Three current CFL officials to work in crew officiating NFL exhibition contests

TORONTO — Three CFL officials will work in upcoming NFL exhibition games.

Edmonton native Justin McInnes will serve as a line judge Thursday night when the Oakland Raiders visit the Green Bay Packers. It will mark the first time a current CFL official will work in an NFL contest and is the result of the two leagues’ officiating development program.

McInnes is a veteran of 93 CFL games and will work alongside head referee Bill Vinovich, a former CFL official who officiated Super Bowl XLIX.

Hamilton’s Dave Foxcroft will work in the San Francisco-Denver Broncos game Saturday while Vancouver’s Dave Hawkshaw will be part of the crew that officiating the New Orleans Saints-Houston Texans contest also Saturday.

Foxcroft has appeared in 249 career CFL games while Hawkshaw has worked 147 CFL contests.

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NFL officials joined CFL crews for exhibition and regular-season games in Canada earlier this summer.

“This historic partnership has given officials in both leagues an opportunity to hone their craft on and off the field,” Glen Johnson, the CFL’s senior vice-president, football, said in a statement. “We look forward to sitting down with our peers at the NFL and evaluating the program when our respective seasons are over.”

The Canadian Press