Brad Allen is an American football official in the National Football League (NFL) since the 2014 NFL season, wearing uniform number 122. A native of Lumberton, North Carolina (and a graduate of The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, formerly Pembroke State University), Allen began officiating football games at the high school, and later, ACC, levels. When he made his NFL officiating debut in 2014, he was originally going to be an umpire, but when long-time referee Mike Carey announced his retirement on June 24, 2014, Allen was given the referee position instead; this was the first time since 1962 that an NFL official in his first year of officiating was given that honor (Tommy Bell was the last NFL official to do so).