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DT Cameron Heyward (6x Pro Bowl, 3x All Pro, Pittsburgh Steelers)

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DL Cameron Heyward: No. 97 (6-5, 280)
A bit of a DE/DT tweener who has the versatility to line up both on the strong side at end and kick inside to the three-technique on passing downs. Possesses an average/good first step off the line and does a nice job keeping his pad level down for such a big guy, playing with natural leverage and maximizing his strength into contact. Possesses good run/pass recognition and does a nice job quickly locating the football. Consistently is able to use his hands/length and overall athleticism to disengage from blocks and make his way toward the play vs. the run. Extends his long arms well into blocks, demonstrating good hand placement inside and can consistently get under opponents on contact.

Now, he needs to do a better job getting off the snap count on time. His concentration seems to falter later in games when he starts to wear down and will end up on the ground too easily. However, when the motor is running he will chase balls down from the backside and works hard in pursuit. Looks much more explosive off the snap when lined up inside, sees the ball better and is consistently the first defensive lineman getting into his man. Lacks the first step to reach the corner as a pass rusher off the edge, but is a really effective bull rusher who routinely is able to create a jolt into contact, gain leverage and drive his man into the backfield. Possesses good balance through contact, extending his arms and slightly changing angles enough to work his way toward the quarterback. Isn?t a real sudden guy who can quickly change directions and/or pull the rug out from opposing tackles once engaged, but has the ability to gain a step laterally out of his stance with some kind of shimmy off the ball and drive his way up the field when lined up both inside or out.

Impression: His ability to anchor on the outside and shed blocks in both the run and pass game will serve him well. Doesn?t strike me as a potential dominant pass rusher in the NFL, but he has the versatility to create mismatches in a 4-3 front and should also get some looks as a 3-4 DE, as well. I would expect him to mature into a very solid starter in the NFL.
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2010 NFP Scouting Series: Ohio State | National Football Post
 
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Ohio State's Heyward a mirror image of his father
Thursday, July 29, 2010
By Colin Dunlap, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Ohio State defensive lineman Cameron Heyward is projected to be a first-round pick in next year's NFL draft.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- What could a defender do when powerful running back Craig "Ironhead" Heyward -- who weighed anywhere from 250-325 pounds during his playing days at Pitt and in the NFL -- ran the football directly at him?

"I would go straight-up with him, see how tough he really was, make him bring it," 6-foot-6, 287-pound defensive lineman Cameron Heyward of Ohio State said of his father, the late Ironhead.

A wide smile crossed Cameron's face.

"That's my mentality; I'd take it head-on, see who had the stronger head. I mean, they called him Ironhead, but I'd make him bring it."

Ironhead Heyward (who died in May 2006 at 39 from a brain tumor) would have been proud of the noggin-knocking response from his son. Cameron Heyward will be a senior for the Buckeyes this season and is one of the finest college defensive linemen in the country, projected to be a first-round NFL draft selection at season's end.

Cameron Heyward isn't one to back down from much.

That's the way you learn how to function when, as a kid you get the news that your stout, strapping, NFL-tough father might not have long to live. The man everyone called Ironhead for his impenetrable cranium had Chordoma, malignant growths that wrapped around his brain. He died after a seven-year fight.

"The doctor told him, 'This could be fatal,' and I was in there, I heard that when they told him," Cameron Heyward said. "That's not something easy to hear about your father, about someone who was my best friend. When I heard that, I didn't know what to think."
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Read more: Ohio State's Heyward a mirror image of his father
 
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Heyward Eyes Grand Exit

August 04, 2010
Cameron Heyward doesn?t have to be here. He doesn?t need to be in college, schlepping books to class and balancing his studies with the grueling preseason camp at Ohio State that is just around the corner.

He doesn?t even need to be representing his team in Chicago at the Big Ten?s annual Kickoff Luncheon or offering up his leadership to head coach Jim Tressel.

But this week, Heyward ? who could have left school in the spring and likely would have been selected somewhere in the first round of the NFL draft ? has done all those things and is about to don the scarlet and gray for what figures to be a brilliant senior season.

?I?ve put a lot into this season and I expect the most out of this season,? said the 6-5, 288-pound defensive lineman, who is nearing a degree in human development. ?We?ve got so many guys that came back for this season and I think nobody wants a letdown on this team. We expect the greatest from our guys and our coaches. We want to get the most out of it.?
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Sports RappUp
 
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Rivals.com 2010 Top 100 Players Countdown photos
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No. 28: Ohio State DE Cameron Heyward
We continue our countdown of the top 100 players in the nation. We'll unveil the top player Sept. 1, the day before the season begins. 'Top' doesn't necessarily mean the most pro potential or even the most talent. It's what the player has accomplished and how we think the player will do this season. But production does trump potential.

No. 28: Ohio State DE Cameron Heyward

THE PARTICULARS: 6-5/288, Sr.; Suwanee (Ga.) Peachtree Ridge

THE BUZZ: The son of the late Craig 'Ironhead' Heyward, Cameron stepped into the Buckeyes' starting lineup as a true freshman in 2007 and hasn't left. He possesses outstanding quickness and athletic ability. Heyward, who has shown an ability to slide inside to play tackle, notched 6.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss last season.

Rankings determined by Rivals.com writers Olin Buchanan, Tom Dienhart, David Fox, Mike Huguenin and Steve Megargee.
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"The NFL can wait," Heyward said. "There are no guarantees in the NFL."

He wanted other guarantees.

The guarantee of spending another year with friendships he has forged in Columbus.

The guarantee of being a leader on a team that contends for a sixth straight Big Ten Championship.

The guarantee of being a key force in a team that hopes to contend for a BCS national championship.

Those reasons, among others, were more than enough for Heyward to put pro football off for another year.

"We have meeetings (with Coach Jim Tressel) in the spring," Heyward said. "He was talking about his father, who was a great coach. He made it clear to me when he said, ?My dad has a road named after him. Well, I want a highway.' "
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Iron will to be great guides OSU's Heyward (with video) - The News-Herald Sports : Breaking news coverage for Northern Ohio
 
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Heyward takes charge off the field, as well

What kind of leader is Cameron Heyward? Detail-oriented.

The Ohio State senior defensive lineman earlier this week said he was trying to lead his teammates, "in the right way."

Asked what that meant, he said, "Just making sure guys are accountable, on and off the field. I just texted all my guys, telling them to get all their compliance forms done. Just telling guys to get things done on time and taking care of the little stuff so we can handle the big stuff on the field."

Apparently, the annual meetings with school compliance officers are a bit tedious.

"The meetings we've had in the past have been long, and just keep going on," he said. "It?s the same stuff over and over again. But if you just take care of your stuff, it will be an easy and smooth ride."
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Heyward takes charge off the field, as well (Blogging the Buckeyes)
 
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Funny Quote from the "Iron Will" Article:


"Over the coming weeks, heading into the Sept. 2 opener against visiting Marshall, Heyward said he wants to work on his technique and develop more pass-rushing movies. "Staying a little bit lower," in his defensive stance is another focal point, whether he is in a 3-4 set as a tackle or a 4-3 set as an end."

What pass-rushing movies has Cameron Heyward been in? I've seen him in games, but movies? Brilliant typos made funny...
 
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BuckeyeParalgl;1743612; said:
What pass-rushing movies has Cameron Heyward been in? I've seen him in games, but movies? Brilliant typos made funny...
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[ame="http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=inKtdfodCak"]YouTube - ‪Cameron Heyward vs. Oregon, Rose Bowl‬‎[/ame]
Oh, I'm sure he's been featured in a lot of teams' film rooms...
 
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BuckeyeParalgl;1743612; said:
Funny Quote from the "Iron Will" Article:


"Over the coming weeks, heading into the Sept. 2 opener against visiting Marshall, Heyward said he wants to work on his technique and develop more pass-rushing movies. "Staying a little bit lower," in his defensive stance is another focal point, whether he is in a 3-4 set as a tackle or a 4-3 set as an end."

What pass-rushing movies has Cameron Heyward been in? I've seen him in games, but movies? Brilliant typos made funny...
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Actually, Cam is set to star in a small Indy flick. Set to come out in about 4 weeks. Titled 'Num8er 8'.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YesovlG4LUc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YesovlG4LUc[/ame]
 
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jwinslow;1745179; said:
Great cover shot, but it is a bit odd that they are not wearing their helmets. Heyward wears the big riddell helmet and big cage facemask. Last year Rolle wore the robot 3 bar facemask, and both lbs are wearing the speed helmet this year.
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Leave it to the photographer to notice that :) I presume this was done to enable the viewer to see their faces (eyes) better?
 
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