Still Curtain
FanSided

30 greatest Pittsburgh Steelers of the 2000s

By Tommy Jaggi

PITTSBURGH - JANUARY 18: Safety Troy Polamalu #43 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates his touchdown with defensive end Brett Keisel against the Baltimore Ravens during the fourth quarter of the AFC championship game on January 18, 2009 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH - JANUARY 18: Safety Troy Polamalu #43 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates his touchdown with defensive end Brett Keisel against the Baltimore Ravens during the fourth quarter of the AFC championship game on January 18, 2009 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
22 of 31
Next
PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 25: Cameron Heyward #97 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on before playing against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on September 25, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 25: Cameron Heyward #97 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on before playing against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on September 25, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) /

10. Cameron Heyward, DL (2011)

Cameron Heyward is, by most accounts, one of the most likable Steelers in the locker room and off the field. But it takes much more than a stand-up personality to make it into the top 10 Steelers of the 2000s.

Heyward has a rich family lineage of football players, and he was no exception to the mold. As a former 1st round draft choice, Heyward did not disappoint. Cam Heyward had the luxury of waiting in the wings behind Brett Keisel and former first-round pick, Ziggy Hood. He even got to see Aaron Smith in action for his rookie season before Smith decided to call it quits.

While Ziggy Hood didn’t end up being the player the Steelers were hoping for, Cameron Heyward took advantage of his opportunity. By 2013, Heyward had taken over for Ziggy Hood and was impressive in his first major NFL action. He tallied 59 tackles and 5.0 sacks in 13 starts.

The following two seasons, Heyward exploded for a combined 14.5 sacks and established his name as one of the better 3-4 defensive ends in football. In recent years, Heyward was an All-Pro player in 2017 and has made four consecutive Pro Bowls from 2017 to 2020. He has currently started 114 games for the Steelers and only seems to be getting better with age.

With a recent extension, Heyward is set to play out the rest of his days as a member of the black and gold. He could still give Pittsburgh a few good seasons.

Home/Steelers All-Time Lists