Ron Heller (tight end)
{{Short description|American football player (born 1963)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Ron Heller
| number = 89, 80, 85, 82
| position = Tight end
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1963|9|18|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Grass Valley, California, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 1
| weight_lb = 235
| high_school = Clark Fork (ID)
| college = Oregon State
| undraftedyear = 1986
| pastteams =
- Dallas Cowboys (1986)*
- San Francisco 49ers ({{NFL Year|1986|1988}})
- Atlanta Falcons ({{NFL Year|1989}})
- Seattle Seahawks ({{NFL Year|1990}}, {{NFL Year|1992}})
| highlights =
- Super Bowl champion (XXIII)
| statlabel1 = Receptions
| statvalue1 = 84
| statlabel2 = Receiving yards
| statvalue2 = 871
| statlabel3 = Touchdowns
| statvalue3 = 5
| pfr = HellRo00
}}
Ronald Jeffrey Heller (born September 18, 1963) is a former professional football tight end in the National Football League for the San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, and Seattle Seahawks. He played college football at Oregon State University.
Early life
Born in Grass Valley, California, he moved with his family to Clark Fork in north Idaho when he was 12,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NWVWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fvIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4480,2412183&dq=heller&hl=en|newspaper=Spokesman-Review|title=Obituaries: Betty Heller|date=December 25, 2001|page=D7}} and graduated from Clark Fork High School in 1981,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zfpLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QfkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6859,1029320&dq=heller&hl=en| work= Spokane Chronicle|last=Van Sickel|first=Charlie|title=Dutch Rub|date=February 19, 1981|page=32}} in a senior class of 18. He was a three-sport standout in football (All-state), basketball (All-state), and track (won the state title in the 200-meter dash). He played in an 8-man league in football.
Heller accepted a football scholarship to Oregon State University. He played for the Beavers from 1981 to 1985, where he played as a nose guard (freshman) and linebacker (sophomore and junior), before being switched to tight end as a senior.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bQ5XAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Be8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4274,7850018|last=Stalwick|first=Howie|title=From Clark Fork to Corvallis: Heller is an unlikely starter|date=September 27, 1984|page=29}}{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=19850829&id=1vhVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=huEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2991,6837052 | title=New season, new position | accessdate=February 19, 2017}}
In 2005, he was inducted into the Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame.
Professional career
=Dallas Cowboys=
Heller was not selected in the 1986 NFL draft and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys.{{cite news|url=http://www.bonnercountydailybee.com/sports/article_557ffab8-68fb-57b4-893a-25565df11d9e.html|newspaper=Bonner County Bee|title=Heller and DeMers among 2005 Idaho Hall of Fame inductees |date=January 29, 2005}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19881008&id=_lpWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pe8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2384,5482460|newspaper=Spokesman-Review|last=Jenkins|first=Jim|agency=McClatchy News Service|title=Clark fork's Heller trying not to drop the ball|date=October 8, 1988|page=B2}} He was released before the start of the season.
=San Francisco 49ers=
The San Francisco 49ers claimed him based on a recommendation from Paul Hackett, but a preseason neck injury placed him on the injured reserve list during the 1986 season.{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19881008&id=_lpWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pe8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2384,5482460 | title=Clark Fork's Heller trying not to drop the ball | accessdate=February 19, 2017}} With the 49ers he was a special teams player and a part-time starter.
=Atlanta Falcons=
He signed with the Atlanta Falcons as a Plan B free agent in 1989. He started 13 games and his 33 receptions for 324 yards, ranked him sixth in the National Football Conference.{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=348&dat=19890905&id=9WUvAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lDUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6338,926707 | title=Falcons keep 4 free agents on roster | accessdate=February 19, 2017}}
=Seattle Seahawks=
In 1990 after being left unprotected again, he signed as a Plan B free agent with the Seattle Seahawks.{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19900727&id=BCsgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vvADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6838,4769550 | title=Heller hopes Seahawks give him a place to stay | accessdate=February 19, 2017}} He was waived on August 26, 1991.{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19910827&id=5bkcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=43sEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6188,1123098 | title=Transactions | accessdate=February 19, 2017}} After being out of football for a year, the Seahawks re-signed him on March 10, 1992.
NFL career statistics
= Regular season =
| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" |
| colspan="3"|Legend |
|---|
| style="background:#afe6ba; width:3em;"| |
| Bold
| Career high |
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" | ||||||||
| rowspan="2" | Year
! rowspan="2" | Team ! colspan="2" | Games ! colspan="6" | Receiving | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Long | YPG | TD | |
| 1987 | SF
| 13 || 6 || 12 || 165 || 13.75 || 12.7 || 39t || 3 | |||||||
| 1988 | style="background:#afe6ba; width:3em;"|SF
| 16 || 8 || 14 || 140 || 10.00 || 8.8 || 22 || 0 | |||||||
| 1989 | ATL
| 15 || 13 || | 33 || 324 || 9.82 || 21.6 || 30 || 1 | |||||||
| 1990 | SEA
| 16 || 5 || 13 || 157 || 12.08 || 9.8 || 23 || 1 | |||||||
| 1992 | SEA
| 16 || 11 || 12 || 85 || 7.08 || 5.3 || 17 || 0 | |||||||
| colspan="2" | Career | 76 | 43 | 84 | 871 | 10.37 | 11.5 | 39t | 5 |
Personal life
Heller left football in 1993 and spent two years at Smith Barney as a financial consultant. In 1995, he co-founded Peritus Asset Management where he was CEO and Senior Portfolio Advisor. He is currently the head of Partner Development at PlanMember in Carpinteria, CA.
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Footballstats |nfl= |cfl= |afl= |espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |fox= |si= |pfr=HellRo00 |dbf=HELLERON02 |rotoworld=}}
- [https://idahoathletichalloffame.org/2015/12/21/ron-heller/ Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame bio]
- [http://www.peritusasset.com/about/people/ron-heller/ Peritus Asset Management] - Ron Heller
- [https://www.planmember.com/financial/press-releases/ron-heller-joins-planmember-as-director-of-partner-development/ PlanMember Securities Corporation] - Ron Heller
{{Super Bowl XXIII}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heller, Ron}}
Category:Sportspeople from Grass Valley, California
Category:People from Bonner County, Idaho
Category:Players of American football from Idaho
Category:American football tight ends
Category:Oregon State Beavers football players
Category:San Francisco 49ers players
Category:Atlanta Falcons players
Category:Seattle Seahawks players