The NFL is a national past time with millions of fans watching and taking in games each week. The average franchise value, according to Forbes Magazine, is estimated to be $5.1 billion with the top players earning between $25 and $30 million each season. The competition to earn a spot on an NFL roster is relentless with just 1.6% of college players every making it to the NFL level.
Those figures are staggering and yet a kid from Prophetstown, Il. has been a player in the NFL for three years. Jack Heflin, currently with the New Orleans Saints, has conquered all odds as he continues to live his dream; playing among the elite athletes of the NFL.
Heflin was signed by the Green Bay Packers in May 2021 as an undrafted free agent following his senior year at the University of Iowa. The defensive tackle made the Packers 53 man roster but saw very little playing time in his rookie season. He was released by the Packers in January 2022 but re-signed a week later eventually landing on the team’s practice squad for the majority of the season.
With just a few games remaining in the season Packers terminated Heflin’s contract but he was quickly picked up by the New York Giants. During the next few weeks Heflin would learn how difficult the mental side of the game can be off the field. “One of my biggest challenges was the mental side of the game as it relates to the business of football. I was released three times in five weeks, so you have to learn to take it on the chin and just keep going.” After being signed to the Giant’s practice Squad on December 15th, he was released on January 3rd but was resigned to the “P” Squad, as he calls, three days later and then elevated to the active roster the following day. He was on the field for a few snaps in the Giant’s season finale in a loss to the Eagles and was cut loose the following Tuesday. “I have an amazing support staff with my family and my fiancé Kennedy there to help me out a lot through that time. I also have a really good agent who takes care of me. It was nice to have people to be able to lean on during that time,” said Heflin.
Without a team, he went home for a few weeks when he was contacted by the Houston Roughnecks of the new XFL. Heflin said he had not been considering the new league as he was simply waiting for his phone to ring with a possible NFL futures deal. “I talked to my agent about it and he said I could create my own destiny, or sit back and wait.” Heflin decided to give the opportunity a try.
The XFL began its season in mid-February with a 10 game schedule. Heflin said his XFL experience was great, especially “being able to play in games again”. He said the play in the league was at a high level with all the players there for the same reason; to get to or back to the NFL. “The rosters were made up of guys from small schools who never really got a shot, veteran NFL players and guys like me who are young and don’t really have a lot of game film,” said the 25 year old. “We all had the same common goal. The league gave me a chance to stay relevant.”
The Roughnecks were successful winning the regular season division title with a 7-3 record, falling in the first round of the playoffs to the eventual XFL champions, Arlington Renegades. Heflin was named to the league’s All-Defensive Team saying the playing time was invaluable. For the first time at the professional level he was given the the chance to play nose tackle. “It allowed me to display more of my skill set,” which seemed to pay dividends.
The Prophetstown native then returned home again, this time for nine days before he was invited to a tryout with the New Orleans Saints and was signed. “It was a great opportunity and has turned out to be a great situation saying, “I’m still here (the NFL).” Heflin said he thought he had a good shot to make the 53-man roster but did not make the cut. He did however get signed to the Saint’s “P Squad” saying, “I was just trying to stay in the building.”
He doesn’t see being named to the practice squad as a bad thing saying, “If you’re in the building you have an opportunity and you just have to stay ready for what could happen next because you can be called up at any moment.”
The practice squad consists of 16 players to go along with the 53-man active roster. The squad practices with the active roster members, with most teams moving players up and down from the 16-man group weekly due to injuries and other factors. Heflin said his role it is not much different from an active player’s perspective with the obvious exception of not dressing for the games. “You are expected to know the game plan and be ready at any time because anything can happen.”
Jack said he simply has to keep improving to stay around and feels he has done that. “I believe I am a much better player now than when I first came into the league. I improved a lot of small things but there are still things I need to work on and I’ll never stop no matter where I end up.” He cites improvement with ability to pass rush on understanding the various play schematics. “I’m more comfortable and I trust my ability.”
He says his new team, the Saints, is a great organization. “The locker room is full of great guys. It’s fun to go into work every day. It doesn’t fell like work, just hangin’ out, havin’ fun, talkin’ ball.”
Being in the NFL is not something the 6-foot-4 and 304 pound lineman takes for granted. “It’s a blessing just to be in the building. You have to be mature enough mentally to appreciate your situation. I’m in the building and able to take care of my people. I still make a very good living and I play football, doing something I love. Just being able to keep that mindset, being happy and being grateful is the most important thing in this process.”
Heflin said his story is not unique in the NFL. “There’s a lot of guys who are just trying to stay alive, keep on going, keep living the dream. A lot pf guys have been cut multiple times and guys who have been active roster but are now on the P Squad.”
One of his major mental adjustments has been that he no longer dwells on the “what if’s” but simply focuses on his effort. “You have to be able to roll with the punches and I learned that the hard way. You can get to high or too low. I’m livin’ the dream. I don’t feel like I work a day in my life. I’m just playin’ ball.”
Jack Heflin Bio
NFL CAREER – Heflin has played in five career games with Green Bay (2021) and the New York Giants (2022) and has recorded one assisted tackle. In 2021, he played in four games for the Packers and recorded one assisted stop. Heflin played in the regular season finale for the Giants in 2022 after spending the first 14 weeks of the season on the Packers practice squad. In the spring of 2023, was an All-XFL selection for the Houston Roughnecks After playing three years for Northern Illinois, the Prophetstown, Ill. native played a graduate transfer campaign for Iowa in 2020. Heflin will compete for a spot along the New Orleans defensive line rotation in the preseason, signing with the club after participating in their rookie minicamp on a tryout basis.
COLLEGE – Played his graduate season at Iowa (2020), starting all eight games at defensive tackle after spending three seasons at Northern Illinois (2017-19), where he appeared in 39 games with 29 starts…Recorded 21 tackles (13 solo), 3.5 tackles for a loss and a sack during lone season as a Hawkeye in 2020. Posted season-high seven tackles (four solo) and a half-stop for loss vs. Northwestern, Oct. 31. Brought down QB Will Levis for five-yard sack at Penn State, Nov. 21, his first as a Hawkeye…Started all 11 games he appeared in as a junior at Northern Illinois in 2019, earning first-team All-Mid-American Conference and honorable mention All-American recognition from Pro Football Focus. Received second-team All-MAC from league coaches. Selected as NIU’s Defensive Player of the Year by the team’s coaching staff. Served as one of the Huskies’ four permanent team captains throughout the season. Posted 31 tackles (14 solo), leading team with a career-high 8.5 stops for loss and three sacks. Also forced three fumbles, good for No. 2 in the MAC and tied for No. 16 in the nation. Racked up five tackles (three solo), a stop for a loss and a four-yard strip-sack of QB Drew Plitt that stalled a second quarter drive vs. Ball State, Oct. 5…Played in 14 games with five starts as sophomore, earning third-team All-MAC honors (league coaches). Finished the season with a career-high 33 tackles (19 solo), eight tackles for a loss (No. 4 on team), a career-high six sacks (No. 3) and a blocked kick. All of his sacks and tackles for a loss came during a six-game stretch in the second half of the season. Made his first start of the season vs. Toledo, Nov. 7, and set career-highs with 2.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss, while matching his career-best of seven tackles (five solo)…Started all 13 games as a redshirt freshman in 2018, recording eight tackles (six solo) and a tackles for a loss. Made his collegiate debut vs. Boston College, Sept. 1, starting at DT and logging an assisted tackle…Earned his degree in kinesiology.
PERSONAL: Received all-state honors from the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association as a senior attending Prophetstown (Ill.) HS…Earned first-team All-Western Illinois as an offensive and defensive lineman as a junior and senior…Finished his prep career with 249 tackles and eight forced fumbles…Competed for basketball team, earning first-team All-Area selections as a senior and a sophomore…Also played baseball and was a member of track and field team…Visited day cares and elementary schools and packaged meals at local food banks while in college…Worked for Pittsley Realty Group in DeKalb, Ill., while in college…Showed beef cattle for JETTTT Farms, his family’s business, while growing up…His sister, Erin, played lacrosse at Cornell College (Iowa)…Given name Jackson Dean Heflin; born in Galesburg, Ill.
One Response
Great Story!