Connor Heyward: The Unsung Hero Of 2021
Connor Heyward returned this season for his fifth season as a Spartan this year as one of the most experienced players on the roster.
During his time as a Spartan he has primarily been a running back as well as being on the kick return team but when he came back in 2021 his role became a little bit different for the Spartans.
The Spartans had a rough season a year ago running the football and knew that had to change this season to be more successful. That's when Kenneth Walker III stepped in, who has taken the whole country by storm and become a household name in the first three weeks of the college football season.
With Walker being the main running back, Heyward decided to make a transition to a new position to help himself get on the field while helping the team the best that he could and is now the starting tight end.
His numbers so far haven't been eye popping but he's been a key piece in the run game and blocking effort while being a versatile option through the air for the Spartans.
Heyward had three catches for 49 yards last week against Miami and had three more additional catches for 28 yards against Northwestern.
Heyward has been the perfect example of adapting to a new role and putting the team before himself and then thriving in his role.
I remember a quote in the preseason from Heyward about how players would have to buy into roles and do things they may not be comfortable with in order to help the team and at the time had no clue what that meant for him but I guess was a foreshadow of his new role which has been smooth and effective so far.
