The Pittsburgh Steelers play in one of the toughest divisions in football, the AFC North. The rivalries among the Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, and Cincinnati Bengals are among the most fierce in any sport. All you have to do is watch the current season of Hard Knocks to get a peek at how brutal and competitive it can be. However, it is not just players who get aggressive and not just fans of division rivals who can get out of hand.
Former Steelers linebacker Joey Porter Sr. is from a different era. When he played, it was without many of the rules of today's game. That meant their rivalry games were even more physical than now. His son, Joey Porter Jr., followed in his father's footsteps and plays for his hometown team. Recently, he and his father were featured on an episode of Hard Knocks. The elder Porter and his wife admitted that she had to stop attending Cleveland games, particularly in her husband's jersey, because fans threw things at her. Porter said he knows they all hate him. He doesn't even eat in those cities because he knows they will likely spit in his food.
Current Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward shared similar stories. On his podcast, Not Just Football with Cam Heyward, his co-host Hayden Walsh asked him if he'd heard the story about the Philadelphia Eagles fan who got banned for life for verbally attacking an opposing fan. Heyward said he wasn't surprised. He added that he doesn't want his wife and children at certain away games because of the things that have happened to them.
"My wife won't go to Cleveland games," confessed Heyward. "You know she wears my jersey. It's not like it's welcome home or anything. I'm always worried about their well-being wherever we go. They've been to some away games, but there are some where it's just not worth them dealing with liquored-up fans and disrespectfulness; it does nobody any good at that point. Somebody threw [a bird] at my son, you know my son's already bigger, they probably thought he was older and I think he was just very confused in the moment and didn't really know what was going on."
Heyward said he isn't surprised the fan getting banned was an Eagles fan. They are known for booing Santa Claus, after all. He joked that the jail under their stadium is probably overflowing during most games. He added that he understands they are trying to be passionate and cheer on their team. As players, you have to block out the noise and, like Head Coach Mike Tomlin says, "make it out of there alive," but it's not as easy when it's your family.
Walsh said there have been countless stories of players and family members being harassed at away stadiums. He mentioned former Steeler Willie Colon claimed batteries were thrown at his mother at an Eagles game. Bengals fans threw trash and bottles at Ben Roethlisberger when he was injured and being carted off the field. Roethlisberger has shared that he's had batteries and snowballs thrown at him too.
Steelers' Cameron Heyward Has Still Got It
Many thought it was a mistake when the Steelers extended Heyward during the 2024 offseason. At 35, they felt he was too old to contribute at a high level. Heyward took it personally and made his feelings known on his show, promising to keep receipts.
Now that the season is over, Heyward can say he proved them all wrong. While unhappy with how the team finished, he did nearly all he could. He earned both All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors for the season. Heyward led defensive tackles in 2024 for passes defended with 11, a career-high. He also had eight sacks and 71 total tackles.
