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Cameron Heyward – The Steelers Promising ‘Bust’

By Jesse Kirkendall

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“I hope last year wasn’t a breakout season because i believe i can achieve way more. I still have a mentality where i think of myself as a bust.”

In a recent interview with Monday Morning Quarterback’s Robert Klemko, Cameron Heyward had this to say about his future in the NFL, and how he perceives his career has been so far. When we think of a “bust” in the NFL our thoughts automatically go to those such as JaMarcus Russel or Brian Bosworth, not someone who just had 7.5 sacks in a season like Heyward.

His words can be understood from the perspective of someone who is on a mission to improve himself. Any athlete, whether they are a rookie looking to rise to stardom or a seasoned veteran who has tasted fame and glory, who thinks they have hit their ceiling will not last very long in any sport.

Steelers’ Nation knows for a fact that Heyward doesnt come anywhere close to being a bust. In fact, anyone that keeps up with the NFL knows that he is steadily on the rise to being one of the best Defensive Ends in the sport. Since taking over for Ziggy Hood (if you want to call anyone a bust, it would be him) in the 2013 season, Heyward has become a household name. Where once he was only known as “Iron Head’s boy”, he is now a leader that proves it on and off the field.

As a testament to show how he would take advantage of his first full year as a starter, Heyward matched his sack count from his first three seasons in the league. That put him at 15 in four years. For those keeping score at home, Hood only had 11.5 in his five year stint with Pittsburgh before signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars before the start of last season.

He also took on responsibilites that a bust would have a hard time doing. The Steelers defense had a slew of injuries last year that included Ike Taylor, Brett Keisel, and Troy Polamalu. Three of the four players left on defense from the Super Bowl XL era. With choices made by the coaching staff, the Steelers’ young defensive players had a luxury of leadership that not too many teams have.

When those luxuries were forced off the field and to the sidelines, it was time for those young players to step up. Our “bust” in question was one of the young men to step up on the defensive line and take on the role left vacant by Keisel in the defensive end position. His efforts would help guide the Steelers to their first winning season, and playoff berth, in nearly two years.

Heyward takes on his role as a leader full time heading into 2015. Armed with the knowledge he has learned in his time around many Steelers’ greats, he will teach and motivate so that young athletes around him will be able to make the most of a given opportunity when it arises, just as he did in 2013.

One such athlete will be Stephon Tuitt. After a triceps tear ended Keisel’s season last November, it was Tuitt who would finish out the remainder of the year in his position at Right Defensive End, and did it surprisingly well. He will be taken under Heywards wing as he enters his first full year as a starter, and many in Steelers’ Nation are optimistic that the former Notre Dame star will handle the situation with ease.

Sep 28, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward (97) reacts during player introductions before playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Heinz Field. The Buccaneers won 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Besides the “bust’s” determination to improve and his position as a leader, he also has an important year ahead of him. Enterting the final year of his rookie contract, it is uncertain if the Steelers will grant Heyward a contract offer before or after the 2015 season. It would be wise to go ahead and lock up the potential Pro-Bowler as soon as possible, but it is unsure when we will see it with how Pittsburgh is handling their contracts.

Heyward has a tenacity on the field that can be related to his father, Craig‘s, style of play. His son charges through offensive lines and seeks out the quarterback with the same determination that Craig had for finding the endzone as a running back for over a decade in the league. It will help earn him a new contract, but his ability to make big plays is not the only thing he brings to the table.

As far as “busts” go, the only thing Steelers’ Nation would like to see Cameron Heyward’s name in association with the word is a bust in Canton, Ohio. With impressive numbers, the ability to lead and the determination to help the Steelers obtain their seventh Super Bowl championship, a self proclaimed bust could be just what the Steelers need to get back to dominating offenses.

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