Bill Leavy, NFL officiating supervisor and former referee, dies at 76, per reports

Bill Leavy, who officiated in the NFL for 20 seasons and was an officiating coordinator, died on Tuesday, according to multiple reports, including The Mercury News and Football Zebras.

Leavy was 76.

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.

According to Football Zebras, Leavy was given 16 postseason assignments in his career, including as a referee in Super Bowl 40 between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.

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.

Leavy retired in 2015 and remained in the le*publague as a supervisor in the NFL's officiating department.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bill Leavy, longtime NFL referee and supervisor, dies at 76