Darrius Heyward - Bey Darrius Heyward - Bey ( born February 26 , 1987 ) is an American football free agent wide receiver in the National Football League ( NFL ) . He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders seventh overall in the 2009 NFL Draft . He played college football at the University of Maryland . Early years . Heyward - Bey attended the McDonogh School in Owings Mills , Maryland , where he played football as a wide receiver and linebacker . During his senior year , he earned first - team all - state honors and was named a PrepStar All - American . In track and field , he finished fifth at nationals as a junior and was the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association ( MIAA ) champion in the 100 - and 200 - meter dashes . He also ran a 60 meter indoor time of 6 . 83 his junior year and 6 . 82 his senior year , the joint 6th and joint 4th fastest times in the nation respectively . College career . Heyward - Bey was recruited by Alabama , Boston College , Michigan State , Pittsburgh , and Virginia , before ultimately choosing to attend Maryland . He spent 2005 on redshirt status . In 2006 , he ran a 4 . 23 - second 40 - yard dash , which set the school record for a wide receiver . That season , he was considered one of the top rookies in the Atlantic Coast Conference ( ACC ) and earned first - team freshman All - America from the " Sporting News " and Rivals . com . He led the Terps with 45 receptions , and set a school record for a freshman with 694 receiving yards . In 2007 , Heyward - Bey was placed on the Biletnikoff Award watchlist . He led Maryland in receptions , with 51 , and receiving yards , with 786 . His 63 - yard touchdown reception in the 2007 Emerald Bowl against Oregon State stands as the second - longest in Maryland bowl history . At season ' s end , Heyward - Bey was awarded the team ' s Most Valuable Offensive Player honor . During his junior season in 2008 , he made 42 catches for 609 yards and five touchdowns , and earned an All - ACC honorable mention . On January 7 , 2009 , Heyward - Bey announced that he would forgo his senior season to enter the NFL Draft . He finished his career at Maryland second in school history in career receiving yards with 2 , 089 , third in receptions with 138 and tied for third in touchdown catches with 13 . In just three years , he was second only to Jermaine Lewis in receiving yards . Professional career . 2009 NFL Draft . In the 2009 NFL Draft , Heyward - Bey was selected by the Oakland Raiders as the seventh overall pick . As the first wide receiver selected , he was picked earlier than most projections , and before Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin , who most analysts thought would precede Heyward - Bey . At the 2009 NFL Combine , he had recorded the best 40 - yard dash time of 4 . 3 seconds . Oakland Raiders . 2009 . During Organized Team Activities following the draft , Heyward - Bey practiced early but was plagued by multiple hamstring injuries . On July 30 , 2009 , the Oakland Raiders agreed to terms on a five - year deal with Heyward - Bey . As a rookie , Heyward - Bey started 11 games . In those games , he made nine receptions for 124 yards and one touchdown and rushed twice for 20 yards . He averaged 11 . 3 yards per reception in 2009 . 2010 . In 2010 , Heyward - Bey started 14 of his 15 games . He made 26 receptions over 366 yards and made one touchdown . On September 19 against the St . Louis Rams , Heyward - Bey made a career - high six receptions . In the first half of that game , he caught one for 6 yards from Jason Campbell , and Heyward - Bey made all five of his other receptions in the second half from passes by Bruce Gradkowski . Vittorio Tafur of the " San Francisco Chronicle " highlighted Heyward - Bey ' s performance that game as a marked improvement from the preseason . Then on October 31 in a 33 - 3 victory over the Seattle Seahawks , Heyward - Bey made a career - long 69 - yard touchdown reception from Campbell , part of a career high of 105 receiving yards in that game . Nearly double last year ' s average , Heyward - Bey averaged 24 . 4 yards per catch . 2011 . On October 2 , 2011 , in the Raiders ' 31 - 19 loss to the New England Patriots , Heyward - Bey made 4 receptions for 115 yards , including a 58 - yard grab . Over the next three games , he would receive for 99 ( October 9 against Houston Texans ) , 82 ( October 16 against Cleveland Browns ) , and 89 ( October 23 against Kansas City Chiefs ) yards . On December 18 , 2011 , in a 28 - 27 loss to the Detroit Lions , Heyward - Bey made 8 receptions for 155 yards , both career highs , and the most single game receiving yards for the Raiders since Jerry Rice in 2003 . However , on December 24 , the Raiders won over the Kansas City Chiefs 16 - 13 in overtime . Heyward - Bey caught a 53 - yard pass from Carson Palmer during overtime to set up Sebastian Janikowski ' s winning field goal . Heyward - Bey made a total of 4 receptions for 70 yards in that game . On January 1 , during a loss to the San Diego Chargers , Heyward - Bey caught 9 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown . 2012 . On September 23 , 2012 , in the fourth quarter of a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers , Heyward - Bey was unconscious after being hit in the endzone by the Steelers ' Ryan Mundy . He was down motionless in the endzone for more than 10 minutes before being placed in the ambulance to the Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley . Heyward - Bey was released the next day , and is expected to make a full recovery . Mundy would be later fined for the hit . 2013 . Heyward - Bey was released at the start of free agency for the 2013 season along with Michael Huff on March 13 .