Terry Killens will earn a unique distinction in football history when he steps on the field as the umpire at Super Bowl LVIII: He’ll be the first person to both play in a Super Bowl and serve as an official in the Super Bowl.
The NFL announced today that Killens will be part of the Super Bowl LVIII officiating crew. This is Killens’ fifth season as an NFL official and his first Super Bowl assignment.
But it’s not his first time at the Super Bowl: Killens played for the Titans in their Super Bowl XXXIV loss to the Rams. A backup linebacker, Killens made one tackle in the game, on special teams.
The 49-year-old Killens was a third-round pick of the Houston Oilers out of Penn State in 1996. He stayed with the Oilers/Titans until 2000, then spent two seasons with the 49ers and one with the Seahawks. Before becoming an NFL official he worked at the college level in the AAC and at the pro level in the Alliance of American Football.