After over two hours of practice in pads on Sunday, first round draft pick Cameron Heyward spent an additional half hour after practice working with fellow defensive end Aaron Smith hitting blocking sleds to improve his technique off the line.
I caught up with him afterwards and asked him the following questions:
(on how it feels to sign his contract and be on the practice field): “It’s a sigh of relief to get in here on time and work with the guys like Aaron Smith like I was. He can teach me a lot in like 15 minutes. It is truly a blessing to learn from these guys.”
(on whether he ever dreamt, while at Ohio State, that he would now be in Steelers training camp): “You dream about it, but to see it actually happen, I’m truly humbled by it and I am just going to keep making progress and keep learning every day.”
(on his expectations for the coming season): “Be a contributor, any way possible. This is a Super Bowl team and they basically have every piece settled, but I am planning to help this team out as much as possible.”
(on whether he followed the Steelers growing up): “Of course! My grandparents are big Steelers fans and I always had Steelers stuff. But to be a part of it now in just the first couple of days, I am learning a lot and just talking advantage of all of it.”
(on who was his biggest influence growing up): “Mom and Dad. They taught me so much and sacrificed a lot for me.”
(on how is dad, Craig “Ironhead” Heyward,helped him through his football career): “He told me to just have fun. You only live once and just make the most out of it.”
(on why he chose to go to Ohio State University): “It felt like family. Coach Tressell takes his players in and he truly means that he cares about his players. From day one until my last day there, he always had my back.”
(on if he considered attending The University of Pittsburgh): “That was my first offer, but that was my dad’s old stomping ground, so I had to make my own.”
(on his best memories at Ohio State): “We have a lot of them. Beating Michigan four times in a row and just the camaraderie with the guys in the locker room. You don’t get anywhere else.
Image Source – (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
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