Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Pittsburgh Steelers S Troy Polamalu played with a lot of quality people during his career. In his rookie year, he entered a locker room that had legendary players like RB Jerome Bettis, WR Hines Ward, OLB Joey Porter, and DE Aaron Smith. Those players had a big influence on the young safety. He may deflect the praise, but he had the opportunity to pay that forward after the Steelers selected DL Cameron Heyward in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
Polamalu joined Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Tuesday’s episode of the Chipped Ham and Football Podcast. The majority of the conversation revolved around Polamalu’s efforts with the Neighborhood Resilience Project in Pittsburgh, and those community efforts dovetailed nicely into a conversation about Heyward.
“I had no other influence on Cam than any other predecessor to me,” Polamalu said. “Cam [has] been a Steeler to the bone. He’s created his own legacy within himself. I just think that sometimes, leaders set a standard of what it’s like. Jerome was kind of like that influence to me, or he was that influence to me. For Cam, some players just have that personality, and he’s just a joy to be around. He’s a great person, and he’s a great football player. It’s great that he’s been a part of the Pittsburgh Steelers for so long and God willing be able to retire there. I think he’s the only teammate that I have left that’s still playing. So I love Cam. I still talk with him all the time.”
Heyward has been an integral part of the Steelers’ defensive line since he became a starter in 2013. During his 13-year career, Heyward has racked up 80.5 sacks, 647 total tackles, 179 tackles for a loss, eight forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries, two interceptions, and 47 passes knocked down. However, it’s Heyward’s role as a leader that helps solidify him as “a Steeler to the bone,” as Polamalu says.
Just look at how Heyward responded to questions about WR George Pickens after his roller-coaster 2023 season. When Heyward joined the Green Light Podcast at the end of February, he spoke about how he and the entire Steelers team are behind Pickens and just want to see him succeed. While discussions in the locker room might have been more aggressive, there’s no question that Heyward in his role as a leader is saying and doing the right things.
While how long Heyward will continue playing is up in the air, there is no question that he has been a shining example of what it means to be a Steeler throughout his career. He’s been a force on the field and a stand-up human being off it. And are you really going to argue with Polamalu?
You can watch Polamalu’s entire conversation with Batko below:
