The 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl had an Arizona Cardinals connection you probably didn’t expect and might not have known about.
Antoine Cason, who spent one season with the Cardinals in 2013 and also played collegiately for the Arizona Wildcats, was the field judge for the officiating crew in the game played Thursday night at AT&T Stadium.
Cason played in the NFL from 2008-2014 after being drafted in the first round by the San Diego Chargers out of the University of Arizona.
His second-to-last season was with the Cardinals in 2013. He played in all 16 games but mostly on special teams, logging 181 snaps, and also playing 164 on defense. He had two interceptions, three pass breakups and two fumble recoveries for the Cardinals in his only season with the team.
After his NFL career, he began officiating in high school games but is making his way up, trying to work in the NFL.
He was an alternate official in the 2023 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.
He has apparently moved up, getting to officiate in the Shrine Bowl. Perhaps we will see him in NFL games soon.
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