Connor Heyward
Connor Heyward (born January 22, 1999)[1] is an American football tight end and fullback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan State.
 Heyward with Michigan State in 2018 | |||||||
| No. 83 – Pittsburgh Steelers | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Tight end, Fullback | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | January 22, 1999 Duluth, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 230 lb (104 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Peachtree Ridge (Suwanee, Georgia) | ||||||
| College: | Michigan State (2017–2021) | ||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2022 / Round: 6 / Pick: 208 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| |||||||
| Roster status: | Active | ||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of Week 6, 2023 | |||||||
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| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||
Early life and high school career
Heyward grew up in Duluth, Georgia and attended Peachtree Ridge High School.[2]
College career
As a sophomore at Michigan State, he rushed 118 times for 529 yards and five touchdowns and had 32 catches for 249 yards.[3] After losing his starting position after the first game of his junior season to Elijah Collins, Heyward later left the team and entered the NCAA transfer portal.[4] He later returned to the team and redshirted the year.[5] Heyward led the Spartans with 65 carries and had 200 rushing yards and two touchdowns with 18 receptions for 71 yards and two touchdowns in the team's COVID-19-shortened 2020 season.[6] Prior to his redshirt senior season, Heyward moved from running back to H-back and tight end.[7] He caught 35 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns in his final season.[8]
Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 2017 | Michigan State | 12 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 3.3 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 3.3 | 7 | 0 |
| 2018 | Michigan State | 13 | 8 | 32 | 249 | 7.8 | 36 | 0 | 118 | 529 | 4.5 | 80 | 5 |
| 2019 | Michigan State | 4 | 1 | 7 | 52 | 7.4 | 15 | 1 | 24 | 79 | 3.3 | 14 | 0 |
| 2020 | Michigan State | 7 | 6 | 18 | 71 | 3.9 | 13 | 2 | 65 | 200 | 3.1 | 14 | 0 |
| 2021 | Michigan State | 13 | 13 | 35 | 326 | 9.3 | 35 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 7 | 0 |
| Career | 49 | 28 | 96 | 711 | 7.4 | 36 | 6 | 211 | 825 | 3.9 | 80 | 5 | |
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Vertical jump | Bench press | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11+1⁄8 in (1.81 m) |
233 lb (106 kg) |
31+7⁄8 in (0.81 m) |
9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) | 4.72 s | 1.64 s | 2.74 s | 32.5 in (0.83 m) | 18 reps | ||||
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[9][10] | ||||||||||||
Heyward was selected in the sixth round with the 208th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.[11]
Heyward scored his first professional touchdown during Week 13 at the Atlanta Falcons, a 17-yard catch, getting both feet inbounds at the back of the end zone.[12] In his rookie season, he appeared in 17 games. He finished with 12 receptions for 151 receiving yards and one touchdown.[13]
NFL career statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Y/R | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2022 | PIT | 17 | 0 | 12 | 151 | 12.6 | 45 | 1 | 2 | 27 | 13.5 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 17 | 0 | 12 | 151 | 12.6 | 45 | 1 | 2 | 27 | 13.5 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Personal life
Heyward is the son of Pro Bowl NFL player Craig Heyward. His older brother, Cameron Heyward, is an All-Pro defensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers.[14]
References
- "Connor Heyward – Football". Michigan State University Athletics. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
- Culpepper, Juliakate E. (October 14, 2016). "Tech among options for Peachtree Ridge's Connor Heyward". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
- Wenzel, Matt (April 22, 2019). "Following most carries of his life, Connor Heyward plans on taking over as MSU's No. 1 RB". MLive.com. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
- Pouncy, Colton (November 24, 2021). "How Connor Heyward lived up to his family name and rediscovered himself at Michigan State". The Athletic. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
- Solari, Chris (October 10, 2020). "Michigan State football RB Connor Heyward has 'unfinished business'". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
- Wenzel, Matt (March 22, 2022). "Sticking with Michigan State pays off with NFL opportunity for Connor Heyward". MLive.com. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
- Solari, Chris (September 10, 2021). "Michigan State football's Connor Heyward finds his home at TE". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
- Chengelis, Angelique S. (March 2, 2022). "NFL combine notes: Michigan State's Jalen Nailor, Connor Heyward tout versatility". The Detroit News. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
- "Connor Heyward Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- "2022 Draft Scout Connor Heyward, Michigan State NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- Pryor, Brooke (April 30, 2022). "Pittsburgh Steelers take Connor Heyward in Round 6, giving team 4th set of brothers". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
- "Pittsburgh Steelers at Atlanta Falcons - December 4th, 2022". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- "Connor Heyward 2022 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- Solari, Chris (July 20, 2017). "NFL bloodlines run through Michigan State's Connor Heyward". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
External links
