Mike Carey made history as the first Black Super Bowl referee. He wants to continue to give back to the game he loves

(CNN) – On Feb. 3, 2008, Mike Carey made history just by walking onto a football field. On that day in Glendale, Arizona, Carey became the first Black referee in a Super Bowl – and it happened to one of the most iconic games in NFL history. In Super Bowl XLII, New York Giants famously stunned the New England Patriots, 17-14, keeping New England from finishing a historic 19-0 season. And Carey was there to see it all unfold. “I’ve always just liked doing what I want to do, and doing it to the best of my ability, all the while knowing that it’s just not for me. I’m carrying so many more with me,” Carey, now 74, told CNN. Although he’s now retired, Carey said he still feels a sense of euphoria when he watches a televised football game – and he looks forward to watching the Kansas City Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers during Sunday’s Super Bowl LVIII. But being on the field is an experience unlike any other, Carey said, and it leaves a lasting impression. “That feeling of that much human emotion, that loud – especially when a game is close – it is...