Boris Cheek of Charlotte make Super Bowl history on Feb. 3.

Cheek, a business education teacher at South Mecklenburg High, was named field judge Jan. 30 for the game between New England and the New York Giants game in Glendale, Ariz. The league’s highest-rated officials at each of seven positions with at least five years experience earn the right to work the Super Bowl. Three of them – Cheek, referee Mike Carey and line judge Carl Johnson – are black.

Per NFL policy, Cheek declined comment.

Cheek, who played basketball at historically black Morgan State, is in his 12th NFL season and has officiated six career playoff games. His daughter, Joy, is a sophomore forward on Duke’s nationally-ranked women’s basketball team. Cheek also officiated in the Canadian Football League as well as NFL Europe, a developmental league that was shuttered last summer.

Carey will head the seven-man crew of officials selected to work the Super Bowl, making him the first African American to do so.

The other members of the crew are Tony Michalek (umpire), Gary Slaughter (head linesman), Larry Rose (side judge) and Scott Helverson (back judge). Collectively, the crew has 71 years of NFL experience and 43 combined postseason game assignments.

Carey, who has been an NFL official for 18 seasons, was the alternate referee in Super Bowl XXXVI. He has officiated in 14 playoff games, including two conference championship games, four divisional playoffs and eight wild card games. Carey was the referee on December 29 when New England beat the Giants 38-35 in the regular season finale.

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