The Pittsburgh Steelers released a heartwarming video of Cameron Heyward getting very emotional after little brother Connor scores his first NFL touchdown.
If you start to question why the Pittsburgh Steelers value family bloodlines the way that they do, look no further. Cameron Heyward is arguably one of the best leaders this team has had in its storied history, and he’s impossible not to root for.
In the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Steelers decided to add his little brother, Connor Heyward, to the roster. Many fans chalked this up as a ploy to appease Cam — who is a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time First-Team All-Pro defender. However, the Heyward brothers let these comment roll right off their backs.
Connor Heyward has been lightly involved on offense for Pittsburgh this year, but he really got his chance to shine against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 13. After running a beautiful ‘Sluggo’ route, rookie QB Kenny Pickett connected with Heyward in the back of the endzone for his first NFL score.
This touchdown held a particular amount of meaning to the Heyward family. Not only was it Connor’s first career touchdown, but it was also scored against the team and in the city where Connor and Cam’s father, Craig “Ironhead” Heyward used to play.
The Pittsburgh Steelers recently released a video showing just how emotional big brother Cameron got on the sidelines following this moment:
Get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at our Week 13 victory against the Falcons. @Visa
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) December 8, 2022
Heyward looked like he was to the point of tears, as this was no doubt one of the most heartfelt moments he has experienced in his life. His father passed away back in 2006, but there’s no doubt he would have been proud of his boys.
What blows my mind is that Connor Heyward’s first touchdown reception is almost a mirror image of his father’s first TD with the Falcons all the way back in 1988. Steelers blogger Alex Kozora cut up the clips of these touchdowns, one after the other, to show just how similar they were.
Steelers are getting a quality player in Connor Heyward
After his latest performance, Connor Heyward is starting to silence critics who thought the Steelers drafted him simply because of his brother. Because of this fact, most felt confident that Heyward was going to make the team as a sixth-round pick, but they didn’t believe he would have much of an impact.
While Heyward still doesn’t have a huge role on offense at this point in time, he has been the most effective pass-catcher on the team when targeted, in terms of efficiency — catching 8 of 9 targets for 93 yards and a touchdown. This equates to a passer rating of 146.8 when thrown to, per ESPN Stats.
Obviously, this is a very small sample, but it’s certainly going to help his cause moving forward. In Week 13 against the Falcons, Connor earned a 91.6 overall grade, via Pro Football Focus — the highest of any offensive player in this game.
I would have to assume that Heyward’s role is going to increase on offense moving forward. Regardless, this was an incredibly touching moment for the Heyward family. These guys are just so easy to root for.