Mike Pereira | |
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 Pereira in 2016 | |
| Born | (1950-04-13)April 13, 1950 (age 75) Stockton, California, U.S. |
| Occupations | NFLofficial (1996–2010) USFL/UFLofficial (2022–present) |
Mike Pereira (born April 13, 1950)[1] is a formerAmerican footballofficial and later vice president of officiating for theNational Football League (NFL) and currently the head of officiating for theUnited Football League (UFL). Since 2010, he has served as arules analyst forFox Sports, for which he has gained the nickname "Mikey Rule Books".[2]
Before working in the NFL, Pereira spent 14 years officiating college football games, with nine years in theBig West Conference (1982–90) followed by five years in theWestern Athletic Conference (1991–95).[3] Pereira moved up to the NFL for two seasons (1996 and1997) as a side judge on the officiating crew headed by refereeMike Carey.[4] He wore uniform number 77, later worn by three-timeSuper Bowl refereeTerry McAulay, and now worn byTerry Killens. While working for the NFL, Pereira served as supervisor of officials for the Western Athletic Conference.[3]
In 1998, Pereira was promoted to NFL supervisor of officiating. In 2001 Pereira became Director of Officiating for the NFL, succeedingJerry Seeman, and then was promoted to Vice President of Officiating in 2004. Pereira retired from the NFL after the 2009 season.[5]
From February to June 2011, Pereira was thePac-10's interim coordinator of officiating, charged with implementing changes in the conference's officiating program. His successor,Tony Corrente, retained Pereira on his staff as a consultant through the Pac-12's 2011–12 football season.[6][7]
Pereira was an officiating consultant for theAlliance of American Football,[8] which began play in February 2019 and ended in April of the same year.
Pereira is currently the VP of Officiating for theUnited Football League.
As VP of Officiating, Pereira appeared on theNFL Network showNFL Total Access during the "Official Review" segment, to discuss key calls made during the previous week's games with hostRich Eisen every Wednesday during the season.
In June 2010, it was announced that Pereira would be joiningFox Sports to serve as arules analyst for the network's college andNFL coverage.[3] He began a column on FoxSports.com and started to provide commentary during Fox Sports football telecasts. During Week 1 of the 2010 NFL season, Pereira correctly predicted that refereeGene Steratore would rule what appeared to be a game-winning catch byCalvin Johnson as incomplete. "That was my first real time of being put on the spot", Pereira would later say. "I was worried to death that the referee was going to say it's a touchdown and I'd be out of a job in one week... It validated my role as to being able to go on and explain things so people could understand why a decision was made on the field. Then at that point on, I got more air time."[9] Pereira is also a frequent guest onKNBR during football season.[10]
In 2012,Sports Illustrated named Pereira as one of the NFL's most indispensable broadcasting talents, saying, "Viewers have longed for broadcasters to provide accurate explanations from the NFL rule book, and Pereira, thankfully, has taken the burden off ex-jocks and announcers".[11] Michael Hiestand ofUSA Today wrote that "after Fox's groundbreaking move to put the ex-NFL vice president of officiating on-air, Pereira proved to be a candid voice — not a shill for the almighty NFL".[12] However, Danny O'Neil of theSeattle Times wrote that "Pereira has assumed the role of the overzealous defense attorney ... his appearances generally conclude with him concluding that the referees have gotten it right yet again ... Analyst is the title that FOX hangs on Pereira, but advocate is more appropriate".[13]
Pereira also sparked coverage by others in the media when he criticized the commentary ofMonday Night Football announcerJon Gruden, calling him out as a "blowhard ... who spouts off when he doesn't know what he's talking about".[14] Pereira specifically felt that Gruden "butchered" the analysis of two defenseless receiver plays during the telecast of anAtlanta Falcons-New Orleans Saints game.[15][16] However, Doug Farrar ofYahoo! Sports thought that Pereira should have instead taken the higher road, and Fox should "lay down the law to Pereira [and] needs to be told to put the agendas away".[17]
Pereira's success led Fox in 2015 to adoptrules analysts for three other Fox properties—Andy Petree (NASCAR, replaced byLarry McReynolds in 2016), David Fay (golf),Joe Machnik and Christina Unkel (FIFA).[18] Pereira's success also led other networks likeCBS,NBC,TBS/TNT/truTV,ESPN/ABC, andPrime Video adding arules analyst to their broadcasts:Gene Steratore (CBS/TNT), Russell Yurk and Jerry Bergman (ESPN/ABC) andTerry McAulay (NBC/Prime Video). Since June 2017, Pereira has been joined byDean Blandino, who resigned as NFL senior vice president of officiating the month before, in the same role for Fox.
Pereira was born to Al and Lydia Pereira and grew up inStockton, California[10] along with his older sister Linda.[19] Al was a head linesman with thePacific Coast Athletic Association and Mike Pereira credits his father with teaching him football.[19] He played baseball forSanta Clara University from 1970–72 and graduated with a degree in Finance.[3] In his 30s, Pereira opened a golf equipment and athletic shoe store with his parents, though they had divorced each other by that time.[19]
Pereira lives inSacramento with his wife Gail.[3] Mike and Gail became friends in 1988 through Mike's sister, Linda, who was friends with Gail from college (UC Davis).[19] Pereira proposed to Gail in 1996, the day after his first preseason game as an NFL official.[19] Pereira commutes to the Fox Sports studios inLos Angeles each weekend during the football season.[20]
Pereira is heavily involved in Battlefields to Ballfields, a charitable organization dedicated to retiring or returning veterans that aspire to become sports referees.[21]
Pereira is a two-time cancer survivor: in 1975, Pereira was diagnosed withtesticular cancer and in 2007, he was diagnosed withcolon cancer.[19]
He is ofPortuguese descent.[3]
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