Craig Heyward
No. 33, 34, 45 | |||||||||||||
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Position: | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||||||||
Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||
Weight: | 265 lb (120 kg) | ||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||
High school: | Passaic (NJ) | ||||||||||||
College: | Pittsburgh | ||||||||||||
NFL draft: | 1988 / Round: 1 / Pick: 24 | ||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
Craig William Heyward (September 26, 1966 – May 27, 2006), nicknamed "Ironhead", was an American professional
Professional career
He was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the first round (24th pick overall) of the
Heyward was widely regarded as a nightmare for opposing defenses because he was often as big, and sometimes bigger, than the defenders who had to stop him, and had surprising quickness and agility. One of the NFL's best "big man" running backs in the vein of Earl Campbell, Heyward, at 5' 11" and reportedly weighing 330 pounds, was a punishing runner who was also a devastating blocker and good receiver. Heyward slimmed down to closer to 280.
In 1997, Heyward showcased his sense of humor in a series of
that is now a fixture in many showers and bathtubs. The "lather-builder" and Heyward's tough-guy image created a humorous contrast in the advertisement, culminating in a voting campaign that named it the "thingy".In November 1998, Heyward reported blurred vision in his right eye, and was diagnosed with a
To this day, his 1995 season is the last time a fullback rushed for 1,000 yards.[7]
NFL career statistics
Year | Team | GP | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||||
1988 | NO | 11 | 74 | 355 | 4.8 | 73 | 1 | 13 | 105 | 8.1 | 18 | 0 | |
1989 | NO | 16 | 49 | 183 | 3.7 | 15 | 1 | 13 | 69 | 5.3 | 12 | 0 | |
1990 | NO | 16 | 129 | 599 | 4.6 | 47 | 4 | 18 | 121 | 6.7 | 12 | 0 | |
1991 | NO | 7 | 76 | 260 | 3.4 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 34 | 8.5 | 22 | 1 | |
1992 | NO | 16 | 104 | 416 | 4.0 | 23 | 3 | 19 | 159 | 8.4 | 21 | 0 | |
1993 | CHI | 16 | 68 | 206 | 3.0 | 11 | 0 | 16 | 132 | 8.3 | 20 | 0 | |
1994 | ATL | 16 | 183 | 779 | 4.3 | 17 | 7 | 32 | 335 | 10.5 | 34 | 1 | |
1995 | ATL | 16 | 236 | 1,083 | 4.6 | 31 | 6 | 37 | 350 | 9.5 | 25 | 2 | |
1996 | ATL | 15 | 72 | 321 | 4.5 | 34 | 3 | 16 | 168 | 10.5 | 25 | 0 | |
1997 | STL | 16 | 34 | 84 | 2.5 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 77 | 9.6 | 25 | 0 | |
1998 | IND | 4 | 6 | 15 | 2.5 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 9 | 0 | |
Career | 149 | 1,031 | 4,301 | 4.2 | 73 | 30 | 177 | 1,559 | 8.8 | 34 | 4 |
Personal life
Nickname
In an article that son
Family
Heyward had four sons named Craig, Jr., Cameron, Corey, and Connor. All four played sports in high school. Craig Jr. played for his father's alma mater in New Jersey, while his three brothers played for Peachtree Ridge High School in Georgia.
Heyward's son,
Heyward's oldest son, Craig Jr., played high school football for Passaic High School as he did and later was a walk-on at
Heyward's son, Corey, graduated from Peachtree Ridge High School and played
His youngest son,
Cancer and death
Heyward died on May 27, 2006, at the age of 39, a year after another cancerous tumor developed that had metastasized to his brain; the recurrence of the tumor proved to be inoperable. Heyward had also experienced a stroke in the years prior to his death.[13]
See also
- List of college football yearly rushing leaders
References
- ^ "1988 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
- ^ "Jahri Evans, Reggie Bush, and Craig Heyward highlight former New Orleans Saints on 2023 College Football Hall of Fame ballot". NewOrleansSaints.com. June 6, 2022. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
- ^ Brad (21 June 2017). "Craig 'Ironhead' Heyward Pitt Panthers". College Football Crazy. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
- ^ "Pitt running back and 1987 Heisman Trophy finalist Craig..." UPI. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
- ^ Forbes, Serenity (2009-09-02), Craig Heyward - Zest, retrieved 2022-10-17
- ^ "Heyward lived hard and died young - Taipei Times". www.taipeitimes.com. 2006-05-30. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
- ^ "Craig Heyward Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
- ^ Heyward, Cameron (August 11, 2016). "For Ironhead".
- ^ "Craig Heyward: A Man Called "Ironhead"". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ Litsky, Frank. "Craig Heyward, Who Was N.F.L.'s Ironhead, Is Dead at 39", The New York Times, May 29, 2006. "He would lower his head into tacklers' stomachs, and one opponent said it hurt so much that Heyward's head had to be made of iron. Once, Heyward said, a youngster clubbed him over his size 8¾ head with a billiard cue. The cue broke in half."
- ^ Charboneau, Matt (December 9, 2016). "Connor Heyward, son of ex-NFL player, commits to MSU". DetroitNews.com. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
- ^ "Steelers pick Heyward's brother Connor on Day 3". ESPN.com. 2022-05-01. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
- ^ Pasquarelli, Len (May 28, 2006). "'Ironhead' Heyward loses battle with recurring tumor". ESPN. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Pro Football Reference
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette remembrance of Pittsburgh great Craig Heyward
- University of Pittsburgh remembers Ironhead Archived 2013-01-21 at archive.today
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer "Former fullback Craig "Ironhead" Heyward dies" May 27, 2006 accessed May 28, 2006[permanent dead link]
- Statistics
- Heyward lived by big heart, By Thomas George, Denver Post Staff Columnist
- Sports E-Cyclopedia's Memoriam to "Ironhead" Archived 2006-06-22 at the Wayback Machine
- Craig Heyward at Find a Grave