I was in college the last time the Pittsburgh Steelers won a Super Bowl. Young fans born that day may already be taking SATs and earning scholarships. That’s just to say that it’s been a long time. A very long time, by their own standards. And it sadly encompasses the entire careers of some great players.
They never did manage a Super Bowl win for C Maurkice Pouncey or G David DeCastro. WR Antonio Brown finally got his ring with Tom Brady at the end of his career. Even RB Le’Veon Bell and DL Stephon Tuitt have come and gone, not to mention ILB Ryan Shazier, whose career was ended by injury.
Let’s hope DL Cameron Heyward is not next because that would be the greatest shame. Part of the heart and soul of this team for over a decade, the 2011 first-round draft pick is part of the first generation of Steelers who never even made it to a Super Bowl, their last appearance in 2010. And he feels that weight.
“I know I haven’t won a Super Bowl, and so that always eats me up at night”, he told Peter King when asked about the pride and pressure of being the elder statesman for a storied franchise. “But I got to be around guys that did win the Super Bowl, and I’ve always felt like I was the bridge to those guys. With the history and tradition, there’s a lot on my shoulders to win around here”.
The Steelers still had an incredible defensive line in Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton, and Brett Keisel when they drafted Heyward, part of their succession plan. There was Troy Polamalu, of course, and James Harrison. He even caught James Farrior at the very end of his career and worked with Larry Foote.
These are his teammates, the guys who showed him how to work, how to be a professional. He is the last one left carrying that tradition down firsthand.
“I love this job. I don’t think I could see myself being in another jersey”, Heyward said, “but being here, there’s so much I carry because I’m trying to keep the standard of what those guys set before me”.
They have had some good defenses since then, and some tremendous players. OLB T.J. Watt is possibly the best defender they’ve ever had in their history, perhaps one day rivaling Joe Greene in stature. Minkah Fitzpatrick can sometimes remind you of Polamalu. Those guys understand the tradition.
“When you’re a defender for the Pittsburgh Steelers, you have to own it”, Heyward said. “Bluntly, you’ve got to know there’s something that comes along with that. I just try to relay that every day. There’s plenty of players that want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler, so make sure you live it out”.
But being a Steeler ultimately means being a champion. And his inability to call himself that, Heyward understands, is a blemish on his legacy that he doesn’t take lightly. It’s not his fault that they haven’t won—no one player except Neil O’Donnell ever is—but as the leader of the Steelers defense, well—you’d just better win. Nobody wants to be the greatest player to not win a championship.
