Heggs, former Rattlers employee and current employee, gets internship at NFL

Orlando Heggs II played football at Florida A&M and is now the Rattlers' director of player development. His resume earned him an NFL Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship with the Raiders and Chargers.

Florida A&M's director of football player development has received a Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Heggs was in Los Angeles last week for the Chargers' minicamp. He will rejoin the Chargers when they report to training camp on July 16.

The Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship provides Heggs with insight into NFL team player personnel through professional and college scouting.

“Just being an experienced Scout,” Heggs said of what the Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship has taught him so far.

“There's a certain language that GMs like to hear from area scouts. We sit in on all the meetings and learn the language and dialect that scouts use to describe a player and analyze film. We know how to run a practice, film drills and write reports with a player who wants to make the team.”

Heggs is in his second summer as a Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellow. Last year, he was on the Las Vegas Raiders staff after the team's assistant general manager Champ Kelly attended FAMU Football's 2023 Pro Day.

Heggs didn't know that fellow FAMU student John Wilson was Kelly's brother-in-law. Wilson wrote Heggs a letter of recommendation for the Raiders scholarship.

A year later, Louis Clark, the Chargers' senior director of pro personnel, called Heggs to interview him for the Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship. After a good conversation between Heggs and Clark, Chad Alexander, the Chargers' assistant general manager, called Heggs to offer him a spot on the fellowship.

Heggs, a former FAMU football player (2020-2021), hopes to go a step further through the Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship and make it easier for Black people to enter the NFL's personnel field.

“Being young and black and trying to break into this field is very important,” says Heggs, 24. “We need more black and young men in scouting and personnel, applying to be assistants and coaches at every level.”

“There are a lot of positions that we're not really taught as young black men playing the sport. Getting into scouting is going to be a big deal for us.”

Orlando Heggs II's job at FAMU leads to NFL Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship

Heggs, a native of Jacksonville, began his college football studies at Wake Forest before transferring to FAMU to finish his career.

While playing football and earning his bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies, Heggs often thought about what he would do when the time came to hang up his boots.

After completing his college football career, Heggs worked as a strength and conditioning intern under FAMU's Director of Athletic Performance Cole Forney. Forney later recommended Heggs to take on the role of FAMU's Director of Player Development.

“There is life after football. But that doesn't mean you can't have anything to do with football,” said Heggs.

“I had a CV but didn't know where to send it or what I wanted to do. So I made my portfolio and my CV. I didn't miss anything in football. I was surrounded by the boys and football. Now I'm still in football.

“Having the title of Director of Player Development added to my resume has helped me tremendously in my current HR position.”

At FAMU, Heggs ensures that Rattlers football has a positive impact on the community through his service.

For example, last summer, Heggs organized the FAMU football team to beautify the R. Frank Nims Middle School campus and serve lunch to Griffin Middle School students.

Under Heggs, the Rattlers accumulated over 300 hours of community service in a season in which they won their first Celebration Bowl, FAMU's 17th national championship in Black college football.

“The Tallahassee community comes and pays money to see our guys play, so it's great to have our guys go to their rooms. It also shows the guys that football is not the be-all and end-all. So let's find our identity outside of football,” Heggs said of his role at FAMU.

“Being outside the lines and still being involved is enough for me.”

Florida A&M Rattlers football schedule for 2024

August 24 against Norfolk State in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge, Atlanta*, 7:30 p.m., ABC
August 31 vs. South Carolina State, 6 p.m., ESPN+
September 7 in Miami, 6 p.m., ACC Network
September 21 in Troy, 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN+
September 28 against Alabama A&M, 6 p.m., ESPN+
Oct. 5 at Alabama State, 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN+
Oct. 19 at Jackson State, 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN Network
Oct. 26 vs. Southern, 7 p.m., ESPN Network
Nov. 2 vs. Texas Southern (HOMECOMING), 4:00 p.m., ESPN+
November 9 at Prairie View A&M, 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN+
November 16 against Mississippi Valley State, 1 p.m.
November 23 against Bethune-Cookman in the Florida Classic, Orlando*, 3:30 p.m., ESPN Network
November 30: FCS playoffs begin
Dec. 7: SWAC Championship, LOCATION/TEAMS to be announced, ESPN2
December 14: Celebration Bowl, Atlanta*, TEAMS TBA, 12pm, ABC

BOLD = SWAC

* = Neutral location

Gerald Thomas III covers Florida A&M University athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Reach him via email at [email protected] or through the app formerly known as Twitter. @3peatgee.

Nobody covers the Rattlers like the Tallahassee Democrat. Subscribe at the link at the top of the page and don't miss a moment.

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Heggs, former Rattlers employee and current employee, gets internship at NFL

Orlando Heggs II played football at Florida A&M and is now the Rattlers' director of player development. His resume earned him an NFL Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship with the Raiders and Chargers.

Orlando Heggs II's job at FAMU leads to NFL Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship

Florida A&M Rattlers football schedule for 2024

Anna Harden

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Orlando Heggs II played football at Florida A&M and is now the Rattlers' director of player development. His resume earned him an NFL Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship with the Raiders and Chargers.

Orlando Heggs II's job at FAMU leads to NFL Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship

Florida A&M Rattlers football schedule for 2024

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