Emily Hussey's video of her dad on TV during an NFL game went viral, amassing more than 1 million views
John Hussey and Emily Hussey, Emily Hussey and John Hussey
Credit : Courtesy of Emily Hussey (2)
Emily Hussey's dad is a veteran NFL referee
He joined the National Football League in 2002 after years of dedication
Recently, Hussey shared a TikTok video of her dad, and it went viral
Every football season, Emily Hussey’s phone lights up with messages from old friends and distant acquaintances.
“I just saw your dad on TV!” they’ll say.
Her dad, John Hussey, isn’t an actor — he’s a veteran NFL referee. He joined the National Football League in 2002 after years of dedication, working his way up from high school and college games to the pros, and was promoted to referee in 2015.
“It’s taken years of hard work to get where he is now,” says Emily, who lives in Huntington Beach, Calif. “Even after all this time, it’s still exciting every time I see him on TV. My friends and I always make a big deal out of it — it never gets old.”
Emily Hussey and John HusseyEmily Hussey and John Hussey
Emily and John Hussey. Courtesy of Emily Hussey
After years of getting those familiar football-season texts, Emily decided to have a little fun with it. “I figured, why not make a TikTok about it?” she says.
To her surprise, the video went viral, amassing over 1 million views.
"Ur dad can single handedly ruin an exes day and I love it," one person commented.
"Formally apologize for what I have said at the TV to your father," another person wrote.
Someone else commented, "We love John in this house."
“I definitely didn’t expect it to blow up the way it did,” she says. “The comments were so funny and surprisingly kind! I was honestly shocked by how many people said nice things about him because, you know, football fans can be… opinionated, haha!”
Over the years, Emily says her family has traveled together for his games. Her favorite memory was when he officiated an NFL Europe game in Munich. The whole experience — exploring the city, the atmosphere, the energy of the crowd — was unlike anything she's ever seen before.
“It takes an incredible amount of persistence to reach the level he’s at. He had a dream, he worked hard toward it, and he made it happen,” she says. “That’s something I try to carry into my own career, to stay driven and never settle.”
But beyond her dad’s NFL fame, Emily and John share a much deeper bond — one that began long before he ever stepped onto a pro field.
Emily Hussey and John Hussey
As a kid, Emily, now 26, says her dad came to every softball game and spent hours with her at the batting cages. Even after she switched to cheer and dance, he still showed up at as many competitions as he could.
“He was definitely a stage dad,” she says, laughing.
Today, that bond extends far beyond the sidelines. The two now work side by side at CUDDLY, the animal welfare company where John is CEO and Emily serves as director of sales.
“Getting to learn from him in a business setting and see the company evolve has been such a cool experience,” she says.
John Hussey and Emily HusseyJohn Hussey and Emily Hussey
Emily and John Hussey. Courtesy of Emily Hussey
During the week, John focuses on CUDDLY — which recently launched its own pet food line, with every purchase giving back to shelters — and later heads out for his NFL games.
While it’s a full schedule, he somehow balances it all — and for Emily, that’s been especially inspiring.
“It gave me even more respect for him,” she says. “What he does is not easy; there’s so much pressure, and every move is under a microscope. I’ve always admired his ability to stay calm under pressure, but seeing how much work goes into it behind the scenes makes me appreciate it even more.”
“At the end of the day, he’s just my dad,” Emily adds. “I think people forget that referees and players are real people living normal lives outside the game. A lot of people commented that my TikTok helped ‘humanize’ refs, which I thought was really special. Something fun and casual turned into a small reminder that these guys are just people doing their jobs.”