Heim, Zylstra persevere to get NFL jobs
May 6—Evan Heim spent last weekend trying to avoid news about the NFL Draft.
He knew it was unlikely that he'd be picked, but he was hoping for a chance as an undrafted free agent when things wrapped up Saturday night.
"All weekend, I had a pretty good attitude," Heim said. "But (after the draft), I started to have a bad feeling. Then my agent called, and I thought, 'well this is the end. Eighteen months of hard work wasted.'
"But my agent said 'Lace up your cleats. You're going to Detroit.' It was the best feeling I've ever had."
Heim, a former offensive lineman at Minnesota State, and former teammate Shane Zylstra both signed free-agent NFL contracts this week, Heim with the Lions and Zylstra with the Minnesota Vikings. The two seniors on the team that went to the national championship game in 2019.
It's been a long time since that game, with plenty of disappointment over the last 18 months. Both Heim and Zylstra were training and had hoped to participate in a pro day last spring before the pandemic shut everything down. NFL teams were reluctant to take chances on small-college players, given that they had less scouting information.
The 2020 draft went by, as did training camp. Then the season.
The phone never rang for either player.
Now, those hurdles have been cleared, and both are hoping to take advantage of an opportunity they thought they'd get a year ago.
"As long as I've played football, I've had good days and bad days," Zylstra said. "That's physically and mentally. There are dark times when you get in your own head, but you have to stay positive, stick with the grind and hopefully it works out in the end."
Heim was in Detroit taking a physical and signing his contract on Tuesday. He starts virtual team meetings right away, learning the playbook and lineman calls. He plans to be in Detroit for rookie minicamp May 14-16, and he's waiting to see if other summer workouts will be done at the team facility.
"I'm so excited for him, so proud of him," said Minnesota State offensive coordinator Collin Prosser, who was the offensive line coach during three seasons of Heim's career. "I'm happy that all the times he would get up at 4:15 (a.m.) and work out, it's finally working out. He's made a lot of sacrifices."
Heim started all 54 games in his Minnesota State career, and in 2019, he helped the offense set single-season records in points scored (712), rushing yards (4,246) and rushing touchdowns (59), earning All-America honors. The offensive line allowed just 19 sacks that season.
Heim participated in a pro day at the University of Minnesota last month, along with Zylstra.
"It was good to get in there in front of the scouts," he said. "I could let them know I was still around.
Heim has been switched to left guard for now, though he expects to learn to play right guard and center.
"At left tackle, you're dealing with more speed (from defensive ends)," he said. "At guard, everything is tighter and happening more quickly. You need to be powerful, and the angles are different, but I want to show them that I'm still relentless. I never want to lose that part of my game."
Zylstra had to wait a few more days, wondering if any team would call, before getting some offers to attend a rookie tryout. But on Monday night, the Vikings offered a free-agent contract, which he signed Wednesday after taking his physical.
"It's a little different when it's the hometown team," Zylstra said. "I'm blessed. God gave me this opportunity, we'll see what I can do with it."
Zylstra finished his career at Minnesota State last season as the leader in receptions (227), receiving yards (4,297) and touchdown catches (54). As a senior, Zylstra also set program records with 81 receptions, 18 touchdown receptions and 1,676 yards receiving.
Zylstra received seven All-American honors during his four seasons with the Mavericks, including a D2Football.com All-American second team honor in 2019.
But he will switch to tight end with the Vikings, something he started to prepare for before Pro Days. He's 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, trying to add clean weight and muscle while learning techniques of a new position, lining up in a three-point stance for the first time in quite a while.
Zylstra credits his wife Gabriel for holding him accountable to his training, and he talks daily with his brother Brandon, who is about to start his fourth year in the NFL with Carolina after starting his career in the Canadian Football League.
"I don't think it's really hit me yet," he said. "One day, maybe I'll have time to relax and soak it all in."
The Mavericks currently have four players with NFL teams, with Heim and Zylstra joining receiver Adam Thielen (Vikings) and offensive lineman Chris Reed (Colts).
"We always knew we had a good program that's respected by NFL teams," Heim said. "I think being in a Division II program, you have an extra chip on your shoulder because people don't think you were good enough to go (Division I). But it's really cool to be part of a Division II program that has four guys in the NFL."
Follow Chad Courrier on Twitter @ChadCourrier.
