The best ability is availability, and Pittsburgh Steelers veteran defensive lineman Cameron Heyward learned that lesson last season while dealing with a groin injury throughout the season, one that kept him out for six games and landed him in Injured Reserve.
Now, in his 14th season, Heyward is evolving, and that includes adjusting his practice habits.
In recent years, Heyward has had some veteran days off throughout the week, making sure that he’s feeling fresh and as healthy as possible leading up to game day. This year, at least so far, he’s had just one veteran day off, and that was last Thursday in preparation for Denver.
Even with just the one veteran day off, that doesn’t mean he’s full go each and every day.
Thanks to some wise words from defensive line coach Karl Dunbar, Heyward has adjusted his practice habits some, which has Heyward recalling some veterans he came in under back in 2011, such as Aaron Smith and Casey Hampton. Both were late in their careers and helped show him the way to prepare during the week to be ready to go for game day.
“When I came in, in 2011, Aaron Smith and Casey Hampton — Casey would take like a day off. Aaron, I think, was practicing, I think just Fridays. But when it came to the games, those dudes were locked in, played with great hands. You find different ways,” Heyward said of adjusting his practice habits, according to video via his podcast’s YouTube page. “You know, Coach Dunbar has always been big on me now, talking about it’s a marathon. And so, I’ve gotten creative in trying to…I might not get the reps during practice I want, and so I might be doing stuff before and after [practice].
“But you just gotta find out what’s right for you and have a good schedule to go along with that.”
Having played the number of snaps in the NFL that Heyward has and the time spent in the same scheme in Pittsburgh, it’s not as if Heyward needs those practice reps daily to be ready to go on game days.
At this point, it’s all mental. Sure, physical reps help sharpen the mind and keep the body’s muscle memory up to speed, but in such a violent, physically demanding game like football, it seems largely unnecessary for guys of Heyward’s stature to be practicing in full daily and getting all the reps possible.
So, for Heyward, less is more.
In that sense, there’s a fine line, one that veteran players have to walk.
To Heyward’s credit, he seems to be doing well with that fine line, especially early this season where he looks like his usual self and is off to a fast start.
“I think there’s a fine line. One is preparing and getting ready, getting your steps. But there’s also, you don’t need to run every single play,” Heyward said of practice habits. “You don’t need to be going a hundred percent every day, just doesn’t work that way. You know, you’ve gotta rely on your mental reps, you’ve gotta be locked in and find different ways to do it.
“But it’s rough. Rest is key, but you don’t wanna lose your edge.”
Not losing your edge is easier said than done. Guys have to stay sharp mentally, and often players believe staying sharp mentally comes with the physical reps.
Seems like Heyward has adjusted that line of thinking though, especially as he tries to take care of his body, allowing him to get to game day feeling as good as possible so he can continue to play at a high level, which is something many have become accustomed to from the Steelers captain throughout his career.
Check out the full episode of “Not Just Football with Cam Heyward” below.
