Umpire Roy Ellison previously accused of abusive language
By Ryan Wilson | CBSSports.com
November 18, 2013 8:23 pm ET
Following Sunday's loss to the Eagles, Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said during the game that umpire Roy Ellison called him a "garbage ass" and "disrespectful mother[expletive]."
"When you have a ref come up to while you're at the line, about to run a play and call you [those names], to me, this is a players league, I don't think there's no room for that, to take that from the team and the refs," Williams said. "I think that's very unprofessional. It sucks. I'm at a loss for words. You never expect that as a player going into the game to have to have a beef with the refs also."
Turns out, it's not the first time Ellison has been accused of verbal abuse towards a player.
Former NFL head of officials Mike Pereira addressed this Monday on FOX Football Daily.
“What concerns me about this is I sat in the same chair that [NFL VP of Officiating] Dean Blandino, the vice president of officiating, is sitting in right now, with the same official, Roy Ellison, who years ago allegedly shouted and swore at players, and it was a big issue that I had to deal with,” Pereira said, via PFT. “I actually had to talk with him in the office to make sure that none of this was going on. So the fact that it has happened twice now with the same individual has to concern the league, and I know they are taking a strong look at this.”
Ellison previously wasn't disciplined because there was no evidence that he had used inappropriate language.
“We had no audio, so it was nothing that we could actually confirm,” Pereira said. “When I had to deal with it, there was no proof, so it was a he said, she said. But something happened. And we did have a long conversation, Roy and I did, that we should never act like this as a football official on the field. And I said to him, ‘I don't ever want to hear about this again.'”
This time, if the NFL has proof to corroborate Williams' accusations, Pereira thinks Ellison could be punished.
"They (the NFL) know about the past circumstance, they are aware of that," Pereira said. "And if they in fact can prove this audio, then I think a suspension is probably likely."
