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| Born | September 26, 1966 Passaic, New Jersey |
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| Died | May 27, 2006 (aged 39) | ||
| Career information | |||
| Year(s) | 1988–1998 | ||
| NFL Draft | 1988 / Round: 1 / Pick: 24 | ||
| College | Pittsburgh | ||
| Professional teams | |||
| Career stats | |||
| Rushing Yards | 4,301 | ||
| Rushing Avg. | 4.2 | ||
| Touchdowns | 30 | ||
| Stats at NFL.com | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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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.
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He was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the first round (24th pick overall) of the 1988 NFL Draft 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[1] to earn consensus All-America honors and finish fifth in the Heisman Trophy balloting.[2]
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.
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 nerve. 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.
It was at Passaic High School 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.[3] 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.[4]
His son Cameron Heyward 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.
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