Justin McInnes felt his nerves rattle with the roar of the crowd at Lambeau Field.
The August 18 pre-season match between the Green Bay Packers and Oakland Raiders would be the first NFL game the Edmonton linesman would officiate. And the stands were packed with 74,000 screaming fans.
But for McInnes, the nerves were nothing new.
“I’m nervous every game I do,” McInnes said during a Thursday interview with CBC Radio’s Edmonton AM.
“When we mess up, it’s not water under the bridge — we take it personally.
“When I go home, it’s on my mind for a couple of days, basically until the next game when I have something else to worry about.
“You don’t want to be that guy who messes up that call.”
‘It was awesome’
McInnes — the CFL’s head linesman — was among three Canadian officiants called up to the NFL as part of an officiating development exchange program between the two leagues.
McInnes started his football career as a player with the Edmonton Wildcats. After a short stint as a coach, he turned to officiating and worked his way up the ranks before finally getting called to the CFL in 2010.
A veteran of 93 CFL games, he says the opportunity to work in the NFL was a dream come true.
“It was a little surreal. I really didn’t know what to think when I first got the call,” McInnes said.
“I just remember being overwhelmed with excitement.”
A new playbook
Throughout the exchange, officials from both leagues had the opportunity to attend training camps and work games, while studying video with veteran officials, and analyzing rule differences between the NFL, CFL and college football.
McInnes spent the summer travelling to Newark for orientation, then to Seattle for a Seahawks training camp and finally to Dallas for a final series of exams.
“Even though football is football in the end, I was going down there and I’m learning new rules, new mechanics,” McInnes said.
“Even though I’m in the same position, it’s very different … the rule differences are incredible.
‘The best part-time job ever’
Despite the technical challenges of learning an entirely new rule book in a matter of months, McInnes says setting foot on Lambeau Field for that exhibition game made it all worth it.
“There’s only a 100,000 people in Green Bay, but the history and how the whole state of Wisconsin gets behind the packers is like the Saskatchewan Roughriders here in Canada.
“It was awesome.”
And although Mcinnes says he would jump at the chance to join the NFL’s officiant roster, he’s happy to be back on home field.
“I love working in the CFL, as a born-and-raised Canadian football fan. It’s the best,” said McInnes.
“You have the best seat in the house. You’re in every play.
“It’s the best part-time job ever.”
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