Kole Heckendorf
Encyclopedia
Kole Joseph Heckendorf is an American football
wide receiver
who is currently a free agent
. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers
as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football
at North Dakota State
.
Heckendorf has also been a member of the Detroit Lions
, Seattle Seahawks
, San Diego Chargers
, and Indianapolis Colts
.
and grew up an hour and a half away from Lambeau Field
. He played high school football
for Mosinee High School in Mosinee, Wisconsin, as a wide receiver and a safety. One of the most productive players in Wisconsin high school history, he earned first-team All-State honors from both the Associated Press
and the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association after making 63 catches for 1,257 yards and recording a state-record 19 touchdowns as a senior. He was a second-team All-State selection by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
as a senior. He was named All-Conference and All-District as well.
As a junior, Heckendorf was named first-team WFCA All-State and second-team All-State by the Associated Press and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel after he set state records with 116 receptions for 1,714 yards and 11 touchdowns. He led the entire nation as a junior with 116 catches and his touchdown total during his senior year was a state record. His 116 receptions and 1,714 receiving yards during his junior year were also state records. He helped lead his team within one win for qualifying for the Division III state championship game.
His career totals of 3,831 yards and 36 touchdowns are state records while his 235 catches rank second all-time.
Heckendorf lettered in hockey all four years of high school, receiving honorable mention all-state honors once and all-conference honors three times. He also earned three letters in track, winning an individual state championship in the 300-meter hurdles his senior year. He was a member of an all-star traveling hockey team, Team Wisconsin.
at North Dakota State University
, as a wide receiver
. He lettered all four years, starting 42 of 43 career games and finished as the all-time leading receiver in school history. He totaled 178 catches for 2,732 yards, and scored 17 touchdowns during his career, becoming the first receiver in the history of the program to lead the team in receptions for four seasons.
Heckendorf redshirted in 2004. He started 10 of the team's 11 games as a redshirt freshman in 2005, collecting 37 catches for 470 yards and two touchdowns. He caught his first career touchdown pass in a win at Northwestern State on September 10.
Heckendorf started 11 games and had a career-high 52 receptions as a sophomore in 2006, totaling 742 yards and five touchdowns for the Bison. He was named to the All-Northwest Region third-team by the Football Gazette and was voted to the All-GWFC second-team by the league's media after helping NDSU win the conference championship.
He started all 11 games as a junior, catching at least one pass in every game and finishing the season with 48 catches for 766 yards and six touchdowns. He earned All-Great West Football Conference first-team honors after ranking third in the league in both receptions and yards for the season.
He was named a second-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection in 2008 after making 41 catches for 744 yards and four touchdowns as a senior. Heckendorf overcame a bout with Lyme disease and a 20-pound weight loss prior to the season. He finished the season ranked third in the conference in yards and fifth in receptions. He had a career day in the 2008 opener vs. Austin Peavy on August 28, catching eight passes and notching new career highs with 179 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He made a career-high nine catches at Youngstown State on September 20 later in the season. He was a member of the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America first-team as a senior.
Heckendorf earned a B.S. in general education.
as an undrafted free agent on May 1, 2009, but was released during the pre-season.
' practice squad. After his contract expired following the season, he was re-signed to a future contract on January 5, 2010. Heckendorf was cut by the Lions on May 11, 2010.
He was signed to the Seattle Seahawks May 12, 2010.
on May 12, 2010. He was released in the preseason on August 30.
practice squad on October 13, 2010.
at St. Cloud State
. He was a Harlon Hill finalist in 2002 and 2003, and is now the offensive coordinator at Western Carolina
. Heckendorf's other brother, Kyle, played baseball at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
. Heckendorf's father, Bart, played football at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
. Heckendorf's mother is Wendy.
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...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
as an undrafted free agent in 2009. 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...
at North Dakota State
North Dakota State Bison football
The North Dakota State Bison football program represents North Dakota State University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level and competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. From 2004 to 2007, the Bison were members of the Great West Football...
.
Heckendorf has also been a member of the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
, San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
.
Early years
Heckendorf was born in Wausau, WisconsinWausau, Wisconsin
Wausau is a city in and the county seat of Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States. The Wisconsin River divides the city. The city is adjacent to the town of Wausau.According to the 2000 census, Wausau had a population of 38,426 people...
and grew up an hour and a half away from Lambeau Field
Lambeau Field
Lambeau Field is an outdoor football stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Opened in 1957 as City Stadium, it replaced the original City Stadium as the Packers' home field...
. He played 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....
for Mosinee High School in Mosinee, Wisconsin, as a wide receiver and a safety. One of the most productive players in Wisconsin high school history, he earned first-team All-State honors from both the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association after making 63 catches for 1,257 yards and recording a state-record 19 touchdowns as a senior. He was a second-team All-State selection by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. It is the primary newspaper in Milwaukee, the largest newspaper in Wisconsin and is distributed widely throughout the state...
as a senior. He was named All-Conference and All-District as well.
As a junior, Heckendorf was named first-team WFCA All-State and second-team All-State by the Associated Press and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel after he set state records with 116 receptions for 1,714 yards and 11 touchdowns. He led the entire nation as a junior with 116 catches and his touchdown total during his senior year was a state record. His 116 receptions and 1,714 receiving yards during his junior year were also state records. He helped lead his team within one win for qualifying for the Division III state championship game.
His career totals of 3,831 yards and 36 touchdowns are state records while his 235 catches rank second all-time.
Heckendorf lettered in hockey all four years of high school, receiving honorable mention all-state honors once and all-conference honors three times. He also earned three letters in track, winning an individual state championship in the 300-meter hurdles his senior year. He was a member of an all-star traveling hockey team, Team Wisconsin.
College career
Heckendorf received a scholarship to play college footballCollege 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...
at North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, more commonly known as North Dakota State University , is a public university in Fargo, North Dakota. NDSU has about 14,000 students and it is the largest university in North Dakota based on full time students and land size...
, as a wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
. He lettered all four years, starting 42 of 43 career games and finished as the all-time leading receiver in school history. He totaled 178 catches for 2,732 yards, and scored 17 touchdowns during his career, becoming the first receiver in the history of the program to lead the team in receptions for four seasons.
Heckendorf redshirted in 2004. He started 10 of the team's 11 games as a redshirt freshman in 2005, collecting 37 catches for 470 yards and two touchdowns. He caught his first career touchdown pass in a win at Northwestern State on September 10.
Heckendorf started 11 games and had a career-high 52 receptions as a sophomore in 2006, totaling 742 yards and five touchdowns for the Bison. He was named to the All-Northwest Region third-team by the Football Gazette and was voted to the All-GWFC second-team by the league's media after helping NDSU win the conference championship.
He started all 11 games as a junior, catching at least one pass in every game and finishing the season with 48 catches for 766 yards and six touchdowns. He earned All-Great West Football Conference first-team honors after ranking third in the league in both receptions and yards for the season.
He was named a second-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection in 2008 after making 41 catches for 744 yards and four touchdowns as a senior. Heckendorf overcame a bout with Lyme disease and a 20-pound weight loss prior to the season. He finished the season ranked third in the conference in yards and fifth in receptions. He had a career day in the 2008 opener vs. Austin Peavy on August 28, catching eight passes and notching new career highs with 179 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He made a career-high nine catches at Youngstown State on September 20 later in the season. He was a member of the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America first-team as a senior.
Heckendorf earned a B.S. in general education.
Green Bay Packers
Heckendorf was signed by the Green Bay PackersGreen Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
as an undrafted free agent on May 1, 2009, but was released during the pre-season.
Detroit Lions
On October 12, 2009 Heckendorf was signed to the Detroit LionsDetroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
' practice squad. After his contract expired following the season, he was re-signed to a future contract on January 5, 2010. Heckendorf was cut by the Lions on May 11, 2010.
He was signed to the Seattle Seahawks May 12, 2010.
Seattle Seahawks
Heckendorf was claimed off waivers by the Seattle SeahawksSeattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
on May 12, 2010. He was released in the preseason on August 30.
San Diego Chargers
Heckendorf was signed to the San Diego ChargersSan Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
practice squad on October 13, 2010.
Personal
Heckendorf's brother, Keith, is a former quarterbackQuarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
at St. Cloud State
St. Cloud State University
St. Cloud State University is a four-year public university founded in 1869 on the banks of the Mississippi River in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States. The university is the largest member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system which is the largest single provider of higher...
. He was a Harlon Hill finalist in 2002 and 2003, and is now the offensive coordinator at Western Carolina
Western Carolina University
Western Carolina University is a coeducational public university located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, United States. The university is a constituent campus of the University of North Carolina system....
. Heckendorf's other brother, Kyle, played baseball at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh is a public university in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA. It is part of the University of Wisconsin System and offers both bachelor and master degrees...
. Heckendorf's father, Bart, played football at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
The University of Wisconsin–La Crosse is a public university located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA...
. Heckendorf's mother is Wendy.