Brooklyn Street Co-Named for Tech Football Alum Wayne Scott Mackie

1960-2022

On September 7th, 2024, New York City Council Member Chris Banks hosted a special street co-naming ceremony to honor Wayne Mackie, a beloved member of our community who passed away in March of 2022 at the age of 62. The ceremony took place at the intersection of Van Siclen and Wortman Avenues in the East New York section of Brooklyn. Eric Smith ’84 from the Adam J. Cirillo Scholarship Foundation was there to honor Wayne.

Wayne Scott Mackie grew up in NYCHA’s Linden Houses and Starrett City Development in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. He attended elementary school P.S. 306 and George Gershwin J.H.S., graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School in 1978 and earned a B.A. in Economics from Colgate University in 1982.

Wayne loved baseball, basketball, and football; when he blew out his knee playing football for Brooklyn Tech in 1976, Wayne thought the sport was over for him but discovered that officiating was another avenue to stay involved in sports. He began officiating basketball, but switched to football starting in the PSAL junior varsity ranks in 1992 and recreational leagues in Harlem.

Four years later, Wayne was officiating games in the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference (MEAC) and by 2002, he’d worked his way up the college ranks to Big East games and several bowl games. From 2001–07, Wayne also worked in the Arena2 and Arena Football Leagues (AFL), the Indoor Professional Football League, and NFL Europe.

In 2007, because of his integrity, consistency, judgement, and hustle, Wayne received a call from the National Football League (NFL), inviting him to become Head Linesman #106. His first NFL regular season game was the Arizona Cardinals vs. the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. In the last two decades, Wayne solidified his standing as a highly respected on-field game official establishing himself as one of the NFL’s top officials at his position as a Head Linesman. He officiated Super Bowl 50, the Pro Bowl, two conference championship games, and eight playoff
games during his NFL career.

“Wayne Mackie was a longtime resident of the Linden Houses in the 42nd Council District. Known for his deep commitment to the community and his significant contributions to the City of New York. Wayne Mackie’s career included serving as Director of Operations at New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development, before making a shift to the National Football League (NFL) as a Referee, where he served as a head linesman, and later as a Vice President at the NFL’s central office. Commemorating Wayne Mackie’s legacy by co-naming the street where he grew up as ‘Wayne Mackie Way,’ is the least we can do to recognize the profound impact and positive influence that Wayne Mackie had on those from the 42nd Council District” ~ NYC Councilmember Chris Banks

“My family and I wholeheartedly support the co-naming of Wortman Avenue and Van Siclen Avenue to ‘Wayne Mackie Way’. Wayne was an exceptional man, not only to our family but to the entire East New York community and in his professional life. This honor reflects the lasting impact he had on all of us”. ~ Roger Mackie, brother of Wayne Mackie

“It is a great honor to co-name the street of Wortman Avenue and Van Siclen Avenue as ‘Wayne Mackie Way’. When I took office and learned of his passing, this initiative became one of my top priorities. I worked closely with Council Member Chris Banks and his team to make this a reality, and we succeeded”. ~ Carol Barnes, President of the Linden Houses Tenant Association.

“The Adam J. Cirillo Scholarship Foundation salutes this great Brooklyn Tech Football Alum, Wayne Mackie, and is proud to see that the street where he grew up and learned to play football has been co-named for him”. ~ Pat Cirillo Cuzzocrea, Chairwoman , AJCSF

Biographical Information and Photos Courtesy of New York City Council Member Chris
Banks and Tech Alums David Lee ’78, Tom Hernandez ’73 and Eric Smith ‘84