Steelers' Cam Heyward willing to listen to all viewpoints about potential anthem protest

Aside from the fiasco in Chicago three years ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers have presented a united front in terms of standing for the national anthem since Colin Kaepernick began kneeling to protest police brutality and racial injustice.

No Steelers player has followed Kaepernick’s lead during the anthem.

That could change this year in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement that has taken place since the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer last month.

Several NFL players, including Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield and Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, already have said they will kneel to show support for racial injustice. No Steelers player has publicly endorsed kneeling, and defensive captain Cameron Heyward said he will speak with — and listen to — teammates to gather input about how players will respond to the anthem.

“We’re living in a climate where guys need to know they have a platform and they should be able to voice their opinion,” Heyward said Thursday on a video conference call with reporters. “It’s not for one guy to decide. It’s not for two guys to decide. It’s a team that has its own interests at heart.”

Those interests backfired in 2017.

When President Donald Trump spoke out against players protesting before Week 3 that season, coach Mike Tomlin tried to isolate his players inside the tunnel leading to the field. Left tackle Alejandro Villanueva, a former Army Ranger, wanted to stand in front of the tunnel to view the American flag during the anthem.

Holding his hand over his heart, Villanueva was the only player visible to television cameras, and Steelers players were criticized for isolating their teammate.

“The thing that ticks me off about that is what we were trying to do was remain out of the spotlight and it got turned upside down,” Heyward said. “To know that we were looked at like we were leaving one of our brothers out, leaving Al out to dry … It was never meant to ostracize a player.”

As a captain for the past five seasons and a veteran of nine NFL seasons, Heyward’s voice is one of the most influential in the Steelers locker room. He also has a better perspective of his NFL home than most teammates because Heyward, son of former Pitt running back Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, was born in Pittsburgh and makes his offseason home here as well.

“I think we want to stay united in what we do and what we want to accomplish,” Heyward said. “Coach T always told me that if we win a Super Bowl, that’s not enough for the city of Pittsburgh. We want to leave a lasting change on our community as well.”

Even if that means participating in a silent protest during the national anthem. Heyward is hopeful fans realize Kaepernick’s protest wasn’t meant to disrespect the flag or the armed forces, although that was the perception at the time.

“No one really paid attention to the issues Colin Kaepernick was talking about at the time,” he said. “They were mostly concerned about what he was doing rather than his message. This time around, you see the evidence and you see what he was talking about.

“It wasn’t like he was blowing smoke. These are real issues affecting our community.”

Heyward was heartened to see the Steelers join many other NFL teams in closing their offices Friday in observance of Juneteenth — the day in 1865 that Texas became the final state in the union to learn about the abolition of slavery.

“As a city, there is a lot that still needs to be changed,” Heyward said. “I’ve had some good dialogue with people,” including his brother, who is a police officer.

In his role as captain, Heyward will continue to have dialogue with players. He said he speaks daily with teammates while offseason meetings are conducted on a virtual basis because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The captain’s role is to listen and letting guys voice their opinions,” he said. “If I’m a captain and I think I have every answer, that’s (very) poor by me. We have a lot of different views and guys with different backgrounds.

“All I can speak to is my background and how I’ve grown up. With the climate we’re dealing with now, I think a lot of guys have gotten the opportunity to speak. Whether you’re the first man or the last man, you’ve got an opportunity to speak.”