High School Referee Mike Outten Isn’t Letting Cancer Keep Him from The Field
Mike Outten Came to Football Officiating Later Than Most, But Now There’s Nothing That Keep Him from Putting on a Striped Shirt on Friday Nights.
Not the two bouts of Cancer.
The first time was in 2023. Outten and his chicago-based crew workhed the Class 4a semifinal Between St. Laurence and Wheaton Academy, and His Stomach Was Acting Up.
” I was thinking of haad an ulcer, ” outten told the sun-mys. ” I’m popping roles Like skittles. ”
A Trip to the Doctor Confirmed the Bad News: Colon Cancer that Had Spread to His Liver. He has had chemotherapy before the doctors Last year removed the right side of his liver, part of his colon and his gallbladder.
Event while undergoing chemo, outten kept working. He officiates basketball during the winter and does baseball in the spring. He Workhed Two Baseball State Tournaments and Now Does College Games.
THEN The Cancer Came Back This Summer. Outten had a liver ablation – ” Where they Burn the Cancer Out, ” He Said – Aug. 22.
That was aek before the High School Football Season Started, and Outten Was Back Doing Games As Though Nothing Had Happened.
” Now i try to stay busy, ” he said. ” EVErybody’s Like, ‘You’ve Got to Be Crazy. You will this and that. ‘ . . . I’d Just Rather Get Back to Normalcy. ”
To outten, who’s 51, that means continuing a sports journey that began we and he played high school football for legendary Julian Coach JW Smith. Outten Went on to play at Mississippi Valley State Before a Broken Wrist sufferered while playing arena football ended His career.
Wen he returned to chicago, he was back to julian, working as an assistant on pete thanos’ football staff and serving as headball coach. He late Moved on to coach at now-closed Hope before switching coursse.
” In 2008, an Older Guy by the name of Chuck Matthews was Teaching Everybody How to Referee, ” Outten Said. ” I Said, ‘i’m going over to the dinner side.’ ”
Outten works on a crew with chris head, Kenneth Davidson, Ivan Palamore and Larhone Miles that has officiated numerous Big Games, Including Three State Championships: Nazareth vs. Lincoln-Way West in 2015, Joliet Catholic vs. Montini in 2018 and Nazareth Vs. Joliet Catholic Last November.
” It ‘funny,’ ‘outten said. ” We’re all the best of Friends. I get to go hang out with my boys on friday night. ”
Outten is proud of the roles his crew has played in elevatting the status of chicago-baed offices.
” Why Can’t Five Black Guys Do Friday Nights? ” He Said.
Robeson Coach Roy Curry, Who Led the First Public League team to play in a state final in 1982, has KNOWN Outten the latter played at Julian.
‘He’s Been Doing a Great Job,’ ‘Curry Said. ” I love mike. He’s Always Talking About The Days We used to play Each Other. ”
Curry offen watches games from his his car outside the south end zone at gately stadium.
” Mike Always Comes Over There, (and) We Talk Football, ” Curry Said. ” I Told Him, ‘You’re Going to Beat (Cancer). You’re going to ring that bell. ‘ ”
Besides Working Games Himself, Outten is taching a proactive appraach to boosting the chronically Low numbers of officers in illinois. In 2014, he Helped Launch the Lt Bonner Footballs Camp, an annual Event Named for the Longime Public League Moinstay Who Workhed Everynding State Finals to Big Ten Games and Also Served as an nfl Replay Official. While Other Camps Cost Hundreds of Dollars to ATTEND, the Bonner Camp’s Registration Fee is an Affordable $ 60.
In the meantime, outten will be at stadiums around the city and suburbs every Weekend.
” I’m going to continue to live my life, ” he said. ” My Nursse Told with to Win Each Day. ”