Steve Freeman

For those of a similar name, see Stephen Friedman (disambiguation).

Steve Freeman

Date of birth	(1953-05-08) May 8, 1953
Place of birth	Lamesa, Texas
Career information
Position(s)	Defensive back
College	Mississippi State
NFL draft	1975 / Round: 5 / Pick 117 (By the New England Patriots)
Career history
As player
1975-1986	Buffalo Bills
1987	Minnesota Vikings
Career stats
Playing stats at DatabaseFootball.com

Steven Jay Freeman (born May 8, 1953) is a former American football defensive back, and currently serves as an American football game official for the National Football League.

Freeman played college football at Mississippi State University, becoming the Bulldogs' leader in interceptions during the 1973 and 1974 seasons. He was later named as one of the Southeastern Conference Football Legends.

He was selected by the National Football League's New England Patriots during the 1975 NFL Draft. However, he was released by the Patriots before the start of the regular season, and eventually signed with the Buffalo Bills. Freeman spent 12 season with Buffalo, compiling 23 career interceptions and three touchdowns. In 1980 alone, he intercepted seven passes for 107 yards and one touchdown. He spent his last NFL season, 1987, with the Minnesota Vikings after being traded by the Bills.

After retiring as a player, Freeman became an American football official, working in college football's Southeastern Conference and NFL Europe before joining the NFL in 2001 as a back judge. As an official, he wears uniform number 133 and is on the officiating crew headed by referee Jeff Triplette.

One of Freeman's teammates in Buffalo was linebacker Jim Haslett, who later became head coach of the New Orleans Saints. Despite the fact the two men were teammates for several seasons, Freeman was not prohibited from working Saints games during Haslett's six-year tenure as the Saints coach from 2000-2005. While in the SEC, Freeman was prohibited from working Mississippi State games, as league rules do not allow officials to work games involving their alma mater.

Freeman currently resides in Mississippi and is married and has three children. Freeman's son, Brad, was a four-year letterman on the Mississippi State baseball team and helped the Bulldogs reach the College World Series in 1997 and 1998, and in 2014, he was hired to join the NFL as a Field Judge after serving as a Field Judge in the SEC.