Eric Sorenson
“Expand Drip.”
It was a concept Blake Heffron could run in his sleep.
As the University of Dubuque offense scrambled into their no-huddle offense “hyper” set at Central College (IA) in late September, the former Chandler High star, now sophomore slot receiver, motioned from right to left in the bunch set and ran the simple option route.
Hefron made the reception and then took, as he described, “a soft hit” from the linebacker in pursuit.
The play was ordinary.
The aftermath couldn’t have been more opposite.
Emergency Situation
“I stood up and I was like, ‘Whoa, this is horrible,'” Heffron explained to the “Zone Read” in a recent interview. “I was like, ‘This not good.'”
After returning to the bench area, he took a knee – his head throbbing from what appeared to be nothing more than routine football play. It was his second game back after missing the Spartans’ previous game following an opening week concussion against the University of Wisconsin-Stout.
In tears on the sideline, his head continued to throb. A few minutes later, a trainer approached and asked if he was, “good.”
“No,” Heffron said without hesitation to the medical staff. “I’m done [for the day]. This is horrible.”
He started taking off his shoulder pads and as he lifted them over his head, everything went black.
Teetering on the Brink
Shortly after removing his pads, he vomited and then postured, an involuntary response indicating severe brain trauma. The entire right side of Heffron’s body went into a flex, his eyes looking up as he fell to ground.
His brain was bleeding.
An on the field ambulance rushed him to the nearest hospital. Shortly thereafter, the urgency of Heffron’s condition (possibly needing to drill into his brain to relieve the pressure), led him to be transported by helicopter to Mercy One Hospital in Des Moines.
Before he was airlifted to Des Moines, Heffron’s parents, Rebecca and John, said their goodbyes, not knowing what the immediate future held.
At Mercy One, the doctors opted to let Heffron rest for a few hours. Their hope was his brain would stop bleeding which, thankfully, it did. With the bleeding stopped, and the swelling down, the on-call staff wasn’t required to perform the feared cranium procedure.
Heffron’s brain had shifted so far from the hit, he was just three millimeters away from having to have his skull removed.
Despite being taken off “the heavy drugs” as he called them, the 5’8, 170-pounder still wasn’t responding.
Heffron remained that way for close to 15 hours.
Then his eyes moved. He gave a thumbs up.
“For me, I had no clue where I was,” he explained. “I actually still had the tube down my throat. I asked my brother to hand me a white board and a pen. The first three questions I asked was, ‘Did we win? What was score?
“And then, ‘Where am I?”
Slowly his condition improved. He was able to make and eat toast. He did some walking around the hospital.
“Normal” became “normal” all over again.
Four days later Heffron was discharged and returned to Dubuque.
“Needless to say, it was a miracle.”
Hanging Up the Pads
Football can give, as well as take away.
For Heffron, his career, in one seemingly routine play, hit an abrupt crossroad less than halfway through his sophomore season.
Once back at school and in a somewhat daily routine, he processed his future playing the game he loved and, ultimately, decided it was time to step away for good.
#AGTG After a great visit and conversation with @coachmaiuri I’m extremely blessed and excited to announce my commitment to the University of Dubuque! Thank you to my coaches and, most of all, thank you to my family. pic.twitter.com/XTYb9is0ot
— Blake Heffron (@TheBlakeHeffron) January 31, 2024
He still attends every practice and every game, as well as helps the other inside receivers.
“Truthfully,” Heffron explained before a long pause, “The answer is, yes. I still contemplate [playing] but I don’t think I’m ever going to play again. I don’t think it’s worth it. Like they say, every time you get a concussion, you’re more likely to get another concussion.
“With my career path and what I want to do, and the life I want live…is it worth playing two more years to [possibly] screw the rest of my life up? I can still do everything…I can still be around the team, I can still lift, run. I just think it’s time.”
This past weekend Blake Heffron stood as our captain—a true testament to courage, faith, and the Spartans meaning. #SpartansNation | #LetsGoSpartans | #UDYouKnow pic.twitter.com/dBRGSqKpux
— University of Dubuque Spartans (@UDubuqueSports) October 7, 2025
“I don’t feel like the game owes me anything. I feel like I could have given the game more. This year I got really close with my faith. I had to step back and look at the bigger picture. I just asked God to guide me and have Him him make the decision for me, instead of me make the decision for Him.
“I believe He kept me alive for a bigger purpose.”
Flying Towards His Future
Even in his early years at Chandler, Heffron’s long-term career goal – all the way up at 30,000 feet – was crystal clear. He wants to be a commercial pilot and it was one of the reasons he chose Dubuque.
Less than halfway through college, he’s already academically fast-tracking to get to the friendly skies sooner than later.
“It’s been amazing,” said Heffron, who is closing in on being a CFI (Certified Flight Instructor). “I’m doing a 141 Program out here. So, it’s a fast program.With 141 Training, the FAA creates guidelines that, if you follow, you can get into the airlines with 1,000 hours of training [compared to 1,500 hours]. So, I’m getting in 500 hours before everybody else.”
He has also fallen in love with Dubuque and everything the four-season, Midwest community offers. There’s even a “hill” as he called it, Sundown Mountain Resort, about 20 minutes from campus, where he frequently snowboards with teammates.
Following the injury, Heffron was forced to medically ground himself and report his setback to the FAA. Until further notice, his medical for aviation is no longer valid. That status won’t change until he is cleared – which may be awhile considering the pressure inside the cockpit of a plane and the fact he suffered a life-threatening brain injury.
In short, he’s currently in a holding pattern.
Heffron plans on getting a fresh CT scan in December with the hopes of renewing his medical, possibly within the next year.
He hopes to one day fly internationally and has already looked into Delta and American Airlines.
“I want to travel the world.”
Considering what he went through this fall, Heffron already seems to have that big world sitting, almost miraculously, right in the palm of his hands.
If you’d like to contribute to the Heffron’s Go Fund Me, click here.
