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Steelers are lucky to have Darrius Heyward-Bey

By Josh Fitzer

Oct 1, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey (88) catches an eight yard touchdown pass against the Baltimore Ravens during the third quarter at Heinz Field. The Ravens won 23-20 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 1, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey (88) catches an eight yard touchdown pass against the Baltimore Ravens during the third quarter at Heinz Field. The Ravens won 23-20 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
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Whether you like him or not, Darrius-Heyward Bey embodies what it means to be a Steeler.

Okay. Before any of you start marching towards my apartment with torches and pitchforks, hear me out.

Darrius Heyward-Bey hasn’t had the star studded career that the Raiders envisioned when they took him 7th overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. After his stint in Oakland, DHB went to the Colts for a cup of coffee, then found his way to the Steel City in 2014.

Since arriving in Pittsburgh, DHB has seen most of his playing time on special teams, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t made an impact on offense. There’s two plays that I’d like to point out from last season.

  1. Week 1 against the Patriots, Darrius Heyward-Bey caught a nice 43-yard pass along the sideline, which I honestly thought was going to be dropped. As I saw the pass mid-air, I said out loud “Great, Heyward-Bey is going to drop this one,” but he didn’t. I was happy to be wrong. He finished this game with four receptions for 58 yards.
  2. Week 2 against the 49ers, DHB stepped up again in the absence of Martavis Bryant and Le’Veon Bell. One thing DHB has going for him is his speed, so, he zooms past the Niners secondary to catch a beautiful pass for a 35-yard TD. He finished this game with four receptions for 77 yards, and 1 touchdown.

Obviously, these aren’t eye popping stats, DHB is what he is. But I don’t think anyone expected those kinds of numbers out of him in those two games, I know I wasn’t.

Darrius Heyward-Bey is one those “lunch pail” kind of players. You know, the kind of player that shows up everyday, does whatever is asked of him, doesn’t complain, a great teammate and locker room guy, puts in a full day of work, and goes home. Whether you like him or not, Darrius Heyward-Bey embodies what it means to be a Steeler.

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