Breakout Season For ‘A Large Toddler’
For reporters at least, Cameron Heyward was the toast of the locker room this past week.
Yes, he无毛视频檚 been kicking tail and taking names since being promoted to the starting lineup two games ago, and that was the gist of most conversations.
The buy-in, though, was that Heyward went to college with the star quarterback of this week无毛视频檚 opponent: Terrelle Pryor.
无毛视频淗is athleticism is ridiculous,无毛视频� Heyward said. 无毛视频淓verybody thinks they know what type of player he is, but you see on film now he无毛视频檚 running away from DBs. He无毛视频檚 got 4.3 speed. He looks like he无毛视频檚 jogging out there. But I remember back in our basketball days he was just doing some sick dunks. He无毛视频檚 a heck of a basketball player, but a hell of a football player.无毛视频�
Basketball days?
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 decent,无毛视频� Heyward said. 无毛视频淚 used to play a little bit.无毛视频�
So did Aaron Smith.
So did Brett Keisel.
Maybe it should be the prerequisite for Steelers 3-4 defensive ends.
Heyward, like those other famous 5-techniques, was a power forward. He played for, among other teams, an AAU squad called the Pittsburgh J.O.T.S.
Dejuan Blair 无毛视频� former Pitt Panther and current Dallas Maverick 无毛视频� was the center. Pryor was the small forward. D.J. Kennedy 无毛视频� former St. John Red Hawk and Cleveland Cav 无毛视频� was the shooting guard. At point guard was 6-8 Herb Pope, whom talent guru Sonny Vaccaro once called 无毛视频渢he best player I无毛视频檝e seen from the Pittsburgh area probably in more than 20 years.无毛视频�
That team could play a little bit. But Heyward has graduated to an NFL team that is starting to play a little bit. And Heyward无毛视频檚 one of the reasons. In spite of the fact he无毛视频檚 ninth on the defense in number of snaps, Heyward leads the Steelers with 17 quarterback pressures.
In the last two games, of course, his average snap count has increased by 73 percent as he无毛视频檚 joined the starting lineup after two-plus seasons on the bench.
If you ask around the front offices for an approximate time the light clicked on for Heyward, you无毛视频檙e likely to be answered this way: The light went on for the coaching staff instead.
Most will admit to wanting Heyward to replace Ziggy Hood late last season. But many sources actually said so at the time. I even reported that a one-on-one positional showdown was looming before training camp. It never took place, but Mike Tomlin eventually made the move himself during the bye.
The Steelers are 2-0 since then.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 come in and played very well, but he made significant strides this off-season,无毛视频� said Keisel. 无毛视频淚 think a lot of it comes with more understanding of the defense, more understanding of what we want him to do, a better understanding of his own technique.
无毛视频淵ou know, you can无毛视频檛 just try and play with a stance like I do or like Aaron did or like Casey (Hampton) does. You无毛视频檝e got to kind of develop your own way that you play. And I think once all that comes together, and you get comfortable, that无毛视频檚 when you make the biggest strides. That无毛视频檚 what he无毛视频檚 done and they无毛视频檙e giving him this opportunity. He无毛视频檚 taken advantage of it.无毛视频�
The play Heyward made during a goal-line stand, that kept the New York Jets to a field goal, is an example. That无毛视频檚 been Keisel无毛视频檚 favorite Heyward play of the season thus far.
无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 have a favorite play yet,无毛视频� said Heyward. 无毛视频淗opefully my favorite play comes up pretty soon.无毛视频�
That kickoff return against the Baltimore Ravens had to at least be a fun play. But after displaying his father无毛视频檚 form 无毛视频� according to the TV play-by-play man 无毛视频� he was tackled, and then reprimanded.
无毛视频淚 have to be smart,无毛视频� Heyward said. 无毛视频淵ou could see on Monday where Sharrif Floyd of the Vikings fumbled the ball. He did the same exact thing, trying to gain extra yards.无毛视频�
无毛视频淗e was trying to beat my 12-yard average,无毛视频� said Keisel. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檝e got two returns in my stat sheet, 12 yards. Did Cam get that? I think he got about 11 and a half.无毛视频�
Heyward was credited with 11.0 yards.
无毛视频淲hich,无毛视频� Keisel added, 无毛视频渁t the end of those, about 10 guys drill you and you无毛视频檙e under the pile getting hit every time and you无毛视频檙e like 无毛视频榃hy did I do that?无毛视频� They smoke you, ya know? So the coaches just want to make sure he doesn无毛视频檛 get hurt doing something like that.无毛视频�
Another recent Heyward play was simple, yet sublime. Against the Ravens he was putting heat on the quarterback but quickly came off the O-lineman无毛视频檚 block to tackle the receiver 8 yards over the middle. He无毛视频檚 that quick.
And at only 288 pounds, he无毛视频檚 strong.
无毛视频淗e is strong,无毛视频� said Joe Long, a guard/tackle who无毛视频檚 faced Heyward in every practice since May. 无毛视频淗e has great hands. If you see him in the weight room, he can put up a lot of weight. And he can move guys off the ball.无毛视频�
无毛视频淢e and Kelvin Beachum worked out together almost every day in the off-season and we really pushed ourselves,无毛视频� said Heyward. 无毛视频淵ou have to. I may not look it but I have to be stronger if I无毛视频檓 going to play that position.
无毛视频淭hat was my main goal coming into the season, to be one of the stronger defensive ends, just don无毛视频檛 rely on quickness, because if they无毛视频檙e going to block you you无毛视频檝e got to hold the point.无毛视频�
His backup, Al Woods, raves about Heyward无毛视频檚 study habits and note-taking. And Emmanuel Sanders perks up when talking about Heyward无毛视频檚 play on special teams. After all, Heyward threw the block that opened up the sideline alley for Sanders无毛视频� late return (that was called back) against the Ravens.
无毛视频淵eah, he did,无毛视频� said Sanders. 无毛视频淐am is extremely athletic. When you have a guy like that, it helps out the team a lot because he无毛视频檚 very flexible 无毛视频� to be so big, you know.无毛视频�
We know. And those little things are adding up to a breakout season.
Heyward even helps out as locker-room clown.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 a goofball in the locker room,无毛视频� said Long.
无毛视频淵eah, Cam无毛视频檚 like a large toddler,无毛视频� said Keisel. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 like a child, an enormous child. But it无毛视频檚 fun. That little kid that无毛视频檚 inside of him, who he keeps a hold of and still runs around with, I enjoy it as an older guy, because his youthful exuberance kind of rubs off on us.无毛视频�
He无毛视频檚 got it all, doesn无毛视频檛 he?
无毛视频淲ell,无毛视频� Keisel said. 无毛视频淭ell him he needs to work on his beard.无毛视频�
And probably his outside jump shot.