Heyward spent his rookie season in 2023 on Cincinnati's practice squad, after signing with the Bengals as a college free agent ... He spent five seasons (2018-22) at Duke, where he was a two-time All-ACC performer, starting 41 of 51 career games played ... Logged 340 career tackles, with 32.5 TFLs and 11 sacks, while recording four INTs, 11 PDs and five FRs ... Has an extensive football background in his family, including cousins Cameron and Connor Heyward, who both play for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Signed with Cincinnati as college free agent on 5-12-23 ... Waived by Bengals on 8-29-23 ... Signed to Bengals practice squad on 8-30-23 ... Signed to Bengals roster on 1-8-24 (Reserve/Future).
2023—Spent entire rookie season on Cincinnati's practice squad ... Saw action in all three preseason games, recording eight total tackles.
Spent five seasons (2018-22) at Duke ... Played in 51 games (41 starts), recording 340 tackles, 32.5 TFLs, 11 sacks, four INTs, 11 PDs and five FRs ... Named third-team All-ACC in both 2021 and '22 seasons ... Voted a team captain in 2022, and ranked second on the team in tackles (94) while tying for team lead with two INTs ... Had double-digit tackles in four games in 2022 campaign ... Led team and ranked fifth in ACC with 98 tackles in 2021 ... Posted career-high 3.5 sacks as a sophomore in 2019.
Hometown is Dacula, Ga. (approximately 40 miles northeast of Atlanta) ... Attended Mill Creek High School in Hoschton, Ga., where as a senior in 2017 he had two defensive TDs (one FR, one INT), and posted 90 tackles with five sacks ... Late cousin, Craig Heyward, played collegiately at the University of Pittsburgh and spent 11 seasons in the NFL as a FB with five teams ... Cousin, Cameron Heyward, played at Ohio State and currently plays DT for the Pittsburgh Steelers ... Cousin, Connor Heyward, played collegiately at Michigan State and currently plays TE/FB for the Steelers ... In 2020, was awarded the Vincent Rey Award, a Duke football honor presented to the team's top linebacker that is named after former Blue Devil and former Bengal Vincent Rey ... Rey currently serves as the Bengals' team chaplain ... Majored in evolutionary anthropology at Duke.
NOTE ABOUT NFL EXPERIENCE: Heyward did not earn an accrued year of experience toward NFL free agency in 2023.
