James L. Wilson is a 1967 graduate of Huntsville’s Butler High School. He moved from officiating in the high school ranks to the SEC, then to the NFL.
He graduated from Eastern Kentucky University where he was a 4-year letterman at tight end. He was team captain and voted MVP as a senior in 1971. He went to work for Ford Motor Company after graduation in 1972. Wilson remained with Ford for 34 years, in Heavy Truck Sales, in Louisville, Dallas, and later Memphis.
He began his long tenure in officiating after accompanying a friend to a high school all-star game in Louisville in 1974. He joined the Kentuckiana Football Officials Association (1974-1984) and later joined the Dallas Football Officials Association (1985-1989).
Wilson began his college officiating career in 1981 in the Midwest Officials Association, followed by the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) from 1983-1984. Next, he officiated in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) for 13 years from 1985-1997.
He worked several Bowl Games including the 1995 Cotton Bowl and 1998 Rose Bowl. He served on the SEC Officials Board of Directors and was the head linesman Crew Chief from 1996-1998.
He moved into the professional ranks with NFL/Europe in 1997 – and officiated the 1998 World Bowl. Wilson was an on-field NFL official for 6 years, from 1998-2003. He was a replay official (2004-2007) and an official observer (2012-2013). He has been working as an NFL officiating scout since 2015.
Wilson has been inducted into the following Halls of Fame:
- Athletic Boosters Club (ABC) of Huntsville Hall of Fame (1994)
- Kentuckiana Football Officials Association Hall of Fame (2008)
- Huntsville-Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame (2014)
- Alabama Sports Officials Foundation (ASOF) Hall of Fame (2020)
He and wife Patricia C. Wilson, also of Huntsville, live in the Memphis area. They are the proud parents of 3 adult daughters, 2 grandsons and 1 granddaughter.
