Indiana University of Pennsylvania Athletics

Twenty-two years ago this past summer found Lynn Hieber in the New England Patriots' NFL pro training camp. There as a free agent, he appeared to have an excellent chance to make the team until the Patriot coaching staff decided to keep only two quarterbacks, not the more normal three, on their 1987 roster.
 
Hieber had been drafted in '76 by the Cincinnati Bengals after having led NCAA Division II nationally in total offense in 1975 by charting 2503 yards, on the heels of his 2374 yards in '74, for Coach Bill Neal.
 
Twice an API Associated Press All-American, first-team in 175, he had been selected the ECAC (Eastern College Athletic Conference) Player of the Year as both a junior and senior. In 1996, the College Football Hall of Fame invited supporting material for his pending nomination there.
 
Prior to the Indians reaching new heights, including more than often than not postseason playoffs, beginning in 1985, Hieber owned the great majority of IUP 's career and season total offense and passing touchdown, completion, yardage and completion percentage records. He remains among the all-time leaders.
 
Still fresh in IUP fans' mind is Hieber's reputation as arguably the best combination passing/running quarterback in team history, borne out by gaining 324 rushing yards ( 125 in a single game) and 426 as a junior and senior. And he still holds the Indian record of attempting 125 consecutive interception free passes.
 
A personnel management graduate at IUP who later completed a two-year quality engineer certificate (with a 4.0 average) at Owens Community College, Hieber is quality assurance manager of Ransom and Randolph in the Toledo, Ohio, area, after having been a production supervisor for Campbell Soup and production department head for Crown, Cork and Seal.
 
Married to Susie since 1988, Hieber is the father of Bryan, 20, and Andrea, 18, by a first marriage, and David and Rebecca, both 9. Bryan is a football quarterback at Findlay University in Ohio. He is an active member of Cornerstone Church in Maumee, Ohio, where he devotes leisure time as its golf director.