University of South Dakota Athletics

Anybody who watched Pleasanton, Nebraska native Henry Heider play never came away disappointed. He was a force on the field. At 6-1, 215, Henry Heider wasn't the biggest player on the field, but he was one of the very best. Leave no doubt, Heider, who played from 1970-73 for head coach Joe Salem's Coyotes, was a key member of two North Central Conference championship teams. A hard-nosed performer, Heider earned all-North Central Conference honors in both 1972 and 1973 as a key contributor on the "Salem's Super Shrimps" defensive unit. As a junior, Heider helped lead the Coyotes to a 9-1 record, and a share of the NCC title. During the super 1972 season, Heider was named the NCC's Most Valuable Defensive Back. The 1972 team was selected the Team of the Year in South Dakota by the South Dakota Sportswriter's Association, ranked fourth in the final UPI College Division Poll, and sixth in the last Associated Press small-college ratings. Heider and five other players were named first-team all-conference. Heider averaged more than 12 tackles a game and had eight career interceptions for 171 yards in returns. As a sophomore, he had an interception and three fumble recoveries before recording four interceptions for 112 yards in return, including a 56-yard effort, in 1970, Heider was a key member of a Ravenna High School team that did not allow a single point when he was a junior.