Valdosta State Intramural Sports Team Leader Jarrode Davis has recently been selected to referee in the National Flag Football Championship at Texas A&M University.

Davis, who is in his third year with the VSU intramural staff, earned his spot by being one of the top four officials at a recent flag football tournament at the University of Central Florida.

Jarrode went into the tournament just looking to continue his solid work as a flag football official and after the two day tournament had earned more.

“I was confident in my abilities going in, but I was surprised to receive the bid,” Davis said.

Davis may have been surprised by the bid, but Intramural and Club Sports assistant director, Mallory Price, was not.

“He has always displayed that excellence,” Price said. “He has steadily moved through the ranks. He is the team leader now which has the most responsibility of all the students. No one has had a national bid like this since I started working here.”

The national tournament staff is chosen at the tournaments around the country. Student officials are brought from many schools and only the best of the best get selected and presented with an all-expenses paid trip to Texas to officiate.

Jarrode Davis has always been drawn to refereeing.

“I always liked playing sports,” Davis said. “I figured I should ref and make a little money to go along with it.”

Jarrode has also been a great leader of the younger officials around VSU. Each year VSU hires students to referee the many intramural sports offered at the university. Davis finds that by helping the new officials learn the job he can also brush up on his skills.

“Helping out younger officials and teaching them gives me a better awareness for what I am doing,” Davis said. “I can see what I need to work on and what I have down.”

The VSU intramural department will resume hiring officials in January.