Steelers' Cam Heyward On The Unheard Of Time He Defied Mike Tomlin And The Embarrassing Result

The Pittsburgh Steelers are generally thought of as a well-disciplined team. While all teams have the occasional grumbles, you rarely hear stories of players going off-script and doing whatever they want behind Head Coach Mike Tomlin's back. The occasional incident might happen when a player is on their own time. You never hear anything like the story of Jameis Winston and his fake spike. Except apparently, those things do sometimes happen. Steelers captain Cameron Heyward shared a story about a time he decided to try to circumvent Tomlin's instructions and the disastrous results. 

Just in case you have been under a rock, or don't pay much attention to non-Pittsburgh NFL teams, here is what happened with Winston. The New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons played each other in the final game of the season. The video of Falcons Head Coach Arthur Smith going berserk on Saints Head Coach Dennis Allen after the game went viral. He was angry because the Saints decided to fake a kneel down while in "victory formation" and scored a touchdown instead, despite being up 41-7. Everyone can see Smith calling it, "f****** bull****!" But there was more to the story than just a desire to run up the score. 

After the game was over, Allen apologized to the Falcons during his press conference. He said that the players decided to do this on their own, against the coach's orders, and that it was "not acceptable." Winston, the Saints quarterback, wanted to help running back Jamaal Williams score a touchdown. Winston told reporters that the team decided to give a guy who gives them everything his first touchdown of the season. He told them with the score already that high, it didn't seem like it could get much worse and that his intention wasn't to disrespect anyone. 

Steelers' Cameron Heyward On The Time He Didn't Do As He Was Told

Heyward, who also co-hosts a podcast called Not Just Football With Cam Heyward, told his co-host Hayden Walsh and teammate and guest, Christian Kuntz, that he once defied Tomlin. He said what he did wasn't nearly that dramatic, but it was still against his coach's wishes. 

After he was drafted by the Steelers in 2011, Heyward had some special teams duties for the team. While he was never the fastest kick returner, he was a solid blocker and did have a great stiff arm that he inherited from his father, Craig "Ironhead" Heyward. It was during one of these kick returns that Heyward decided to veer away from his instructions. 

"We were playing Baltimore, and I was on kickoff return at the time and they kicked the ball to me. Of course, they kicked the ball to me and I said, 'Shoot, I got a chance, I wanna score' and I got 11 yards on it. But Mike T. [Tomlin] was like, 'What the h*ll were you thinking?' And I'm like, 'Whatever.' Then we get to Monday morning the next day and he puts me on the big screen like, 'Look at this idiot! What the h*ll did you think you were gonna do?' He's roasting me like the whole d**n time and I'm like, 'Ok, I'm never gonna do that again.' But I was always taught you go forward on kick returns. I've always seen the play with New England, with the bigger guy, I was like, 'Shoot, maybe I can get a chance, maybe I can get a touchdown here.' But in the victory formation? That's just wild."

Heyward said he was surprised that the Saints-Falcons game didn't just end in an all-out brawl. He felt that going for a touchdown when you signal to the defense that you are taking a knee is just asking to get "decked on." He was surprised that two of his friends on the Falcons squad, Calais Campbell and former Steelers linebacker, Bud Dupree, didn't grab Winston up and shake him for doing that. 

Walsh asked Heyward what would Tomlin do if Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, or Mason Rudolph, the three Steelers quarterbacks, audibled out of the victory formation to get someone a touchdown. Apparently, Tomlin would be the least of their worries. 

"I might snatch their a** up, like we ain't playing that. It's enough just to win the game, why you gotta go and disrespect somebody like that," said Heyward.

Apparently that Baltimore Ravens game was all Tomlin needed to see of Heyward's return capabilities. He got those 11 yards and no more during his entire 13 seasons in the NFL. Despite the strong stiff arm, Tomlin must think Heyward is a better blocker than a runner on those plays. And he still hasn't gotten that touchdown. 

Are you surprised to hear that Heyward ever returned a kick? What did you think of what Winston did? Click to comment below!

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