Bill Leavy officiated in the NFL for 20 seasons. Where he was both a referee and an officiating coordinator. Per reports, he had passed away at 76. The officiating veteran was at the college level in the Big West Conference for 11 years prior to his NFL transition.
Leavy officiated two Super Bowls, one as a back judge in Super Bowl 34 and the other as a referee in Super Bowl 40.
“We are saddened to learn of the passing of Bill Leavy, a longtime NFL referee and a current member of the league’s officiating staff,” NFL senior vice president of officiating Walt Anderson said in a statement to The Mercury News. “Bill was an outstanding official and an even better man. Always kind and thoughtful, Bill was instrumental in mentoring countless young officials throughout his career. His recognition as an Art McNally Award winner highlights that selfless dedication to officiating. His integrity earned him respect at every step of his football journey and the entire officiating community mourns his loss.”
Throughout the course of his career, Leavy was given 16 postseason assignments, including being the white hat during Super Bowl XL between the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Leavy acknowledged mistakes he made during the Steelers’ 21-10 win.
“I kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game, and as an official, you never want to do that, Leavy said during the 2010 training camp.”
The 20-year veteran retired in 2015, but stayed within the officiating scene as a supervisor.
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