Who Is Nate Jones, the Referee Who Stepped in to Protect Jaxon Smith-Njigba?

Jones has now gone viral for shielding JSN from an angry mob of Texans players. His backstory is just as interesting.

Nate Jones, 43, was drafted to the Cowboys in 2004. / NFL

By now, you've probably seen the clip of a brave NFL referee inserting himself between stud Seahawks wide receiver Jaxson Smith-Njigba and an angry mob of Texans players on Monday night.

But who exactly is this black-and-white-striped hero, who has probably captured the hearts of many a Seattle fan, considering how he protected one of Lumen Field's finest?

Let's investigate.

Who is Nate Jones, the referee who protected Jaxson Smith-Njigba?

Nate Jones, the field judge for Monday night's Seahawks-Texans contest, is actually a former NFL player himself. He was drafted out of Rutgers with the 205th pick of the 2004 draft, and played corner for the Cowboys for four seasons before stints with the Dolphins, Broncos and Patriots.

He finished his career with 232 tackles, six sacks, three forced fumbles, three interceptions and 17 passes defended across 106 games played.

He has been an official in the league since 2019.

This official is Nate Jones.

Jones was a DB at Rutgers, was a 7th round pick of the Cowboys in 2004, and had a 7 year NFL career.

He's been an official since 2019.

Kudos to him for this and kudos to the ESPN crew who named him on the MNF broadcast. pic.twitter.com/vkBwqbbens

— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) October 21, 2025

So there you have it. While it could've been anyone who stepped in in a moment like this, it makes a lot of sense that it was a former NFL player, who is used to men of a certain stature barreling toward him at full speed and force. Shoutout to him.

For more on Jones's transition from player to official, check out this episode of NFL Players: Seconds Acts, where he discusses the art of officiating and his journey to and from the league.

Fans loved Jones's selfless move

Unsurprisingly, fans also loved that Jones stepped in, and were quick to praise him for what they believed to be a selfless move.

Protecting my WR1, love this guy https://t.co/Zokf4jCLa1

— Abernathy Darwin Dunlap (@BoogieSportsGuy) October 21, 2025

Nate's one of the all-time great guys. I called him "The Mayor" because he was so beloved in the Cowboys locker room. https://t.co/yHU3zJbE5P

— Matt Mosley (@mattmosley) October 21, 2025

Nate is one of my favorite players to ever be around. He’s now a damn good official too. https://t.co/8zHygvCzYQ

— BryanBroaddus (@BryanBroaddus) October 21, 2025

Of all the things I have seen a ref do? This is up there.

Refs get a lot of flack from me but Nate Jones is a real one for this. https://t.co/OFaH0QE4y7

— Blurb (@wellshuckss) October 21, 2025

Nate Jones is legendary https://t.co/A1FPiCcgoJ

— Brian Fairchild (@bdfbrowns) October 21, 2025

Refs get a lot of crap, usually deserved. Glad to see the positive recognition as well! https://t.co/HDWoDv0PHT

— Conner O’Brien (@STLCards_Colts) October 21, 2025

More former players as refs please.

Absolutely love that he went in to deescalate and mitigate, not look for more penalties.

This is a GREAT job by official Nate Jones. https://t.co/X3Zdd03jqQ

— Fancy Boots (@TexasFancyBoots) October 21, 2025

Nate Jones is a great dude and great story
I have known him Bill Parcells drafted him for the Cowboys. Tough as hell and smart
It was all on display last night https://t.co/1EmgOskm50

— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) October 21, 2025

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