Shawn Smith stood on the field at Super Bowl LX in February and took Detroit with him.

Smith, a Herman Gardens native, Cody High School graduate, and Ferris State University alum, became the fourth Black referee in NFL history to officiate the Super Bowl. Detroit City Council honored him Tuesday with a testimonial resolution at its April 14 formal session, and Smith used the moment to talk about where he came from and why he’s never left.

“I take Detroit wherever I go. I never plan on leaving. This is my home. It will always be my home,” Smith told council members and attendees.

The recognition was a long time coming. Smith entered the NFL in 2015 as an umpire, earned the referee designation in 2018, and spent years as a trusted alternate before landing the lead officiating role for Super Bowl LX. That path from Herman Gardens to the biggest game in American sports did not happen in a straight line, and Smith made sure to say so.

“I was a Herman Gardens kid. I never knew where athletics would take me,” he said. He originally wanted to play in the NFL, but once that door closed, he found his way into officiating. “It gave me satisfaction,” he said.

From Cody High to the Coin Toss

Smith didn’t chase the Super Bowl as a career goal. He said he “just wanted to be involved in the game.” That framing matters, because it’s the kind of honest accounting that doesn’t usually show up in a press release.

Council President James Tate told colleagues that when Smith’s Super Bowl LX assignment went public, something shifted for the city. He said Smith “took us with him, Detroit.” Tate pointed to a detail Smith shared in media interviews about the coin toss moment.

“He shared in media interviews that in that moment during the coin toss there was a little bit of nerves. That tells you everything you need about this man. It all started right here in the city of Detroit,” Tate said. “His journey is a reminder to young people across the city of Detroit, that hard work pays off. It represents what is possible when you stay committed to your path.”

The support Smith received after his assignment became public surprised even him.

“The support that I received from the city when my assignment went public, it was just overwhelming,” Smith said. “I am glad to be part of that journey to give folks some excitement.”

District 7’s Hometown Honor

District 7 Councilman Denzel McCampbell, whose district includes the Cody High area on the city’s west side, thanked Smith for being the pride of the district. Council Members Angela Whitfield-Calloway and Latisha Johnson also spoke, praising Smith’s commitment to Detroit and his craft.

“You are a role model, not just for young men, but young women, too,” Whitfield-Calloway said.

The council’s vote to honor Smith follows his historic Super Bowl appearance. Bridge Detroit’s coverage of the council session captured Smith drawing an unexpected parallel between NFL officiating and city government, telling council members they’re often in a “no-win situation,” serving as “guardians of rules and making sure the game is played fair.”

“I empathize with you guys,” Smith said.

It’s a comparison that landed well in the room.

Council recognition can sometimes feel like a formality. This one didn’t. Smith spoke directly about what it meant to grow up in Herman Gardens without a clear picture of where sports might take him, and about what it means now to carry the city’s name into national spaces. For a neighborhood that doesn’t generate a lot of positive national attention, that specificity matters.

Smith’s trajectory from Cody High to a coin toss at Super Bowl LX covers more than a decade of NFL work. He didn’t arrive as a marquee name. He worked the alternates circuit for multiple Super Bowls before earning the lead role. That’s the part of the story that tends to get skipped over when the celebration starts, and Smith didn’t skip it.

Detroit City Council’s next formal session is scheduled for April 28.