Steelers NFL Draft bio in brief: Connor Heyward
Connor Heyward
Sixth-roundpick, No.208 overall
Tight end/fullback, Michigan State
5-11, 233
Stats: Played in 49 games with the Spartans from 2017-21. He started 28 times, including 13 in 2021. His first 15 starts were at running back, the remaining ones at tight end following a position switch. … Finished career with 2,265 all-purpose yards (835 rushing, 723 kick return, 711 receiving, six punt return). … He scored 11 career touchdowns: six receiving, five rushing.
Hometown: Duluth, Ga.
Tidbits: Younger brother of Steelers defensive captain Cameron Heyward and son of the late Craig Heyward, the former star Pitt running back. … He was a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award, given to the nation’s most versatile player, as a sophomore in 2018. … He graduated in May 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in communication. … He was an honorable mention all-conference pick in the Big Ten in 2021. … In 2020, he led Michigan State in carries and was second on the team with 200 yards rushing. … At Peachtree Ridge High School, he played five positions: quarterback, wide receiver, running back, safety and punter and was a three-year varsity starter. … He was rated the No. 58 high school prospect in Georgia by ESPN, which also named Heyward the No. 91 all-purpose player in the country.
Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.
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