Jim Wexell, SteelCityInsider.net held a quick Q & A with Cam:
At 26 years old, Cameron Heyward, son of the late, great Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, is emerging as a true leader on the Steelers’ defense. It’s obvious on the field this spring as Heyward is being seen and heard as a talented and hard-working throwback to the organization’s last Super Bowl era.
Q: “Big Men Running” seems to be Mike Tomlin’s theme this year.
CH: Right.
Q: And you’ve got all the other big men running, too. I hear you yelling to the other guys, “I see you Tuitt!”
CH: Right.
Q: What do you think of that as a theme? You didn’t need to buy in, did you?
CH: Honestly, I’ve been doing this since I was in college and in high school. That’s part of the DNA. But that’s how we get big plays around here, big men running, guys hustling to the ball. You can look at Kansas City last year where Stephon Titt ran to the ball and caused a fumble. What you don’t realize is you had everybody else running, too, just to get the fumble. If you don’t have all the guys running there, we don’t get the fumble and then it just goes unnoticed. We preach it every day. Coach always says, “Big men gotta run and little men gotta tackle.” We’ve all got something ugly to our jobs, but you enjoy it.
Q: I noticed you posted a tribute to your dad on the anniversary of his death. How old were you when he died?
CH: I was 17
On respecting his dad’s legacy:
CH: I respect him more that I’ve been here. I get to hear more stories, how his interactions were. I’m having a kid so I want to make sure they remember him, and what better place to be remembered than here? Everybody’s got a story about my dad. I just hope one day they have stories about me, too.
Q: Well, what are you seeing in this team right now?
CH: We’re a young group, but we have the capabilities of being the best team, offense, defense and special teams. You look at our offense; we’re loaded. I’m not just speaking out about nothing. If you really look at it, we’ve got a top-tier quarterback, a top — no, a couple of — top-tier wide receivers, you’ve got a running back, you’ve got a great offensive line, you’ve got good tight ends. You’re loaded. And I think when you look at it, it’s going to come down to defense. That’s the way we want it. We plan on proving people wrong that have written us off, saying we’re this, saying we’re that, but we’re excited about this year. We’re excited for the challenge ahead. We know there are going to be games when it depends on the defense and we plan on sticking our feet in the dirt and getting to work.
Read more HERE.
