Duane Heydt was already living the dream, but he had to stop and smell the roses.

The former Lehighton High School student was selected to be the head referee of the 103rd Rose Bowl game - "The granddaddy of them all" - played between Penn State and USC earlier this month.Heydt was born and raised in Lehighton and still has family in the area. He usually returns to the area around the Thanksgiving holidays to visit his sister, aunts and uncles.Although he moved away from Lehighton almost three decades ago, it still holds plenty of fond memories.His favorite memory he shares with his wife and three children was delivering the morning newspaper to people in his neighborhood."My kids don't quite grasp the idea that my paper route was one of my favorite things to do in Lehighton." said Heydt, "Then I tell them I loved to walk to all my schools and play baseball at the field on Fourth Street. I had a good childhood there."After Heydt completed his junior year at Lehighton High School, his father got a job transfer at Mack Trucks and moved the family to Columbia, South Carolina. Heydt finished high school there and then earned a bachelor's degree in statistics followed by a master's degree in biostatistics at the University of South Carolina."The move from Lehighton to South Carolina was difficult for me," Heydt recalled. "But the people I met in South Carolina made the transition incredibly easier."Heydt, who ran track and played in the band for the Indians, explained that he always loved the game of football. He only played the sport his freshman year at Lehighton, however, because "it wasn't a good fit." Heydt explained that he was too small during his early years in high school and didn't get a growth spurt until his junior year.After graduating college, he decided to explore the idea of becoming a football official."Actually, I was watching a college baseball game and was impressed with the correct calls made by the umpires, and I said to myself, 'I want to do that.'"His passion, however, was football and in 2002, he began to officiate high school JV and varsity games near his home in South Carolina."I had great mentors," he said. "I learned to let the players play, but if I sensed problems early in the game, like trash talking, I would warn the players and coaches first. To be honest, we officials do not like to throw flags. We'd like to leave the field at the end of the game without anyone knowing we were even there."Heydt said you have to have the confidence to make the right calls, especially during key moments of the game."We live by the belief that the integrity of the game must be protected," said Heydt. "When obvious infractions occur that affect the outcome of a play, no matter the score or the time on the clock, we throw the flag to preserve that integrity."In 2006, Heydt began working games in the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Conference. In 2010, he moved up to the NCAA Division I FCS level (formerly I-AA) Southern Conference.Several factors played a role in his promotions."We get graded on every game we officiate," said Heydt. "Word of mouth from coaches and other officials helps too and then being in the right place at the right time often gets you the big break."Heydt, who lives with his wife, Sonia and his three children in Columbia, was put on the supplemental list for the Division I FBS Atlantic Coast Conference in 2011. He didn't work the games just yet, but was included at all the meetings held for officials.In 2013, he became a side judge for ACC games. A year later, he became a center judge, the eighth official who stands in the offensive backfield with the referee.The soon to be 45-year-old then was promoted to referee, the head official of a seven man crew, in 2015.Besides his passion for the games, Heydt loves the camaraderie he has with his crew."We meet at the game sites on Friday nights and go to dinner together. My crew and I have built a friendly relationship and that communication and trust we have in each other we take into the games," he said. "Despite what fans might think, we have no loyalty to any team. Our loyalty is to integrity of the game."When asked how he was selected to referee the Rose Bowl game, he said the notice came completely by surprise."I got a phone call and an email with the request, and of course, I immediately said yes."Heydt and his ACC crew were told not to be be overwhelmed by the fact that they would be officiating a game that would be played in a legendary stadium before 95,000 spectators, nearly 20 times the entire population of Lehighton, and watched by another 16 million people on TV."They told us to 'take it all in' before and after the game, but once we put the whistles in our hands, it was just another football game, no different than one played by two JV high school football teams."This "just another football game" became one of the greatest Rose Bowl battles in history as USC defeated Penn State 52-49 on a field goal as time expired. And just for the record, no one will remember except Heydt that he threw just one penalty flag in the game - against USC for targeting a defenseless player.From the quiet streets of Lehighton to the deafening roar of the crowd from the most storied football arena of all time, he sometimes neeeds to pinch himself to make sure it's real when he thinks about his road to the roses.Although Heydt is very content to continue his work in the ACC, he has one more officiating dream and one more advancement on his wish list.If that should happen, instead of working on Saturdays in the fall, Duane Heydt will pack his bags and take his whistle to "just another football game" - but this one will be played on a Sunday afternoon.