Jim Tunney, who spent three decades as an NFL official, has died at the age of 95.
Tunney was the referee for Super Bowl VI, Super Bowl XI and Super Bowl XII and played legendary games including the Ice Bowl in Green Bay, the Fog Bowl in Chicago and The Catch in San Francisco.
Tunney was the youngest NFL official when he was hired in 1960 at the age of 30, and into his 90s he had a keen eye for the game, keeping a close eye on the officials when watching games.
“I see the game on the field and I wonder where the referee waswhere the back referee was, look where he was to make the call,” Tunney told Sam Farmer Los Angeles Times this year. “In office, it’s positioning. If you are in the right position at the right time, you will make the right call. We are trained that way.”
Tunney was honest that he didn’t think the officiating was as good as the players, coaches and fans deserved.
“There are 17 crews and we need 17 good referees,” he said. “We don’t have that.”
At least everyone knew that Jim Tunney was one good umpire when he played the game.