(Photo by Jack Ryan. Copyright 2026, Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.) Matt Thompson, left, a Jackson real estate agent and referee for professional and college soccer games, spoke to the McComb Rotary Club on Wednesday. Thompson, whose shaved head has earned him the nickname "Mr. Clean" from Orlando, Fla., fans, started as a soccer ref at age 15 when he realized he could earn decent money. After college at Jackson State, he returned to refereeing and after several years worked his way into the pro ranks, the first Mississippi resident to do so. He said the keys to being a good referee are managing a game, keeping players under control and accepting that half the people on the field will disagree with any call he makes. Thompson is pictured with, from left, Southwest Mississippi Community College soccer coaches Zach Mills and Nicole Cooper, Rotary Club member Matt Codding and Rotary president Becky Buie.
