As a football player, Heller, a graduate of Penn State was chosen by the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round of the
1984 NFL draft, where he played
offensive tackle. He was traded to the
Seattle Seahawks who in turn traded him to the
Philadelphia Eagles for a fourth round draft pick. The 6-foot-6, 290-pound Heller started all but one game for the Eagles at
right tackle in 1988. Overall, he played in 75 regular season contests for Philadelphia, at both right and left tackle. After missing one game in his first season with the team, he didn't miss another until he was sidelined for four games in 1992 due to a foot injury. Following the 1992 season, Heller signed with the
Miami Dolphins and played three seasons with them before a knee injury forced him to retire. ==Coaching career==