From 1920–22 He played in the backfield for Green Bay East High School's football team with his brothers and Jim Crowley.

That team defeated Stanford, led by Ernie Nevers and coached by Pop Warner, in the 1925 Rose Bowl, although Hearden did not appear in that game.

In 1930, Hearden coached for the St. Catherine's High School (Racine, Wisconsin) program, obtaining a record of 26–3–3 and two Catholic conference titles.

In 1936, Hearden returned to his alma mater, Green Bay East High School, and achieved a 51–3–1 mark through 1942.

He joined the Green Bay Packers in 1954 and stayed for two years, leaving to serve as an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin in 1956.