He spends his days throwing the book at criminals. But when the Friday Night Lights are on, Genesee County Prosecutor David S. Leyton tosses the yellow flag -- at high school footballers.
Leyton, 55, has been a football official with the Michigan High School Athletic Association since 1998. He started as a chain-gang official at middle school, freshman and junior varsity games, but has since moved up to umpire in charge of his own five-man crew.
He said there are some similarities between being a prosecutor and a football official. "In both cases, you've got to make critical decisions while under pressure," he said.
In both jobs, Leyton said you can be criticized, second-guessed, cursed out, and booed. "As prosecutor, everything I do is in the public eye," he said.
During football games, fans of both teams often react to his decisions and can rain down insults and worse, de...