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Most of us know him as "the chef at Grapeseed who makes your hand disappear when you shake his," but in his previous life - which now must seem an eternity ago, Jeff played for one of the most legendary high school football teams in the history of the Washington, DC area, the dynastic Seneca Valley Screaming Eagles of Germantown, MD, who hold a record 12 Maryland State High School Football Championships, even though the school opened fairly recently in 1974. During Heineman's time at Seneca Valley, they won the Class A State Championship his freshman and sophomore years, 1979-1980 and 1980-1981, going undefeated at 12-0 his sophomore season.

Heineman was listed as 6'4", 275, and was a two-way starter, at Center and Offensive Tackle on offense, and Defensive Tackle on defense (whew!) He was All-County in the Montgomery Journal (since absorbed into the Washington Examiner). He was an Honorable-Mention All-Met in the Washington Post, and was named one of the Top 100 Linemen in the Nation in USA Today, as well as being named one of George Michael's "Golden 11" Football Players (here's an example with the 2006 list). He is in the Seneca Valley Athletic Hall of Fame, and was recognized as the Best Defensive Lineman at Seneca Valley in the 1982-1983 season. However, his football career was not yet over.

Oct 11, 1986 - "Unlikely Indians: 4-0 and No. 5" by Neil H. Greenberger on washingtonpost.com

With Heineman a four-year starter at defensive tackle (he started one game his freshman year), the William & Mary Tribe in Williamsburg, VA was an NCAA Division I-AA Independent school during his tenure, but they made the Division I-AA Playoffs for the first time in school history, in Dec, 1986, his final season, with only 16 teams in the country qualifying - they ran into a juggernaut, losing to the University of Delaware in the first round, 51-21, but their football program was founded in 1893, and Heineman's squad broke a 93-year drought of no post-season football.

I suspect the win over the University of Richmond, one week before, in what was then known as the "I-64 Bowl," (now called the Capital Cup) was Heineman's sweetest, with the Tribe defeating the Spiders on their own turf for Heineman's final football victory of his career. Heineman's athletic career was still not over after football, however, as he dropped 30 pounds and became an international rugby player.

After his football career in college, Heineman played Club Rugby, and was named All-East Coast in 1988. He then moved to New Zealand, and made the All-Province Team playing Second Row (that's a position) for North Otago in 1990-1991.

I suppose at some point he realized he was going to have to work, and so after stints in various restaurants, he opened Grapeseed in 2000, and they just celebrated their 16th anniversary last week, on Thursday, Apr 7, 2016. Congratulations, Jeff, on having wedged two very successful lifetimes into one.

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Going to be expecting a haka next time I come in for dinner.

You really need to read "Amok."

Thanks, Don.

While it is nice to read about yourself, the first time you see "(1965-)" you feel a bit different

Google Jeff Heineman Football and you're going to feel even more different.

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