Ron Heller (tight end)
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| Position: | Tight end | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | September 18, 1963 Grass Valley, California, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 235 lb (107 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Clark Fork (ID) | ||||||||
| College: | Oregon State | ||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1986 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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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
[edit]Born in Grass Valley, California, he moved with his family to Clark Fork in north Idaho when he was 12,[1] and graduated from Clark Fork High School in 1981,[2] 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.[3][4]
In 2005, he was inducted into the Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame.
Professional career
[edit]Dallas Cowboys
[edit]Heller was not selected in the 1986 NFL draft and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys.[5][6] He was released before the start of the season.
San Francisco 49ers
[edit]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.[7] With the 49ers he was a special teams player and a part-time starter.
Atlanta Falcons
[edit]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.[8]
Seattle Seahawks
[edit]In 1990 after being left unprotected again, he signed as a Plan B free agent with the Seattle Seahawks.[9] He was waived on August 26, 1991.[10] After being out of football for a year, the Seahawks re-signed him on March 10, 1992.
NFL career statistics
[edit]Regular season
[edit]| Legend | ||
|---|---|---|
| Won the Super Bowl | ||
| Bold | Career high | |
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Long | YPG | TD | ||
| 1987 | SF | 13 | 6 | 12 | 165 | 13.75 | 12.7 | 39t | 3 |
| 1988 | 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 |
| Career | 76 | 43 | 84 | 871 | 10.37 | 11.5 | 39t | 5 | |
Personal life
[edit]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
[edit]- ^ "Obituaries: Betty Heller". Spokesman-Review. December 25, 2001. p. D7.
- ^ Van Sickel, Charlie (February 19, 1981). "Dutch Rub". Spokane Chronicle. p. 32.
- ^ Stalwick, Howie (September 27, 1984). "From Clark Fork to Corvallis: Heller is an unlikely starter". p. 29.
- ^ "New season, new position". Retrieved February 19, 2017.
- ^ "Heller and DeMers among 2005 Idaho Hall of Fame inductees". Bonner County Bee. January 29, 2005.
- ^ Jenkins, Jim (October 8, 1988). "Clark fork's Heller trying not to drop the ball". Spokesman-Review. McClatchy News Service. p. B2.
- ^ "Clark Fork's Heller trying not to drop the ball". Retrieved February 19, 2017.
- ^ "Falcons keep 4 free agents on roster". Retrieved February 19, 2017.
- ^ "Heller hopes Seahawks give him a place to stay". Retrieved February 19, 2017.
- ^ "Transactions". Retrieved February 19, 2017.
- ^ "Ron Heller Stats Summary". www.footballdb.com. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics and player information from Pro Football Reference ·
- Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame bio
- Peritus Asset Management - Ron Heller
- PlanMember Securities Corporation - Ron Heller
- 1963 births
- Living people
- People from Grass Valley, California
- Sportspeople from Nevada County, California
- People from Bonner County, Idaho
- Players of American football from Idaho
- American football tight ends
- Oregon State Beavers football players
- San Francisco 49ers players
- Atlanta Falcons players
- Seattle Seahawks players
- American money managers
- National Football League replacement players