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

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The 2011 NFL Draft was absolutely loaded when it came to defensive linemen. Heyward was selected with the 31st pick and he was the 10th DL off the board, behind the likes of J.J. Watt, Ryan Kerrigan, and Adrian Clayborn. All three were from the Big Ten and all three were All-American selections, and Heyward seemed just a step behind these guys. Still fantastic, and still a clear first round draft pick, but the superlatives put on him were more in line with descriptions of serpentine belts and cylinder blocks than whatever flowery prose typically gets foisted on Top-5 picks.

But after a shaky first few seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, something interesting happened. Things started to click, and Cam Heyward has improved pretty much every season for... well, it's 2023, so something like a decade now. He's a six-time Pro Bowler now, and at the ripe old age of, uh, 33, it seems pretty apparent that Heyward has not yet begun to fight. He should be able to add significantly to his 78.5 career sacks in the coming seasons.

First, sticking around for well over a decade in a sports league designed mangle bodies like some kind of 1950's car safety PSA is a feat in of itself. Consistently getting better over that time period is rarer still, as is continuing to be one of the most productive members of that draft class.

The real reason why I think I enjoy Heyward's story so much is because I foolishly doubted him; I thought that despite what my eyeballs had clearly seen both in person and on my television set, that Heyward was going to be just "a guy" in the NFL, that bigger names on would make more noise over time. And while some did go on to kick very large amounts of ass in the NFL, Heyward has always been right there with them.
 
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  • Cameron Heyward had a good week both on and off the field. He returned to practice for the Pittsburgh Steelers for the first time since suffering a groin injury in Week 1, while he was also named the NFLPA’s Community MVP for Week 8 in recognition of his efforts to give back off the field.
 
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dragurd said:
Walter Payton man of the year
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www.elevenwarriors.com

Former Ohio State Defensive Lineman Cameron Heyward Named NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year

Former Ohio State defensive lineman Cameron Heyward is the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year, recognizing the impact he’s made off the field and his excellence on the field.
www.elevenwarriors.com www.elevenwarriors.com

FORMER OHIO STATE DEFENSIVE LINEMAN CAMERON HEYWARD NAMED NFL WALTER PAYTON MAN OF THE YEAR​

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Cameron Heyward is this year’s winner of one of the NFL’s most prestigious awards.

The former Ohio State defensive lineman was named Thursday night as this year’s NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year, recognizing the impact he has made off the field in addition to his excellence on the field.



A six-time nominee for the award, Heyward has given back to the Pittsburgh community throughout his 13 years with the Pittsburgh Steelers. His foundation, the Heyward House, has started initiatives to fight childhood hunger, to support families of children diagnosed with cancer, to encourage childhood literacy and to support students and teachers.

In 2023, Heyward launched an annual toy and coat drive with the Foster Love Project, providing gifts and outerwear to children in foster care. He also hosted a Teachers’ Appreciation Dinner during Steelers training camp which included a surprise donation of $10,000 to fund the teachers’ classroom projects.

Heyward also held his second annual Cam’s Kindness Week, which included a Kindness Week Kickoff Party at UPMC Children’s Hospital, meetings with students from several local high schools and a group art therapy project at The Caring Place, a haven for children struggling with the loss of a loved one.
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