When time ended in the College Football Playoff national championship game on Monday, so, too did the remarkable career of somebody else on the field at the elite level of his game that night — head linesman George Gusman.
It was a fitting finale for the Honolulu resident who spent 35 seasons officiating major college football games and invested more than 45 years overall in the profession, including high school and Pop Warner contests.
“I can still do it, I still enjoy it, but after the games I’m so tired that it takes a couple of days for me to get back to normal, so I said, ‘I think it is enough,’” said Gusman, who will turn 70 in March and retired from Hawaiian Electric in 2006. He continues as the baseball coach at his alma mater, Saint Louis School, where his team won the 2014 state title.
Big 12 Conference coordinator of officials Greg Burks said, “I’ve done 20 years of Division I football and 20 years of Division I basketball and had the opportunity to work with some of the best ever in those sports, and I told George this week that he fits into that category. He is as good an official as anybody I’ve ever worked with.”
In a career that he says blessed him with opportunities to, “Go to places I would have never been able to see and meet people I would not have otherwise gotten to know,” Gusman worked three national championship games and two dozen bowls, including the Rose, Cotton, Sugar and Orange bowls.
Gusman was popular with fellow officials for the gatherings he hosted after the games because, “He made you feel like part of the family,” Burks said. But Gusman was admired for his no-nonsense, focused, attention to detail demeanor on the field.
“What surprised people was how nice he was but how all-business he was on the field,” Burks said. “I used to be amused by that because on the field he really took care of business, whether it was dealing with coaches or players. That was something you had to respect.”
Initially, a co-worker at Hawaiian Electric suggested he consider becoming an official. “I took the bait and I never looked back,” Gusman said.
His games became family affairs since his wife, Sheila, would attend and sons, George III and Bryan, would often serve as ball boys at high school games. “If you don’t have buy-in from your family it is not gonna work, and I was truly blessed with their support,” Gusman said.
Gusman’s peers marveled at his resilience and ability to battle jet lag week after week flying from Honolulu to the continent. “Just going to Honolulu and back would (wear out) our crews, and George did it every week. Yet, he was always ready and gave it his best,” Burks said
Gusman said, “The way it turned out, working another national championship game at the end, I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
