got the opportunity to advance what so far had been somewhat of a hobby when he got a call from a friend of his who knew then Tulane coach Vince Gibson. He started working the field at scrimmages for the Green Wave and got noticed from college officials for his agility and aptitude.

Detillier accepted an offer to come up to an official’s clinic in Hattiesburg and found himself replacing the head referee for three plays of Southern’s Black-and-Gold game during the fourth quarter.

&#8220Terry Monk was one of the biggest college football refs in the country,” Detillier said. &#8220Anytime there was a big bowl game he was calling it. And here I was standing in for him in the Black-and-Gold scrimmage and I had never even been a head ref in a high school game. I was a line judge, or the head linesman or the back judge But never a head ref.”

After that, Detillier applied for an official’s position and was assigned as a head referee, much to his surprise he said.

&#8220I was the new guy to all of this. But I’ve been blessed and I’ve been lucky to be in the right place at the right time throughout my career.”

Calling the Big Games

In 1990, the athletics association to which he was a part of dissolved, prompting him to make the move up to the newly formed Big East to call games for such programs as Miami, ______. With the arrival of the bowl system in 1996, Detillier was eligible to call a national championship, a goal of his collegiate official career. But he transferred to Conference USA in 1997 to be nearer to his home and family, among other reasons. In this conference, it will be tougher for Detillier to find his way into a national championship game since a team must be bowl eligible for three consecutive years just to have a chance to get their ranking high enough.

&#8220Tulane was a good example of that when they went undefeated and were still snubbed by the BCS. So it’ll be tough for me to get a title game. But at the end of this season I’ll have called 199 games. So if I get another bowl game, it’ll be an even 200.”

He’s also gotten to meet NFL superstars before they were professionals such as Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick.

&#8220I dealt with his games all the time when he was at Virginia Tech,” Detillier said. Some of those were something else, let me tell you.”

Chip Off the Old Block

Another aspiration of Detillier’s has recently been met as his son, __-year-old Ashley Detillier, will this year be among the ranks of Division I officials.

&#8220We hope he’s going to be my NFL referee,” said the elder Detillier of his hopes for his son.

As for the younger Detillier, he got his start in the ‘90s in and around the River Parishes. He rose through the different levels of play from little league to JV to high school. He says that it’s a dream of his to officiate in the same game as his father and, ultimately, to referee the SuperBowl.

&#8220It’s the crème-de-la-crème, I want to get to the highest level possible,” he said. &#8220I’m not shortchanging myself. Is that dreaming to big, I don’t know, but I want to get to the top.”

The two could conceivably work the same game as Ashley has been designated as a _______ and Rg runs a crew as the head ref. Ashley would have to be assigned to his father’s crew for that to happen, which is not out of the realm of possibility.

&#8220That would be a highlight to work a game with him. It’s a possibility. We’re going to look into it,” said Rg. &#8220But I can’t keep him here. He’s got to work hard to maintain what he’s accomplished.”

Family Ties

The Detillier’s as a family overall seem to have a knack for football. NFL analyst and radio personality Mike Detillier, along with Lutcher High football coach Tim Detillier, are close relatives of Rg and Ashley. The pair say that it just seems to be a calling to stay near the game.

&#8220It’s just a great game,” said Rg. &#8220Walking off of that field, knowing that no one got an unfair advantage – it’s just a great feeling.

&#8220I take pride in making the judgement call,” said Ashley. &#8220It’s an honor to be where I am today.”

But they are quick to point out that it’s not all just three hours of work on Sunday’s.

&#8220These kids are flying,” said Rg. &#8220And we have to keep up with them. Plus, the players get to go to the sideline for every change of possession. We don’t get that. The timeouts are our only break.”

One of the perks to being an official, they say, is the opportunity to make friends and get recognition from the community.

&#8220I get recognized all of the time,” said Rg. &#8220Hey didn’t you just ump this game or didn’t you just call this one? I get it all of the time.”

He says that he gets it a lot these days, especially after he refereed the St. Charles/Riverside game this passed year.

New Blood.

Rg and Ashley encourage interested people to become officials at every turn.

&#8220If you like football, do it,” said Rg. &#8220You’ll never regret it. It teaches you a lot about yourself. You know when you work a good ball game. You feel good about yourself. You know walking off the field that I made this game as level as could be. The best team that played that night is going to win. Anybody can beat anybody on any given day.”

Plus, officials get to make friends across the country Rg said.

&#8220I can go to any state and call up somebody from the big east, from the XFL, through the arena league,” he said. &#8220Hurricane Wacko can come tomorrow and I can evacuate. It’s a fraternity and we take care of each other. I don’t have to look for a hotel. They’ll offer to let me stay at their house. We take care of each other.”

Ashley added that officiating is a respectable job, with intangibles such as a national stage.

&#8220I remember being at home and thinking, you know, ‘here’s my old man flipping the game toss with President Bush.’ I’ll never forget it. And let me tell you, my dad’s different when he knows he’s got a t.v. game. He’s real punctual, all perfect like. And here I am, watching thinking who would’ve of thought that he could meet the president in a zebra uniform. That’s when I knew.”