The history of the Pittsburgh Steelers is filled with heroes and all-time greats. The most well-known of these players typically have one thing in common; they are members of one of the six Super Bowl-winning teams. Sadly, there are a number of great Steelers who never had the opportunity to play in the big game or did but they weren’t fortunate enough to win it. Right now, Cameron Heyward finds himself in this position.
At the age of 32, Heyward is arguably having his best season as a Steelers’ defensive lineman. While statistically not as good as say, 2017 or 2019, Heyward is on pace to have more tackles than in any other season. Keep in mind he’s doing this without Tyson Alualu or Stephon Tuitt playing alongside him. He is constantly doubled-teamed yet still powers his way to the ball carrier or the quarterback and hustles his ass off on every single play.
Yet what escapes him and his place in Steelers’ lore is a Super Bowl victory.
It’s a shame that players in Pittsburgh are often seen this way but it’s true. The great Rod Woodson never won a Super Bowl while in Black and Gold and Greg Lloyd and Jason Gildon never did either. While this fact should not (and in my eyes it does not), diminish who they were as players, it is a cloud that sometimes hangs over them. Woodson would eventually get his ring on another team but it’s not really the same. Heyward is trending towards being part of this club.
As the team struggles to make the postseason this year, Heyward’s years are running out. Now in his 11th season, the team is clearly in the midst of a rebuild that will continue into next year for sure. Stranger things have happened in the NFL…. Every once in awhile teams that are supposedly rebuilding catch fire and find themselves making a run. This seems to be Heyward’s only chance of getting to that elusive Super Bowl in the near future.
The former Ohio State Buckeye has been everything we could have hoped for and more since being drafted by the Steelers in the first round in 2011. As a leader, few have been as strong and present as he has. While any player nominated for the prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year Award is worthy, short of a Super Bowl, winning this would be a tremendous topper to Heyward’s pro football cake.
But even he would admit that isn’t the same as reaching Super Bowl glory. He seems to have plenty left in the tank but time is definitely running short.