Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end, Cam Heyward, is not just an integral part of the defense. He is the backbone of the entire team. It is hard to imagine that anything could make him feel insecure. Heyward’s accomplishments and awards are numerous. He has been the team captain seven times, a five-time Pro Bowler, three-time Walter Peyton Man of the Year, three-time winner of “The Chief Award,” and has the most franchise sacks for a defensive lineman.
PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 05: Cameron Heyward #97 of the Pittsburgh Steelers in action during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field on December 5, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Yet on his most recent podcast episode, Heyward admitted to feeling like he let the fans and the City of Pittsburgh down.
Steelers’ Heyward Says, “Don’t Make Eye Contact” With Him
Heyward and his pal Hayden Walsh host a podcast on the NFL on ESPN YouTube channel called Not Just Football with Cam Heyward. On their most recent episode, they discussed the ending of the Steelers' season.
Pittsburgh had an almost unbelievable turnaround to their season. They started out 2-6 prior to the bye week. After the bye, the team went 7-2. That tremendous 180 was enough to make a run for the playoffs, something that seemed completely improbable midseason.
The Steelers did what they needed to do to get to the playoffs in the last few games, beating the Las Vegas Raiders, Baltimore Ravens, and Cleveland Browns. However, they needed the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets to win and the Jets did not manage to pull it out. Like Heyward said, referencing Joe Flacco, quarterback for the Jets:
“That’s what you get for asking a Raven to do a Steelers job.” Flacco was the Ravens' QB prior to Lamar Jackson.
Heyward said that he felt like the team as a whole had a solid performance against Cleveland, even if it wasn’t perfect. He said that it was unfortunate they “dug themselves a hole” early in the season and you can’t help but think that if you could just get one game back, it could have made all the difference. Then the outcomes would be changed and they are prepping for a playoff game right now.
The Steelers had the potential to really be a spoiler in the playoffs, according to Heyward:
“We were a team really starting to find our groove and find a way to win. I think we're developing a formula that can win.”
From Heyward’s perspective, he sees so much good in this young team. He felt like the whole world had counted them out midseason. No one believed they could turn it around. But he did, and the other players and coaches did too:
“I watched guys not second guess themselves and continue to just keep thriving and trying to get better. it's not always easy to do that and a lot of teams, they'll start to feel sorry for themselves.”
Steelers' defensive captain Cameron Heyward gets ready to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Pittsburgh, PA. | Credit: Abigail Dean/Pittsburgh Steelers
However, the positives were not enough to totally assuage Heyward’s feelings and like all excellent leaders, he owns the burden of responsibility. When asked about the start of the off-season and what is the best part, Heyward had this to say:
“The beginning of the off-season? I don't know if there's a favorite part. I'm gonna be honest, you're miserable, you’re miserable at the beginning. I just go hunker down. I hide. If you see him at a Giant Eagle please don't say hi, because I'm embarrassed. I am like trying to not make eye contact with anybody because I feel like I let the whole city down because we're not in the playoffs, we didn't win a Super Bowl.”
What do you think Heyward contributes most to this team? How do you feel about him taking the burden of loss on his shoulders? Click to comment below.
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