Hedberg was selected in the eighth round (196th overall) in the 1977 NFL draft by Tampa Bay, the eleventh quarterback selected. He saw significant playing time in his rookie season in 1977,[2] appearing in seven games and starting four, including the season opener.[3] As of 2023, no rookie quarterback drafted lower than Hedberg has been a team's starting quarterback in Week 1.[4] He did not play well; his final stat line for the season was 25 completions on 90 attempts (a 27.8% completion percentage), with zero touchdowns and 10 interceptions.[5]
Hedberg was selected as #31 in Sports Illustrated's "50 Greatest Sports Figures in North Dakota."[8]
Coaching career
Following his playing career, he was an assistant coach at his alma mater, Minot State, from 1979 to 1981, and its head coach from 1982 to 1989, compiling a 45–23–2 (.657) record in eight seasons. He then became the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Central Missouri State University (1990–1995) and at the University of North Dakota (1996–1998) in Grand Forks. He returned to the head coaching ranks in 1999 at St. Cloud State University, a Division II program in central Minnesota, compiling a 47–51 (.480) record in nine seasons. His overall record as a head coach stands at 92–74–2 (.554) in 17 seasons.