Heath Irwin
{{Short description|American football player (born 1973)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2016}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| number = 63, 66
| position = Guard
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1973|6|27|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Boulder, Colorado, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 4
| weight_lbs = 300
| high_school = Boulder
| college = Colorado
| draftyear = 1996
| draftround = 4
| draftpick = 101
| undraftedyear =
| pastteams =
- New England Patriots ({{NFL Year|1996}}–{{NFL Year|1999}})
- Miami Dolphins ({{NFL Year|2000}}–{{NFL Year|2001}})
- St. Louis Rams ({{NFL Year|2002}})
- Denver Broncos ({{NFL Year|2003}})*
| highlights =
- First-team All-American (1995)
- Second-team All-American (1994)
- First-team All-Big Eight (1995)
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 87
| statlabel2 = Games started
| statvalue2 = 29
| statlabel3 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue3 = 1
| pfr = IrwiHe20
}}
Heath Spencer Irwin (born June 27, 1973) is an American former professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the New England Patriots, the Miami Dolphins, and the St. Louis Rams. He played college football for the Colorado Buffaloes after graduating from Boulder High School. He was selected with the 101st selection of the 1996 NFL draft by the Patriots.
He was both a high school football and college football All-American and a star offensive lineman on a record-setting Colorado offensive unit. In the NFL, his team made the playoffs in five of his first six seasons. He is both the son of a former Colorado football player and the nephew of another (Hale Irwin) who is a World Golf Hall of Fame member.
Early life and college
Irwin played a lot of golf during his youth.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch/143950026/|title=Heath Irwin Aims For A Career Turnaround|accessdate=March 23, 2024|date=August 4, 2002|work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|page=17|author=Thomas, Jim}} Irwin was a high school All-American (by Super Prep and Tom Lemming's Prep Football Report) at Boulder High School, where he played offensive guard and defensive tackle.{{cite web|url=http://den.scout.com/2/101689.html|title=Broncos sign OL Heath Irwin|accessdate=September 17, 2011|date=March 27, 2003|publisher=Scout.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402015952/http://den.scout.com/2/101689.html|archive-date=April 2, 2012|url-status=dead}} He also competed in the shot put and discus throw in high school. He was a 1995 College Football All-America Team first-team selection by the Associated Press for the 1995 Colorado Buffaloes football team and an honorable mention selection by the United Press International as a senior as well as a second-team All-American on the 1994 Colorado Buffaloes football team that had a record-setting 5,448 total net yards of offense including the famed Miracle at Michigan. Irwin scored a touchdown for the 1995 Colorado Buffaloes football team on October 28 against Nebraska. No other Colorado lineman scored a touchdown until Alex Kelley did in the September 2 season opener for the 2016 Colorado Buffaloes football team against Colorado State.{{cite web|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1816455937|url-access=subscription|id={{ProQuest|1816455937}}|title=Stanford tops K-State behind Christian McCaffrey|work=Dayton Daily News|author=|accessdate=March 23, 2024|date=September 4, 2016|page=|quote=}}
Professional career
Irwin was drafted 101st overall with the sixth pick in the fourth round of the 1996 NFL draft by the New England Patriots.{{Cite web |title=1996 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1996/draft.htm |access-date=2023-03-30 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}{{cite web|url=http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player?id=22600|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001073511/http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player?id=22600|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 1, 2012|title=Heath Irwin|publisher=ESPN|accessdate=September 17, 2011}} In 1999, he won a training camp battle with Max Lane and Todd Rucci for an opening day starting guard spot.{{cite web|url=https://www.patriots.com/news/irwin-gets-start-in-opener-168976|title=Irwin gets start in opener|accessdate=March 23, 2024|date=September 6, 1999|publisher=New England Patriots|author=}} He played 87 NFL regular season games, starting 29. He was a member of the Patriots from 1996 to 1999, the Dolphins in 2000 and 2001 and the 2002 St. Louis Rams.{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/player/heathirwin/2501306/profile|title=Heath Irwin |accessdate=September 17, 2011|publisher=National Football League}} Irwin had signed a four-year $7 million (${{Inflation|US|7|2000|r=1}} million in {{Inflation/year|US}}) contract with the Dolphins in February 2000 with a $2 million (${{Inflation|US|2|2000|r=1}} million in {{Inflation/year|US}}) signing bonus. There, he was reunited with offensive line coach Paul Boudreau.{{cite web|url=https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/sports/2000/02/26/pats-lose-irwin-to-dolphins/50489207007/|title=Pats lose Irwin to Dolphins|accessdate=March 23, 2024|date=February 25, 2000|agency=Associated Press|work=The Standard-Times}} Rams general manager Charley Armey had drafted Irwin for the Patriots, which led to his signing with the team. He also played in a total of 6 National Football League playoff games, starting 1, while being inactive for an additional three (including Super Bowl XXXI). While in the NFL, Irwin pursued his college degree through the NFL's continued education program.{{cite web|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/388061738|url-access=subscription|id={{ProQuest|388061738}}|title=LIFE BEYOND FOOTBALL > MORE THAN 3,000 NFL PLAYERS HAVE RETURNED TO SCHOOL TO GET THEIR DEGREES.: [Broward Metro Edition]|work=South Florida Sun-Sentinel|author=Marvez, Alex|accessdate=March 23, 2024|date=June 26, 2001|page=9C|quote=}} He was signed to play for the 2003 Denver Broncos, but he was waived at the end of training camp.{{cite web|url=http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl/2003_3686581/nfl-transactions.html|title=NFL transactions|accessdate=September 17, 2011|date=September 1, 2003|work=Houston Chronicle}} His team went to the playoffs in five of his first six seasons, and the only losing team he played for was the 7–9 2002 Rams.{{cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/ram/2002.htm|title=2002 St. Louis Rams Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees|accessdate=March 23, 2024|publisher=Sports Reference}}
Personal
His father Phil Irwin played football for Colorado from 1968 to 1970.{{cite web|url=http://stl.scout.com/a.z?s=124&p=8&c=1&nid=292966|title=#63 Heath Irwin|accessdate=September 17, 2011|publisher=Scout.com}} He started at linebacker on the 1968 through 1970 teams.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mdBnc8KqusMC&pg=PA849 |title=50 Years of College Football: A Modern History of America's Most Colorful Sport|author=Boyles, Bob and Paul Guido|publisher=Skyhorse Publishing|isbn=978-1-60239-090-4|page=849|date=August 1, 2007}} He had 4 interceptions for the 1969 Colorado Buffaloes football team.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/phil-irwin-1.html|title=Phil Irwin|accessdate=September 17, 2011|publisher=Sports Reference LLC}} His uncle Hale Irwin played a variety of positions at Colorado ranging from quarterback to defensive back and punt returner on the 1964 through 1966 Colorado teams.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mdBnc8KqusMC&q=hale+irwin&pg=PA849|title=50 Years of College Football: A Modern History of America's Most Colorful Sport|author=Boyles, Bob and Paul Guido|publisher=Skyhorse Publishing|isbn=978-1-60239-090-4|pages=848–9|date=August 1, 2007}} He had 100 career rushing yards, 24 pass attempts and 9 interceptions (on defense).{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/hale-irwin-1.html|title=Hale Irwin|accessdate=September 17, 2011|publisher=Sports Reference LLC}} Hale Irwin has been described as an average quarterback who became an outstanding defensive back and earned first-team All-Big 8 Conference recognition in both 1965 and 1966 as a safety before becoming a Hall of Fame golfer.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mdBnc8KqusMC&q=hale+irwin&pg=PA849|title=50 Years of College Football: A Modern History of America's Most Colorful Sport|author=Boyles, Bob and Paul Guido|publisher=Skyhorse Publishing|isbn=978-1-60239-090-4|page=205|date=August 1, 2007}} Heath's wife is named Molly, and they have both a daughter (Bailee) and a son (Houston). Bailee was born in 1998 and Houston in 2000. Irwin had contributed financially to the allegedly "cult-like" Resurrection Church, which had to remove a promotional YouTube video content that depicted the campus and images of the Colorado University brand because it violated the University policy.{{cite web|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2689697370|url-access=subscription|id={{ProQuest|2689697370}}|title=At CU's request, Resurrection Church removes promo video with campus imagery|work=The Daily Camera|author=Kuta, Sarah|accessdate=March 23, 2024|date=September 16, 2016|page=|quote=}} He served as a pallbearer at Rashaan Salaam's 2016 funeral.{{cite web|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1847873916|url-access=subscription|id={{ProQuest|1847873916}}|title=Rashaan Salaam remembered at funeral: 'He was just a great teammate'|work=USA Today|author=Schrotenboer, Brent|accessdate=March 23, 2024|date=December 10, 2016|page=|quote=}}
Notes
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Patriots1996DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Irwin, Heath}}
Category:Boulder High School alumni
Category:Players of American football from Boulder, Colorado
Category:American football offensive guards
Category:Colorado Buffaloes football players
Category:Miami Dolphins players