Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward and his wife will soon welcome to the world their first child. However, Heyward hopes the baby’s Sunday due date is off a day or two as it really sounds like he intends on being present for the birth.
Heyward, the team’s best defensive linemen, hopes he’s not forced to choose between the Steelers game Sunday against the Oakland Raiders and the birth of his baby.
“I haven’t even thought about it that way,” Heyward said, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I would love to be there for my son and I want to be there for the first time he comes into the world. I don’t think it will come to that (having the baby Sunday). I have my fingers crossed that the baby comes sooner rather than later.”
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was faced a similar choice in 2012 and he made it clear prior to that what his choice would be if it happened on a game day.
“I’m not missing the birth of my child,” Roethlisberger said emphatically, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “There’s no chance. I know some fans probably don’t want to hear that, but there’s no chance.”
Fortunately, Roethlisberger’s baby boy was born prior to that week’s game and hopefully Heyward’s baby will decide that Saturday or Monday is a much better day to be born on.
I have a funny feeling that this will work itself out just fine.
