Heath Irwin
Encyclopedia
Heath Spencer Irwin is a former American football
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 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 the both the son of a former Colorado football player and the nephew of Hale Irwin
, also a former football player at Colorado, who would eventually go on to become a World Golf Hall of Fame
member.
, arriving two months early. He 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. 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
.
by the New England Patriots. 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
. 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
). He was signed to play for the 2003 Denver Broncos
, but he was waived at the end of training camp. 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.
on the through . He had 4 interceptions for the 1969 Colorado Buffaloes football team
. His uncle Hale Irwin played a variety of positions at Colorado ranging from quarterback
to defensive back
and punt returner
on the through . He had 100 career rushing yards, 24 pass attempts and 9 interceptions (on defense). Hale is 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. Heath's wife is named Molly, and they have both a daughter (Bailee) and a son (Houston).
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL). He played for the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the Colorado Buffaloes
Colorado Buffaloes football
The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...
after graduating from Boulder High School
Boulder High School
Boulder High School is a high school in Boulder, Colorado. It is a part of the Boulder Valley School District.-History:Boulder High School was founded in 1875 as part of the University of Colorado at Boulder as a preparatory school for the University...
.
He was both a high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
and college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
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 the both the son of a former Colorado football player and the nephew of Hale Irwin
Hale Irwin
Hale S. Irwin is an American professional golfer. He is one of the few players in history to have won three U.S. Opens and was one of the world's leading golfers for much of the 1970s and 1980s. He has also developed a career as a golf course architect.Irwin was born in Joplin, Missouri, but was...
, also a former football player at Colorado, who would eventually go on to become a World Golf Hall of Fame
World Golf Hall of Fame
The World Golf Hall of Fame is located at World Golf Village near St. Augustine, Florida, in the United States, and it is unusual among sports halls of fame in that a single site serves both men and women. It is supported by a consortium of 26 golf organizations from all over the world.The Hall of...
member.
Early life and college
By his own account, he was a premature birthPremature birth
In humans preterm birth refers to the birth of a baby of less than 37 weeks gestational age. The cause for preterm birth is in many situations elusive and unknown; many factors appear to be associated with the development of preterm birth, making the reduction of preterm birth a challenging...
, arriving two months early. He 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. He also competed in the shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
and discus throw
Discus throw
The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
in high school. He was a 1995 College Football All-America Team
1995 College Football All-America Team
The 1995 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, United Press International, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News and Football News.The College Football...
first team selection by the Associated Press for the 1995 Colorado Buffaloes football team
1995 Colorado Buffaloes football team
The 1995 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder in the 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Buffaloes offense scored 444 points while the defense allowed 240 points. Led by head coach Rick Neuheisel, the Buffaloes competed in the Cotton Bowl...
and an honorable mention selection by the United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
as a senior as well as a second team All-American on the 1994 Colorado Buffaloes football team
1994 Colorado Buffaloes football team
The 1994 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder in the 1994 college football season. The Buffaloes offense scored 439 points while the defense allowed 235 points. The team was led by head coach Bill McCartney....
that had a record-setting 5,448 total net yards of offense including the famed Miracle at Michigan
The Miracle at Michigan
The Miracle at Michigan refers to the final play that occurred during the American football game played on September 24, 1994 between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The game was decided on Colorado quarterback Kordell Stewart's 64-yard...
.
Professional career
Irwin was drafted 101st overall with the sixth pick in the fourth round of the 1996 NFL Draft1996 NFL Draft
The 1996 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 20–21, 1996...
by the New England Patriots. He played 87 NFL regular season games, starting 29. He was a member of the Patriots from 1996
1996 New England Patriots season
The New England Patriots participated in the National Football League's 1996 season, the team's 37th in football. The Patriots finished with a record of eleven wins and five losses, and finished first in the AFC East division...
to 1999
1999 New England Patriots season
The 1999 New England Patriots season was the 30th season for the team in the National Football League and 40th season overall. They finished with a 8–8 record, tied for fourth place in the division, and out of the playoffs....
, the Dolphins in 2000
2000 Miami Dolphins season
The 2000 season was the 33rd in franchise history. Dave Wannstedt was named the fourth head coach in franchise history on January 16, 2000.-NFL Draft:-Preseason:-Schedule:-Standings:-Playoffs:-Awards and honors:...
and 2001
2001 Miami Dolphins season
-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Schedule:-References:...
and the 2002 St. Louis Rams
2002 St. Louis Rams season
The 2002 St. Louis Rams season was the team's 65th year with the National Football League and the eighth season in St. Louis.-Schedule:This season marked the decline of Kurt Warner and The Greatest Show On Turf-Standings:...
. 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
Super Bowl XXXI
Super Bowl XXXI was an American football game played on January 26, 1997, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1996 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Green Bay Packers defeated the American...
). He was signed to play for the 2003 Denver Broncos
2003 Denver Broncos season
The 2003 Denver Broncos season was the team's 44th year in professional football and its 34th with the National Football League.-Staff:-Schedule:-References:* *...
, but he was waived at the end of training camp. 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.
Personal
His father Phil Irwin played football for Colorado from 1968 to 1970. He started at linebackerLinebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
on the through . He had 4 interceptions for the 1969 Colorado Buffaloes football team
1969 Colorado Buffaloes football team
The 1969 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder in the 1969 college football season. The Buffaloes offense scored 276 points while the defense allowed 227 points. Led by head coach Eddie Crowder, the Buffaloes competed in the Liberty Bowl.-Schedule:-Team...
. His uncle Hale Irwin played a variety of positions at Colorado ranging from quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
to defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
and punt returner
Punt returner
Punt returner is a position on special teams in American football.-Description:The role of a punt returner is to catch the ball after it is punted and to give his team good field position by returning it. Before catching the punted ball, the returner must assess the situation on the field while...
on the through . He had 100 career rushing yards, 24 pass attempts and 9 interceptions (on defense). Hale is 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. Heath's wife is named Molly, and they have both a daughter (Bailee) and a son (Houston).