CAREER STATISTICS
ACADEMIC HONORS:
• Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, Fall 2017; Fall 2019
AT GEORGIA STATE: Three-year starter and four-year letterwinner (2017-20) at outside linebacker ... Started 36 games and made 189 career tackles with three interceptions, two fumble recoveries and eight pass breakups ... Ranks eighth in GSU history in career tackles, eighth with 17.5 TFL and 10th with 6.5 sacks ... Signed with the Panthers in 2017 and immediately earned playing time as a true freshman.
2020: Made 35 tackles on the season with four tackles for loss including one sack. Also had one interception ... Helped the GSU defense rank No. 7 in FBS with a school-record 35 sacks while allowing 136.6 yards rushing per game for the second-best mark in program history ... Grabbed an interception on a tipped ball against No. 19 Louisiana ... Had 2.5 tackles for loss, including a sack, vs. Arkansas State ... Seven tackles in strong defensive effort at App State, helping hold the Mountaineers to a season-low 310 total yards.
2019: Second on the team in tackles with 70, with 5.5 TFL, two sacks, an interception, a fumble recovery and four pass breakups. ... Had five tackles with a sack for seven yards and a pass breakup in strong defensive effort at Tennessee; helped hold the Vols to 93 yards rushing ... Career-high 12 tackles with a pass breakup at Texas State ... Ten tackles with three tackles for loss and a pass breakup in win over Troy ... Forced a fumble vs. Army that GSU recovered at midfield to set up a touchdown. Had seven tackles in the 28-20 win ... Had an interception and a pass breakup at ULM, along with eight tackles ... Recovered a fumble in win over South Alabama.
2018: Started every game at outside linebacker ... Fifth on the team in tackles with 48, including three tackles for loss, one interception and two pass breakups ... Led a strong defensive effort vs. ULM with an interception and a fumble recovery, both setting up scores. Helped GSU hold ULM to 262 yards, third-lowest in school history ... Had two tackles for loss vs. Texas State ... Career-high eight tackles and a pass breakup at Arkansas State ... Also had eight tackles with a shared sack the following game vs. Coastal Carolina ... Added six tackles vs. Georgia Southern.
2017: Played in every game at outside linebacker and moved into the starting lineup for the final three contests following an injury to senior James Traylor ... Made 38 tackles on the year with five tackles for loss, three sacks and two pass breakups ... Helped the Georgia State defense set records for fewest points per game allowed (24.75), fewest rushing yards per game (136.4), fewest yards per rushing attempt (4.13) and most sacks (24). 2017: Played in every game at outside linebacker and moved into the starting lineup for the final three contests following an injury to senior James Traylor ... Made 38 tackles on the year with five tackles for loss, three sacks and two pass breakups ... Helped the Georgia State defense set records for fewest points per game allowed (24.75), fewest rushing yards per game (136.4), fewest yards per rushing attempt (4.13) and most sacks (24).
Career-high seven tackles with two sacks for 19 yards and a pass breakup vs. Idaho ... Made his first start vs. App State and had six tackles and a pass breakup. Was in on fourth-down stop at the goal line ... Made five tackles in shutout win at Charlotte ... Had a tackle for loss in the strong defensive effort vs. South Alabama, which managed just 41 yards rushing ... Had a sack and another tackle for loss in win at Texas State. Career-high seven tackles with two sacks for 19 yards and a pass breakup vs. Idaho ... Made his first start vs. App State and had six tackles and a pass breakup. Was in on fourth-down stop at the goal line ... Made five tackles in shutout win at Charlotte ... Had a tackle for loss in the strong defensive effort vs. South Alabama, which managed just 41 yards rushing ... Had a sack and another tackle for loss in win at Texas State.
HIGH SCHOOL: First-team All-Region 6-AAAAAAA at Mill Creek High School … First-team All-Gwinnett County by the Gwinnett Daily Post and the Touchdown Club of Gwinnett … Three-star prospect by 247Sports ... Helped Mill Creek reach the state semifinals in Georgia's largest classification the last two years … Made 72 tackles as senior with 10 sacks, nine tackles for loss, 12 quarterback hurries, two caused fumbles, two fumble recoveries, four interceptions and two pass breakups ... Coached by Shannon Jarvis.
PERSONAL: Full name is James Victor Heyward ... Son of Anita and Victor Heyward ... Born Nov. 25, 1998 ... Younger brother Shaka is a linebacker at Duke.
