Lock and Load: Ed Hochuli

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A ref toils away for 20 years, on average, before he makes it to the NFL. He is scouted, interviewed, tested and graded. In the end, he knows one thing: that, just like the behemoths on the field, he is among the very best.

There are 120 officials in the NFL each season and "another 20,000 who would kill to be there," says Jerry Markbreit, a longtime NFL ref.

They don't see themselves as traffic cops or walking rulebooks. They're keepers of the integrity of the game.

"It's like a dual life," Markbreit says. "You're transformed into something special, and when you take the uniform off, you're like the 'Incredible Hulk.' You go back to a normal size.

"Every official wants to be perfect. And there is no perfection. You strive for perfection, but you settle for excellent."

They hear the boos, stand within earshot of the sideline tirades, but all that matters, really, are the grades from the boss.

The NFL spends roughly eight hours evaluating the officiating ... from each game. Every play gets a grade after being examined from several angles of slow motion.

Collect enough bad grades, and you're gone from the big stage.

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