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As Kevin Dyson’s full-stretch reach comes up agonizingly short, it ensured heartbreak for Terry Killens.
In what has gone down in folklore as one of the most famous plays in NFL history, the “One Yard Short” – where Dyson dived for the goal-line in an attempt to score a touchdown in the final seconds of Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000 which would have given the Tennessee Titans the chance to tie the game against the then St. Louis Rams, only to be tackled just shy – meant Killens came so close, yet so far, to Super Bowl glory.
As confetti rained upon the field, it was Rams white instead of Titan blue. Killens’ first appearance in a Super Bowl had ended in unimaginable disappointment.
The linebacker, who was in the league for seven seasons, never competed in another Super Bowl during his playing days. But now, 24 years later, Killens is back on the biggest stage, this time in a very different uniform.
Rather than pads and helmets, Killens will wield the whistle, yellow flag and black and white uniform of an NFL official for Super Bowl LVIII in what will be a historic moment for the sport.
Killens is part of the crew officials ruling over the upcoming Super Bowl – which will be played in Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium on February 11 between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers – making him first person to both play in and referee a Super Bowl.
It is a crowning moment for someone who admits he never held any aspirations of being an NFL official during his playing days, and someone who considered choosing refereeing basketball over football due to the variable weather that comes from working outside.
And on the eve of his historic achievement, Killens was in an appreciative mood to all those who helped him reach this stage.
“It’s basically a culmination of all the hard work and dedication I’ve put in, but it’s just not me,” the 49-year-old said in an interview done by the NFL. “It’s a group of people kind of starting from the beginning with my late wife, Rhonda.
“I remember she would be the one to get our seven-year-old son together for his (National Youth Football) games while I would be out working a JV game somewhere on a Saturday morning.
“It’s just a wonderful moment and I’m going to enjoy every little bit of it.”
When Killens was drafted to the then named Houston Oilers in 1996, he joined a franchise in flux.
The team had already had its relocation to Tennessee ratified, meaning his rookie campaign was played amid a backdrop of displeasure and angst from Houston natives.
Back-to-back 8-8 seasons followed when the move to Nashville was completed in 1997, before the team – which had eventually been renamed the Tennessee Titans – finally got over the hump in 1999.
Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
Killens tackles Nate Singleton of the Baltimore Ravens during a football game on December 12, 1997.
A magical 13-3 season saw Tennessee book its spot in the playoffs, and what followed wove the team into NFL mythology.
In the Wild Card round against the Buffalo Bills, with 16 seconds remaining and the Titans trailing by a point, tight end Frank…
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