'Do what he does, and you’ll be around for a while' — Cameron Heyward a leader for Steelers

On the day he was announced for a fourth time as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ annual nominee for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award, Cameron Heyward was referred to by his defensive coordinator late in a session with media.

Keith Butler was asked a seemingly innocuous question about how he communicates with the spate of new faces that have joined the Steelers’ defense in recent weeks. His answer took a detour into some sky-high praise for Heyward, his defensive unit’s veteran captain.

“You hope (new players) learn from the other guys in front of them and watch them, those that have been around for a while,” Butler said. “The other day, we were talking about that. Cam Heyward, how long has he been in the league? There’s a reason he’s been in the league that long. It’s because of how he’s done on the field when he plays.

“I just tell all the defensive line, ‘Watch that dude. Do what he does, and you’ll be around for a while. If you don’t, you won’t.’ That’s pretty simple, really.”

“They’re ready to ship me out to pasture right now,” Cameron Heyward said. “They treat me like Old Yeller out here. But, hopefully, I’ve got 10 more years for you.” https://t.co/qWzDh7jeiX

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) September 5, 2021

Heyward has lasted 11 NFL seasons already, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down. The grading system used by Pro Football Focus, in fact, reports Heyward never has been better than at age 32. The second-oldest player on the defense, Heyward is the highest-graded defensive player on the Steelers. He’s also the second-highest graded defensive lineman in the NFL and fifth-highest regardless of position.

Off the field, Heyward is just as laudable. For the fourth time over the past seven seasons he was honored as the Steelers’ Man of the Year.

Ben Roethlisberger long has been the Steelers’ franchise quarterback, T.J. Watt has earned the highest national acclaim for his play and JuJu Smith-Schuster perhaps is the most widely recognized Steelers player nationally. But in many ways, Heyward consistently has been the franchise’s soul over the past half-decade plus.

“This guy checks all the boxes,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “He is a blueprint for young and developing players on the field and off.

“He’s a walking, talking, breathing example of how to do it, and so we’re appreciative of that.”

Circumstances have rendered Heyward as more needed than usual this season. The Steelers’ defensive line has been decimated by injury, and so without fellow veterans Stephon Tuitt and Tyson Alualu, Heyward has shouldered the load of production and leadership on the first line of the Steelers’ defense.

Strategically, Heyward is the sole focal point of opponent’s blocking schemes against the Steelers’ defensive line. For most games this season Heyward has accounted for more NFL games and seasons than the entire rest of the Steelers’ defensive linemen combined.

“You know, if you’re a veteran, you don’t need to say much,” Heyward said. “Let your words show it — the way you practice, the way you take care of yourself, the way you execute. If I can’t hold up my end of the deal, what makes me think a younger guy is?”

Cam Heyward pic.twitter.com/chEkfHL1zP

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) September 23, 2021

Through 13 games, Heyward has 6½ sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 12 QB hits, seven passes batted down, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. His 46 QB pressures are tied for fourth-most among NFL defensive linemen.

It’s an impressive set of statistics, to be sure, likely gaining him a shot at a fourth All-Pro honor over the past five seasons. But Heyward’s numbers are not dominant enough to gain notice nationally as, say, a legitimate NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidate.

Yet when Heyward is performing his duties as well as he has been, it allows others to rack up the numbers to that level.

“That’s one of those things where he eats up blocks for a lot of other people,” said Watt, who is on track to be a NFL DPOY finalist for a third consecutive season. “He takes the slides in pass protection, which allow guys to go single, one-on-one matchups (against) pass (protection schemes).

“He’s just a guy that’s very selfless and is doing whatever possible to help the team, and he can play any position up front. And that’s why we love him as a person and player.”

Heyward toiled in relative national anonymity the first half of his career until a pair of tweaks by how the Steelers listed him on their roster and how the Associated Press selected its annual All-Pro team helped him make a name for himself. The Steelers three years ago changedHeyward’s position on their roster from “defensive end” to “defensive tackle.”

Two years prior, the AP got rid of the old defensive tackle/defensive end/outside linebacker designations in lieu of “edge” and “interior linemen.”

Both helped Heyward get onto the list. But it also coincided with when Heyward’s game ascended. No matter how you define his position, Heyward universally is regarded as one of the best at what he does. And within the organization, he’s regarded as one of the Steelers’ premier leaders of recent decades.

“He’s been dominant for a long time,” Roethlisberger said. “He’s a Steeler. He’s one of those guys that could’ve played in any generation.”

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