He was selected by the Alouettes in the third round of the 1997 CFL draft after playing college football at Western Michigan University.
[2] He was a two-time league MVP and the All-Star Recruiting Service named him the top running back in Canada.
[1][2] Heppell won the Alouettes Alumni Award in 1998, given to the player with the "most involvement in the community and on the field.
[2] The Alouettes finished the year with a 13–5 record and advanced to the 90th Grey Cup, where they beat the Edmonton Eskimos by a score of 25–16.
[1] During the last two years of his CFL career, he had also suffered a sprained ankle, tendinitis, and a "chronic Achilles tendon condition".
[10][11] During the CFL offseasons, Heppell played for the Montreal Alouettes' hockey team and worked as a meat salesman.
[13][10] He also opened a youth football camp and served as a vice president of the Alouettes Alumni Association after his playing career.