Darrius Heyward-Bey

At 37 years old, Darrius Heyward-Bey has this physical status:

Darrius Ramar Heyward-Bey (born February 26, 1987) is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent.

He played college football at the University of Maryland and was drafted seventh overall by the Oakland Raiders in the 2009 NFL Draft.

He has also worked for the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Early years

Heyward-Bey attended the McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Maryland, where he competed as a wide receiver and linebacker. He earned first-team all-state awards and was named a PrepStar All-American during his senior year.

Heyward-Bey placed fifth at nationals as a junior and champion in the 200 meters in 22.44 seconds, a record held in Maryland. He ran a 60 meters indoor time of 6.83 seconds his junior year and 6.82 seconds his senior year, placing 6th and joint 4th fastest times in the country respectively. In the 55 meters, he set a new personal record of 6.38 seconds. In the 200 meters at the 2005 IAAM Championships, he ran a career-best times of 10.3 seconds in the 100 meters and 21.10 seconds.

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College career

Heyward-Bey was recruited by Alabama, Boston College, Michigan State, Pittsburgh,, and Virginia before finally choosing Maryland to play under head coach Ralph Friedgen in Maryland.

He spent 2005 on redshirt status. In 2006, he ran a 4.23-second 40-yard dash, which tied for the school record for a wide receiver. He was rated one of the top rookies in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) last season (ACC) and he received first-team All-America from Sporting News and Rivals.com. He had 45 receptions and set a school record for a freshman with 694 receiving yards.

Heyward-Bey was placed on the Biletnikoff Award watchlist in 2007. With 581 yards and 786 yards, he led Maryland in receptions with 51 receptions and receiving yards. The second-longest in Maryland bowl history, he recieved his 63-yard touchdown reception against Oregon State in the 2007 Emerald Bowl. Heyward-Bey was named the team's Most Valuable Offensive Player award at the end of the season.

He made 42 attempts for 609 yards and five touchdowns during his junior season in 2008, receiving an All-ACC honorable mention. Heyward-Bey announced on January 7, 2009, that he did not finish his senior season to join the NFL Draft. With 2,089, third in receptions, and tied for third in touchdown catches with 13, he finished his career at Maryland, ranked second in school history with 2,089, third in touchdowns. He was second only in receiving yards to Jermaine Lewis in just three years.

Professional career

Heyward-Bey, the Oakland Raiders' seventh overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, was selected by the Oakland Raiders as the seventh overall pick. He was selected earlier than most estimates, and before Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin, who most analysts predicted would precede Heyward-Bey, who were drafted earlier than most. He ran in a 40-yard dash time at the 2009 NFL Combine in 4.30 seconds.

Heyward-Bey trained early but was plagued by multiple hamstring injuries during team activities following the draft, but was plagued by multiple hamstring injuries. The Oakland Raiders agreed to a five-year contract with Heyward-Bey worth $23.5 million on July 30, 2009. Heyward-Bey started 11 games as a rookie, catching 9 passes for 124 yards and 1 touchdown while also running twice for 19 yards. In 2009, he averaged 11.3 yards per pass.

Heyward-Bey played 14 of the 15 games in which he competed in 2010. He had 26 receptions for 366 yards and 1 touchdown. Heyward-Bey had a career-best six receptions against the St. Louis Rams on September 19. Heyward-Bey's result in the game was a drastic improvement from the preseason, according to San Francisco Chronicle writer Vittorio Tafur. Heyward-Bey won by 33-3 over the Seattle Seahawks on October 31, marking a career-high of 105 receiving yards.

Heyward-Bey had 4 receptions for 115 yards, including a 58-yard touchdown in the Raiders' 31-19 loss to the New England Patriots on October 2, 2011. He will finish with 99 (October 9 against the Houston Texans), 82 (October 16 against the Cleveland Browns), and 89 (October 23 against the Kansas City Chiefs) yards against the Kansas City Chiefs). Heyward-Bey had 8 receptions for 155 yards, both new career highs and the most single-game receiving yards for the Raiders since Jerry Rice in 2003. The Oakland Raiders defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 16-13 in overtime after Heyward-Bey intercepted Carson Palmer's 53-yard pass during overtime to set up Sebastian Janikowski's winning field goal. Heyward-Bey had a total of 4 receptions for 70 yards during the game. Heyward-Bey caught 9 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown on January 1, during a loss to the San Diego Chargers.

Heyward-Bey was left unconscious after a collision by the Pittsburgh Steelers' Ryan Mundy on September 23, 2012. Heyward-Bey had been standing in the endzone for more than ten minutes before being transported by ambulance to the Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley. The next day, Heyward-Bey was released from the hospital. Mundy will be fined later this year for the blow. He had 41 receptions for 606 passing yards and five touchdowns in the 2012 season.

The Raiders cut Heyward-Bey on March 13, 2013.

On April 1, 2013, Heyward-Bey signed a one-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts worth up to $3 million. Heyward-Bey led the 2013 season with 29 receptions for 309 yards and a touchdown.

Heyward-Bey, a quarterback from the Pittsburgh Steelers, has signed a one-year deal on April 2, 2014.

Lance Moore, Derek Moye, Martavis Bryant, and Justin Brown, the Steelers' third wide receiver, qualified him for his first training camp. He was named as the fifth receiver on the depth chart to begin the regular season.

He played in all 16 games but received only three passes for 33 yards and played mainly on special teams.

Heyward-Bey made 1 reception for 6 yards against the Baltimore Ravens in the Steelers' playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens, his first postseason catch of his career.

On March 26, 2015, the Steelers re-signed Heyward-Bey to a one-year deal.

Heyward-Bey, the Steelers' third receiver after Lance Moore's release on March 2 and Martavis Bryant's four-game suspension on August 31, is the Steelers' third receiver behind Antonio Brown and Markus Wheaton.

Heyward-Bey had 4 passes for 58 yards in the New England Patriots' opener, with one receiving 43 yards. Heyward-Bey recorded four passes against the San Francisco 49ers this week, this time for 77 yards and 1 touchdown, his highest receiving yardage total since December 6, 2012. Heyward-Bey caught three passes for 19 yards against the St. Louis Rams in Week 3. He had 4 passes for 31 yards and 1 touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4 of Week 4.

Heyward-Bey scored 15 receptions for 185 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter of the season, his best 4-game stretch since 2012, when he finished with 15 passes for 257 yards and 2 touchdowns in Weeks 8-11. Martavis Bryant suffered an injury during his first week of practice back with the team after his suspension, culminating in Heyward-Bey's replacement as the third quarterback for Week 5 against the San Diego Chargers. Heyward-Bey had two catches for 24 yards against the Chargers, both of which occurred on the Steelers' game-winning drive.

Heyward-Bey led to 21 receptions for 314 yards and two touchdowns in the 2015 regular season. In the Steelers' first playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals, he was held without a pass, but the Denver Broncos followed him with two receptions for 64 yards the following week.

The Steelers re-signed Heyward-Bey on a three-year, $3.8 million deal on March 8, 2016.

Martavis Bryant was suspended for the entire 2016 season as he entered training camp, aiming to be the second or third wide receiver on the Steelers' depth chart. Heyward-Bey was named the fourth receiver behind Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton, and Sammie Coates.

Heyward-Bey caught 5 passes for 68 yards and two touchdowns in the first eight games of the 2016 season. On Week 6, he went on a reverse for a 60-yard touchdown against the Miami Dolphins on a return to the ball for both his longest career rush attempt and first career rushing touchdown.

However, he sustained a foot and ankle injury against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9 that kept him sidelined for the next six games. He returned for the Steelers' Week 16 match against the Ravens, but he did not make any appearances. Heyward-Bey caught 1 pass for 46 yards against the Cleveland Browns in Week 17. He recorded 6 receptions for 114 yards and two touchdowns during his 2016 regular season debut.

Heyward-Bey's only reception during the 2016 playoffs was in the Steelers' opening round playoff game against the Miami Dolphins.

Heyward-Bey started training camp in 2017 against stiff competition for the backup wide receiver job from JuJu Smith-Schuster, Cobi Hamilton, Eli Rogers, Sammie Coates, and Justin Hunter. He was first drafted behind Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, and Rogers, but Smith-Schuster was voted third wide receiver behind Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, and Rogers, but early in the season, he was passed on the depth chart.

In Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens, Heyward-Bey got his first touch of the season on offense, throwing the ball on a reverse for 3 yards. When he and teammate Robert Golden connected for 44 yards against the Cincinnati Bengals on a fake punt, he scored his first passing target and reception in Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals on a fake punt.

Heyward-Bey scored a 29-yard rushing touchdown on a reverse in Week 17 against the Browns.

He had two receptions for 47 yards in the 2017 season.

Heyward-Bey was a member of the Steelers for 14 games in 2018, and he was involved in two games. He had 1 reception for 9 yards and 1 carry for -7 yards on the season. Following the 2018 season, the Steelers decided not to re-sign Heyward-Bey.

He finished his Steelers career with 72 regular season games played, beginning in 7 of those games and totaling 33 receptions for 517 yards and four touchdowns. He also attempted 4 rushing attempts for 85 yards and two touchdowns. In addition,, he appeared in 7 playoff games for the Steelers, beginning in 2 of those games and receiving 4 interceptions for 80 yards.

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