Connor Heyward “put on a show” in Steelers’ preseason opener

Former Spartan H-back Connor Heyward put on a show in the Steelers’ preseason opener on Saturday night against Kenneth Walker III’s Seahawks.

Connor Heyward’s career trajectory has been unbelievable.

In his first couple of years after committing to the Spartans as an athlete out of Georgia, Mark Dantonio made him a running back and he just didn’t fit the position. In year three, he decided to enter the transfer portal after just four games.

When Mel Tucker took over after Dantonio’s sudden retirement, Heyward decided to remove his name from the portal and return to Michigan State.

In 2020, he had 65 carries for 200 yards and 18 catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns as a running back. But Tucker felt like he needed a position change — and so did the rest of Spartan Nation. For years, fans had been calling for him to be moved to tight end because he was an excellent pass-catcher and his body made sense for that spot.

Tucker moved him into an H-back role in 2021 and he excelled. He had 35 catches for 326 yards and two touchdowns and went from backup running back to NFL draft prospect in just a couple of seasons. The Steelers drafted him in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft and all signs are pointing to him making the 53-man roster.

Heyward has been making plays all preseason camp long and he played really well in the preseason opener against the Seahawks. He caught two passes for 24 yards.

This was his best highlight of the night:

Not many players have turned doubters into believers the way Heyward has at Michigan State and now he looks like he’s ready to carve out a nice NFL career for himself.