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Craig Heyward
Date of birth	September 26, 1966
Place of birth	Passaic, New Jersey
Date of death	May 27, 2006
Position(s)	Running Back
College	Pittsburgh
NFL Draft	1988 / Round 1/ Pick 24
Pro Bowls	1995
Stats
Statistics	Pro Football Reference DatabaseFootball
Team(s)
1988-1992 1993 1994-1996 1997 1998	New Orleans Saints Chicago Bears Atlanta Falcons St. Louis Rams Indianapolis Colts

Craig "Ironhead" Heyward (September 26, 1966, Passaic, New Jersey – 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.

Contents 1 NFL Career 2 Battle with brain cancer 3 Son commits to Ohio State 4 References

He was selected by the Saints in the first round (24th pick overall) of the 1988 NFL Draft out of the University of Pittsburgh, where he ran for 2,950 yards in only three seasons, and declared himself eligible for the 1988 draft after his junior year. At Pitt he also starred in a bowl game for the Panthers, was voted an consensus All-American and was in the Heisman running for 1987. 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 size 8 3/4 hat. 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.

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-1990's, Heyward showcased his sense of humor in a series of television commercials for Zest body wash, introducing a generation of American men to the plastic mesh soap applicator that is now a fixture in many showers and bathtubs. The "lather-builder" and Hayward's tough-guy image created a humorous contrast in the advertisement. The ad was subsequently lampooned by The Onion.[1]

Heyward finished his 11 seasons with 4,301 rushing yards, 177 receptions for 1,559 yards, and 34 touchdowns.

In November 1998, Heyward said that he had blurred vision in his right eye, and was diagnosed with a benign tumor 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 Saturday, May 27, 2006 at the age of 39.

On January 31, 2007, Craig Heyward's son Cameron verbally committed to play college football for The Ohio State University. The 6-foot-6, 280-pound defensive tackle from Peachtree Ridge High School in Suwanee, GA is also an outstanding basketball prospect.

• Pro-Football-Reference.com - career statistics.
• 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"