DENNIS HEIM
Football, 1974-77
Inducted February 19, 1994
Dennis Heim was an SMS football teammate of Tom Hamilton from 1974 through 1977 and Heim had a career that was parallel to Hamilton’s both in longevity and productivity. A native of Monett, MO, Heim got into all 10 SMS games at defensive tackle his freshman season, and then started at tackle in every Bears’ game each of his last three years. An MIAA all-conference second team selection as a sophomore in 1975 when he led the SMS defensive unit with 98 total tackles, Heim had a team-high 51 unassisted stops and recorded a dozen sacks while recovering three fumbles. Heim came into his own as a junior in 1976, as he began to attract the attention of professional scouts with his size, speed and ability. Heim gained all-MIAA first team honors as he finished third on the SMS ballclub with 93 yards in losses for SMS opponents. Heim was named MIAA Defensive Player of the Week for his part in the Bears’ upset in at Southeast Missouri as he recovered two fumbles and recovered a blocked punt which he carried into the end zone for a touchdown. As a senior, Heim teamed with Hamilton as the Bear co-captains and was on the prowl defensively again, leading SMS with 133 total tackles, including 45 unassisted stops. He repeated his all-conference first team selection as he broke up four passes and recorded 13 tackles for 99 yards in losses. As a senior, Heim averaged 15 tackles a game in conference play. He finished his four-year career with 338 total tackles in 42 SMS games, with 141 unassisted stops. He recovered seven fumbles, forced two fumbles, broke up five passes, and finished with 41 sacks for 267 yards in losses. He still owns the SMS single season and career records for sacks and still ranks among the all-time SMS top 10 in total career tackles. He was drafted by the National Football League New York Giants after his senior season, played most of the 1978 and 1979 seasons with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League, and was with the NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers briefly in 1980.
