NFL referee Shawn Smith spoke with Troy School District students by video during the week of Oct. 19, sharing time with a Sports Officiating class months after leading the officiating crew for Super Bowl LX.
The visit was documented in an Oct. 23 post on X by an account named Just Call Me Coach Burden, @Mr_Burden_TA.
The post described the session as an opportunity for students in Mr. Oudsema's class and included the Troy School District hashtags #OneTroy and #AboveTheLine.
An accompanying photograph shows students seated in a classroom while Smith appears on a large screen during a video call.
The post did not identify the school, provide the teacher's full name or describe the specific topics Smith discussed.
Smith served as the lead referee for Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, when the Seattle Seahawks faced the New England Patriots.
It was his first on-field Super Bowl assignment after 11 seasons as an NFL official, according to the NFL's officiating announcement.
A Detroit native and Cody High School graduate, Smith earned a bachelor's degree in accountancy from Ferris State University in 1994.
He began officiating youth sports before advancing through high school and college competition to the NFL.
Smith joined the league as an umpire in 2015 and became a referee in 2018. The referee is the lead on-field official, recognizable by the white cap.
He previously served as an alternate referee for Super Bowls LV and LVIII, according to Ferris State University's account of his career.
The classroom video call gave Troy students studying sports officiating an opportunity to speak directly with an official who had worked at the NFL's highest level.
