Craig Heyward
Encyclopedia
Craig William "Ironhead" Heyward (September 26, 1966 – May 27, 2006) was an American football
running back
who played for the New Orleans Saints
, Chicago Bears
, Atlanta Falcons
, St. Louis Rams
, and Indianapolis Colts
in an 11-year National Football League
career.
out of the University of Pittsburgh
, Heyward's 3,086 career rushing yards rank third all-time at Pitt. in only three seasons. He declared himself eligible for the 1988 draft after his junior year. In 1987 at Pitt
Heyward rushed for 1,791 yards to earn consensus All-America honors and finish fifth in the Heisman Trophy balloting.
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 between 250-340 pounds (the latter is arguably more accurate) was a punishing runner who was also a devastating blocker and good receiver. Heyward slimmed down to closer to 280.
In the mid-1990s, Heyward showcased his sense of humor in a series of television commercials for Zest
body wash, introducing a generation of American men to the modern version of the Luffa
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".
Heyward finished his 11 seasons with 4,301 rushing yards, 177 receptions for 1,559 yards, and 34 total touchdowns (30 rushing, 4 receiving), playing for 5 total NFL teams in his career.
. The tumor was reportedly a chordoma
. After it was partially removed in a 12-hour operation, he underwent 40 rounds of radiation treatments and was later pronounced cancer-free. However, in 2005 the tumor recurred and he died on May 27, 2006 at the age of 39.
that he gained his oft-used nickname "Ironhead", a reference to his wild-man strength and the fact that he had to wear a hat size of 8¾. Heyward's obituary in The New York Times
gave a different story. It said he got his nickname from street football games in which he would lower his head into the stomach of the tackler; one opponent said it hurt so much that Heyward's head must be made of iron.
plays defensive end for the Pittsburgh Steelers
. He played for the Ohio State Buckeyes
, where he was named a freshman All-American in 2007 and honoured as a team captain. Cameron was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers (31st pick overall) in the 2011 NFL Draft. Cameron etches the words IRON HEAD on his eye black as a tribute to his father.
His oldest son Craig Heyward Jr. was a walk-on at Middle Tennessee State, where he played primarily on special teams. He is currently signed to the Trenton Steel
of the SIFL where he is a running back
. His son Corey Heyward graduated from Peachtree Ridge High School and got a basketball scholarship to Morehead State University.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
who played for the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
, Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
, and Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
in an 11-year National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
career.
NFL career
He was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the first round (24th pick overall) of the 1988 NFL Draft1988 NFL Draft
The 1988 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 1988. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
out of the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, Heyward's 3,086 career rushing yards rank third all-time at Pitt. in only three seasons. He declared himself eligible for the 1988 draft after his junior year. In 1987 at Pitt
University of Pittsburgh Panthers
The Pittsburgh Panthers, commonly also referred to as the Pitt Panthers, are the athletic teams of University of Pittsburgh, although the term is colloquially used to refer to other aspects of the university such as alumni, faculty, and students...
Heyward rushed for 1,791 yards to earn consensus All-America honors and finish fifth in the Heisman Trophy balloting.
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
Earl Campbell
Earl Christian Campbell , nicknamed The Tyler Rose, is a former professional American Football running back. He, Paul Hornung and O.J Simpson are the only people to have won the Heisman Trophy , were first overall National Football League draft picks and are in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
, Heyward, at 5'-11" and reportedly between 250-340 pounds (the latter is arguably more accurate) was a punishing runner who was also a devastating blocker and good receiver. Heyward slimmed down to closer to 280.
In the mid-1990s, Heyward showcased his sense of humor in a series of television commercials for Zest
Zest (soap)
Zest is a brand name, or trademark, which Procter & Gamble introduced in 1958 with the slogan "For the first time in your life, feel really clean." Early commercials stated that Zest is not a soap, because it does not leave the sticky film that soap does...
body wash, introducing a generation of American men to the modern version of the Luffa
Luffa
The luffa, loofah, or lufah are tropical and subtropical vines comprising the genus Luffa, the only genus of the subtribe Luffinae of the plant family Cucurbitaceae...
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".
Heyward finished his 11 seasons with 4,301 rushing yards, 177 receptions for 1,559 yards, and 34 total touchdowns (30 rushing, 4 receiving), playing for 5 total NFL teams in his career.
Battle with Cancer
In November 1998, Heyward said that he had blurred vision in his right eye and left eye while gushing blood, and was diagnosed with a malignant bone cancer at the base of his skull that was pressing on the optic nerveOptic nerve
The optic nerve, also called cranial nerve 2, transmits visual information from the retina to the brain. Derived from the embryonic retinal ganglion cell, a diverticulum located in the diencephalon, the optic nerve doesn't regenerate after transection.-Anatomy:The optic nerve is the second of...
. The tumor was reportedly a chordoma
Chordoma
Chordoma is a rare slow-growing malignant neoplasm thought to arise from cellular remnants of the notochord. The evidence for this is the location of the tumors , the similar immunohistochemical staining patterns, and the demonstration that notochordal cells are preferentially left behind in the...
. After it was partially removed in a 12-hour operation, he underwent 40 rounds of radiation treatments and was later pronounced cancer-free. However, in 2005 the tumor recurred and he died on May 27, 2006 at the age of 39.
Nickname
It was at Passaic High SchoolPassaic High School
Passaic High School is a four-year community public high school, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Passaic, in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Passaic City School District...
that he gained his oft-used nickname "Ironhead", a reference to his wild-man strength and the fact that he had to wear a hat size of 8¾. Heyward's obituary in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
gave a different story. It said he got his nickname from street football games in which he would lower his head into the stomach of the tackler; one opponent said it hurt so much that Heyward's head must be made of iron.
Family
His son Cameron HeywardCameron Heyward
-Pittsburgh Steelers:Heyward was drafted in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.On July 29, 2011, Heyward signed a four-year deal with an option of a fifth year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers...
plays defensive end for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. He played for the Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of The Ohio State University, named after the state tree, the Buckeye. The Buckeyes participate in the NCAA's Division I in all sports and the Big Ten Conference in most sports...
, where he was named a freshman All-American in 2007 and honoured as a team captain. Cameron was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers (31st pick overall) in the 2011 NFL Draft. Cameron etches the words IRON HEAD on his eye black as a tribute to his father.
His oldest son Craig Heyward Jr. was a walk-on at Middle Tennessee State, where he played primarily on special teams. He is currently signed to the Trenton Steel
Trenton Steel
The Trenton Steel is a professional indoor football team that began play in the Southern Indoor Football League in the 2011 season. The Steel are based in Trenton, New Jersey, with home games played at the Sun National Bank Center. The team made its home debut March 26, 2011, losing 76-73 to the...
of the SIFL where he is a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
. His son Corey Heyward graduated from Peachtree Ridge High School and got a basketball scholarship to Morehead State University.
External links
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette remembrance of Pittsburgh great Craig Heyward
- University of Pittsburgh remembers Ironhead
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer "Former fullback Craig "Ironhead" Heyward dies" May 27, 2006 accessed May 28, 2006
- Statistics
- Heyward lived by big heart, By Thomas George, Denver Post Staff Columnist
- Sports E-Cyclopedia's Memoriam to "Ironhead"
- FindAGrave.com entry