Craig Heyward former wife, Charlotte Heyward, raised three athletic sons, two of whom play in the NFL. The former couple divorced in 2001 after 13 years of marriage.
But even after their divorce, Charlotte and her family never stopped caring for Craig. Known as Ironhead by NFL fans, Craig was diagnosed with malignant bone cancer in 1998.
The NFL star passed away at age 39 after a tough battle. During his ending days, Craig suffered a stroke that even left him partially paralyzed. But even till the end, he had the same passion and love for the sport he played professionally for ten years.
His two sons, Cameron and Connor, have carried on his NFL legacy. Recently, during the NFL Award, his oldest son, Cameron Heyward, was honored with the Walter Payton Man of The Year title.
The title goes to the player who has contributed not only on the field but off of it as well. He established The Heyward House, which combats childhood hunger, supports students and teachers, aids childhood literacy, and fights cancer.
Who Is Charlotte Heyward? Craig Heyward Wife
Craig Heyward former wife, Charlotte Heyward, met her husband when she was a freshman at Carlow University. At the time, Charlotte’s best friend was dating Craig’s brother, and during one of their dates, Craig bumped into Charlotte.
During their first meeting, Charlotte remembers Craig saying something crass to her, and Charlotte came back with a stronger comment. It was Charlotte’s feisty nature that Criag was attracted.
After that incident, the two became good friends, and a year later, Charlotte transferred to the University of Pittsburgh, and the two began dating. The two married at a young age. Craig was 21, and Charlotte was 20.
The two walked down the aisle in 1988, and Charlotte talked a bit about their married life in a podcast in 2021. In her interview, Charlotte said Atlanta was their favorite place to live and shared several good memories of the couple interacting with other NFL families.
A year after Craig died, Charlotte talked about how even till the end, Craig was passionate about the game. She talked about the time when Craig wheeled himself out to the sidelines and yelled.
Charlotte and Craig were divorced before his demise in 2006. They had already separated in 2001. After her divorce from Craig, Charlotte tied the knot with the former NBA player Cory Blackwell.
Blackwell and Charlotte divorced, and during their relationship, Charlotte even adopted a daughter named Meagan. Today, Charlotte is married to Steven Wesley, with whom she has shared several photos on her X (formerly Twitter) account.
Currently, Charlotte is a podcast host and a realtor. In her podcast, It’s 3rd And One, Charlotte invites sports industry guests. Recently, she invited MLB player Jared Walsh’s mom, Lisa Welsh, to her podcast.
Craig Raised Three Sons With Charlotte
The late NFL star Craig Heyward became a father four times, but he shared three of his kids with Charlotte. One of his sons, Craig Heyward Jr., was with a woman named Michelle Gray.
Craig Heyward Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps and played football at Passaic High School, and he later enrolled at Middle Tennessee State University.
Today, Craig Heyward Jr works in the Passaic Board of Education and is married to Liza Nicole Heyward.
Charlotte And Craig’s Three Sons
All three sons of Charlotte and Craig became athletes, and two of those kids also continued their father’s NFL legacy. The couple’s oldest child, Cameron Heyward, played four years of collegiate football at Ohio State.
He was drafted by the Steelers in 2011 and has become a star on his own rights. He has made it to the Pro Bowl six times and has been named in the First-team All-Pro three times.
Their middle child, Corey Heyward, played college basketball at Georgia Tech. He played four seasons for the Yellow Jackets as a guard and graduated with a business administration degree in 2017.
Unlike his older brother, Corey didn’t play sports professionally. He is available on Facebook and shares posts about his brothers and a few pictures with his friends.
Charlotte was pregnant with their third child, Connor, when Craig was diagnosed with cancer. Born on January 22, 1999, Connor played collegiate football at Michigan State.
He was drafted by the Steelers in the sixth round in 2022 and is their tight end/fullback.