A Manitowoc native is a phone call away from checking the final box of his football journey.
Manitowoc native and Lincoln High School graduate Davis Heinzen told SeehaferNews.com, ”It’s definitely something I’ve thought about my entire life, and it’s getting ever so close.”
“It” being the 2026 NFL Draft that begins Thursday (tomorrow) night in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Heinzen has put all the work into realizing his life-long dream of playing professional football, and now it’s all about waiting and receiving that call from a National Football League franchise asking Heinzen if he would like to be a member of the (fill in the blank)
Davis fell in love with the game as a young boy watching and cheering for his favorite team, the Wisconsin Badgers.
His talents blossomed while playing tight end for the Manitowoc Lincoln Ships (2019 to 2021), where he still holds the school record for most catches (72), receiving yards (1,072), and touchdown catches (12) at that position.
He then attended Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, where he redshirted his freshman year before exploding on the scene as an offensive lineman.
In three seasons with the Chippewas (2022 to 2024), Heinzen played 40 games, starting a school record 36 consecutive times on the offensive line, and was a three-time Academic-All Mid-American Conference Selection.
Life was pretty good for Davis, then, as it often does, life took an unexpected turn.
The team he cheered for as a little boy in Manitowoc came calling, asking if he would like to play for the Wisconsin Badgers.
Calling it one of the toughest decisions he ever made, Heinzen left Central Michigan and all that success behind to suit up in Cardinal and White for his final year of college ball in 2025.
He started on opening night at left tackle against Toledo, and he even admitted he didn’t play well. Afterward, he didn’t see the field much for the better part of a month.
The Badgers lost 8 of 12 games, including six in a row to begin Big Ten play, as injuries played a huge role, leaving the entire offensive line, including Heinzen, sidelined at times.
When starting center Jake Renfro went down for the year, it opened an opportunity for Heinzen to step in and show all who put faith and trust in him that he was ready for the challenge, and was he ever.
The Badgers ran for 157 yards in an upset win over then 25th-ranked Washington to snap that six-game skid, and what Heinzen called the best moment of his collegiate career, Heinzen sprung the key block on David DuPree’s 84-yard touchdown run against Illinois as the Badgers upset the then 20th-ranked Fighting Illini on Senior Night in Madison.
That was almost five months ago, as Heinzen is now hopeful that he’ll check the final box of a dream that he could only hope for as a child to become reality, and that’s to play in the National Football League.
”During December, I rested my body after a long season, and in January, I left to train at Impact Sports in Novi, Michigan,” he explained. “I trained five days a week plus on my own doing all the metrics such as weightlifting, the 40-yard dash, shuttle work, and more to get myself in the best possible shape ahead of my pro day in early March.”
March 6th to be exact, which was held at The McClain Center on the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison.
Heinzen admits it was a nerve-racking time.
“It was probably one of the worst nights of sleep I’d had in a while, thinking about technique and all the things I had to do that day,” he recalled. “The nerves were high beginning with the bench press right up until the 40-yard dash, but once I got going, the nerves started to disappear, and I was fine.”
He trained five days a week, including on his own, and sacrificed a lot to remain physically and mentally fit to play at the next level.
“I just worked hard to get into the best shape of my life,” he explained. “However it unfolds, I know deep down that I did everything I could to put myself in the best position to hear my name called.”
He told us he hopes to get the call on day 3 (Saturday). Regardless, as the adage goes, the hay is in the barn.
We asked Davis for his best advice for anyone looking to turn a lifelong dream into reality.
“Having a great work ethic and being consistent every day,” he replied. “You might not be the most talented, but that doesn’t measure heart and drive; you must have to reach your full potential. Keep those things in mind and let the chips fall where they may. Hard work always pays off in the end.”
Round one of the NFL Draft starts tomorrow night (April 23rd) at 7:00 p.m.
