[4] Heap subsequently enrolled at Northwestern University in Evanston, where he played football and basketball,[5] and was a member of Phi Delta Theta.
As a sophomore, he was selected by the Central Press Association as a first-team halfback on the 1936 College Football All-America Team.
[8] In his three years at Northwestern, Heap was a triple-threat player, handling kicking, passing and rushing responsibilities and calling signals for the team.
[8] After graduating from Northwestern, Heap was hired as the head football and baseball coach at Illinois Wesleyan University, where he served for three years.
[9] During World War II, Heap served in the United States Navy, attaining the rank of lieutenant commander.