| No. 34, 45, 33 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Fullback | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1966-09-26)September 26, 1966 Passaic, New Jersey, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Died | May 27, 2006(2006-05-27) (aged 39) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 260 lb (118 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Passaic (NJ) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Pittsburgh | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1988: 1st round, 24th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Craig William Heyward (September 26, 1966 – May 27, 2006), nicknamed "Ironhead", was an American professionalfootball player who was afullback in theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for thePittsburgh Panthers. He then played for theNew Orleans Saints,Chicago Bears,Atlanta Falcons,St. Louis Rams, andIndianapolis Colts in an 11-year NFL career.
He was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the first round (24th pick overall) of the1988 NFL draft out of theUniversity of Pittsburgh.[1][2] Heyward's 3,086 career rushing yards rank third all-time at Pitt in only three seasons.[3] He declared himself eligible for the 1988 draft after his junior year. In 1987 atPittsburgh, Heyward rushed for 1,791 yards to earn consensusAll-American honors and finish fifth in theHeisman Trophy balloting.[4]
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 ofEarl 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 oftelevision commercials forZest body wash,[5] introducing a generation of American men to the modern version of theluffa 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 amalignantbone cancer, reportedly achordoma, at the base of his skull that was pressing on theoptic nerve. After it was partially removed in a 12-hour operation, he underwent 40 rounds of radiation treatments and was later pronounced cancer-free; the diagnosis nonetheless ended his playing career.[6]
Heyward's 1995 season is the last time a fullback rushed for 1,000 yards.[7]
| 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 | ||
In an article that sonCameron Heyward wrote for the Players' Tribune regarding his father, he was told that when Heyward was "12 or 13," he was at theBoys & Girls Club inPassaic, New Jersey when another boy approached him with a pool cue. The boy hit it over Heyward's head and Heyward barely flinched. It was actually Mr. Philip, who worked at the Boys Club who first said, “You have an Iron head!” After relating the story to his mother later, she called him "Ironhead," and the nickname stuck.[8] Heyward carried the nickname throughPassaic High School, where it also became a reference to his wild-man strength and the fact that he had to wear ahat size of 8¾.[9] Heyward's obituary inThe New York Times made an additional reference to the nickname's origin, which Cameron had disputed in his article that that was not how "Ironhead" came to be; that in street football games, he would lower his head into the stomach of the tackler. One opponent had said it hurt so much that Heyward's head "must be made of iron."[10]
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 forPeachtree Ridge High School inGeorgia.
Heyward's son,Cameron, playsdefensive tackle for thePittsburgh Steelers. He played for theOhio State Buckeyes, where he was named aFreshman All-American in 2007 and honored as a team captain. He was selected by the Steelers in the first round (31st pick overall) of the2011 NFL draft. He would write the words "IRON HEAD" on hiseye black as a tribute to his father.
Heyward's oldest son, Craig Jr., played high school football for Passaic High School as he did and later was a walk-on atMiddle Tennessee State, where he played primarily onspecial teams. He was signed to theTrenton Steel of theSIFL where he was arunning back. After his playing career ended, Heyward Jr. entered coaching as an assistant forNutley High School in his native northern New Jersey.
Heyward's son, Corey, graduated from Peachtree Ridge High School and playedbasketball forGeorgia Tech.
His youngest son,Connor, elected to play college football atMichigan State University in 2017.[11] He was selected by the Steelers, as Cameron was, in the sixth round (208th pick overall) of the2022 NFL draft.[12]
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]