fordfixer
05-08-2011, 11:45 PM
Making an impression
April 29th, 2011
http://blog.triblive.com/view-from-the- ... ox+Blog%29 (http://blog.triblive.com/view-from-the-press-box/2011/04/29/making-an-impression/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+triblive%2Fblog%2FViewFromThe PressBox+%28View+from+the+Press+Box+Blog%29)
If Cameron Heyward is as impressive on the field as he was during his introductory news conference Friday the Steelers will have hit big on another first-round pick.
Heyward said all of the right things and did not get flustered when he got asked a bush question by a TV reporter -– a reporter, it should be pointed, who is rarely ever at the Steelers practice facility.
The question started as praise for the late Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, but it ended with Cameron Heyward getting what he thought about his father’s “tendency to get into trouble.”
The query left Steelers coach Mike Tomlin fuming but Heyward handled it like a pro.
“I think my dad made some bad decisions in the past but I learned a lot from that,” Heyward said. “Having that growing up and seeing what my mother dealt with it made me think that I don’t want to put anyone through that. Through his mistakes he was also a great man, and I think a lot of people understand that when you meet him.”
A quick comment about the question: Heyward will have to answer similar ones during his NFL career, and they are out of bounds. But in this case it was a classic case of wrong place, wrong time.
Heyward answered a number of other questions after the Steelers presented him with a No. 1 jersey and president Art Rooney II introduced him. Here are some excepts from his Q&A:
Q: What was your initial reaction when the Steelers picked you? Did you think they were going to take you?
A: “Coach Tomlin and a couple of other guys had told guys around me like my position coach and my mom, ‘If he’s there I’ll take him.’ But you don’t want to play into that. You’re going through the draft and I wanted to go to Pittsburgh so bad. I was looking at my phone and thinking don’t ring until the Steelers pick me. Luckily it worked out. My grandparents, all my extended family is from here. The chance to come back home and play for this team it’s a great honor. It’s a chance for me to compete for these guys and a chance to get better and learn from guys like Brett Keisel and Aaron Smith and Ziggy Hood. I look forward to taking knowledge from those guys, guys that have been here.”
Q: Did other teams show interest?
A: “A lot of teams showed interest so it was tough to gauge it. I always had a No. 1 next to Steelers. There chance to play for this team just means the world to me.”
Q: Are the Steelers a natural fit for you?
A: “I hope so. The Steelers have always been where I've wanted (to go), and I’ve always said that it's a match made in heaven. My mom came up to me and said that my dad was up in heaven working something out, so I think my game and the way I was brought up, I'm perfect for it. I understand the landscape, and I understand what great tradition and what great loyalty goes with it and the Rooneys. It's all great, and coming from Ohio State you deal with that. So, just getting the chance to be part of another great tradition is great.”
Q: Do you know Dick LeBeau?
A: “You have to. When you walk around Ohio State you hear about his name. He was a great player there and he’s come back a couple of time and talked to our team. He’s a man with a lot of wisdom and he definitely knows what he’s talking about. We try to emulate our defense like theirs but I know it’s another notch (up). He’s a heck of a coach and the chance to play your part on that defense is something great.”
Q: Was playing in the NFL always a dream of yours?
A: “I’d have to say that growing up, I wasn't going to play football. I didn't want to. You can ask my mom. I was more ready to do arts and crafts, but once I got the hang of it and once my coordination started catching up, I loved it. And I never wanted to let go of it. So, as I approached high school (football) and college, the ultimate goal always was to get to the NFL. And my grandmother always gave me Steelers sweatshirts for Christmas, so she already knew what was going to happen. It was just a matter of time.”
April 29th, 2011
http://blog.triblive.com/view-from-the- ... ox+Blog%29 (http://blog.triblive.com/view-from-the-press-box/2011/04/29/making-an-impression/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+triblive%2Fblog%2FViewFromThe PressBox+%28View+from+the+Press+Box+Blog%29)
If Cameron Heyward is as impressive on the field as he was during his introductory news conference Friday the Steelers will have hit big on another first-round pick.
Heyward said all of the right things and did not get flustered when he got asked a bush question by a TV reporter -– a reporter, it should be pointed, who is rarely ever at the Steelers practice facility.
The question started as praise for the late Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, but it ended with Cameron Heyward getting what he thought about his father’s “tendency to get into trouble.”
The query left Steelers coach Mike Tomlin fuming but Heyward handled it like a pro.
“I think my dad made some bad decisions in the past but I learned a lot from that,” Heyward said. “Having that growing up and seeing what my mother dealt with it made me think that I don’t want to put anyone through that. Through his mistakes he was also a great man, and I think a lot of people understand that when you meet him.”
A quick comment about the question: Heyward will have to answer similar ones during his NFL career, and they are out of bounds. But in this case it was a classic case of wrong place, wrong time.
Heyward answered a number of other questions after the Steelers presented him with a No. 1 jersey and president Art Rooney II introduced him. Here are some excepts from his Q&A:
Q: What was your initial reaction when the Steelers picked you? Did you think they were going to take you?
A: “Coach Tomlin and a couple of other guys had told guys around me like my position coach and my mom, ‘If he’s there I’ll take him.’ But you don’t want to play into that. You’re going through the draft and I wanted to go to Pittsburgh so bad. I was looking at my phone and thinking don’t ring until the Steelers pick me. Luckily it worked out. My grandparents, all my extended family is from here. The chance to come back home and play for this team it’s a great honor. It’s a chance for me to compete for these guys and a chance to get better and learn from guys like Brett Keisel and Aaron Smith and Ziggy Hood. I look forward to taking knowledge from those guys, guys that have been here.”
Q: Did other teams show interest?
A: “A lot of teams showed interest so it was tough to gauge it. I always had a No. 1 next to Steelers. There chance to play for this team just means the world to me.”
Q: Are the Steelers a natural fit for you?
A: “I hope so. The Steelers have always been where I've wanted (to go), and I’ve always said that it's a match made in heaven. My mom came up to me and said that my dad was up in heaven working something out, so I think my game and the way I was brought up, I'm perfect for it. I understand the landscape, and I understand what great tradition and what great loyalty goes with it and the Rooneys. It's all great, and coming from Ohio State you deal with that. So, just getting the chance to be part of another great tradition is great.”
Q: Do you know Dick LeBeau?
A: “You have to. When you walk around Ohio State you hear about his name. He was a great player there and he’s come back a couple of time and talked to our team. He’s a man with a lot of wisdom and he definitely knows what he’s talking about. We try to emulate our defense like theirs but I know it’s another notch (up). He’s a heck of a coach and the chance to play your part on that defense is something great.”
Q: Was playing in the NFL always a dream of yours?
A: “I’d have to say that growing up, I wasn't going to play football. I didn't want to. You can ask my mom. I was more ready to do arts and crafts, but once I got the hang of it and once my coordination started catching up, I loved it. And I never wanted to let go of it. So, as I approached high school (football) and college, the ultimate goal always was to get to the NFL. And my grandmother always gave me Steelers sweatshirts for Christmas, so she already knew what was going to happen. It was just a matter of time.”