Career
He was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the first round (24th pick overall) of the 1988 NFL Draft out of the University of Pittsburgh. Heyward"s 3,086 career rushing yards rank third all-time at Pitt in only three seasons. He declared himself eligible for the 1988 draft after his junior year.
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 was a punishing runner who was also a devastating blocker and good receiver. Heyward slimmed down to closer to 280.
In the mid-1990s, Heyward showcased his sense of humor in a series of television commercials for Zest body wash, introducing a generation of American men to the modern version of the Luffa that is now a fixture in many showers and bathtubs. The "lather-builder" and Heyward"s tough-guy image created a humorous contrast in the advertisement, culminating in a voting campaign that named it the "thingy".