CINCINNATI — A Purcell Marian High School graduate will make history at this year's Super Bowl.
Terry Killens, Purcell Marian class of 92, will be the first person to have both played and officiated in a Super Bowl.
The NFL announced on Tuesday that Killens was named to the refereeing crew for Super Bowl LVIII on February 11 in Las Vegas. The crew will be led by Bill Vinovich.
Killens played as a linebacker on the Tennessee Titans team that lost the St. Louis Rams 16-23 in Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000. He recorded one tackle in the Super Bowl, and was a large part of one of the most famous plays in NFL history in the first playoff game of the Titans' deep postseason run, which ended in the Music City Miracle. Killens was one of the last players to throw a block on a Buffalo Bills kicking team member that sealed the kick return for a touchdown in the closing seconds of the Wild Card round game. The play was one of the first of its kind where a cross-field lateral was made, setting up the run back for the touchdown. You can watch the video here: Killens is number 50.
Killens retired from playing in 2002 after playing seven seasons for the Titans, the Seahawks, and 49ers, primarily on special teams. He told Good Morning Football his journey to becoming a referee came after he tried other avenues connected to football, like radio, but felt most like when he was a player when he became a referee.
The four-year veteran referee will officiate this upcoming Super Bowl in the role of umpire, a referee that typically stands in the backfield of the offense. He'll be responsible for things like counting the number of offensive players on the field, checking equipment, watching for false starts, holds, illegal use of hands and digging into piles after fumbles to determine who has possession.
