The Pittsburgh Steelers have enjoyed Cameron Heyward's company throughout his career. The four-time All-Pro has made a name for himself as a guy that doesn't ever slow down. He had back-to-back seasons with double-digit sack totals after he turned 30. An injury hurt his production in 2023, but he is healthy and ready to get back on track for the 2024 season. It wasn't always easy for Heyward, especially while he was first trying to adapt to the NFL, before and after getting drafted.
Heyward made an appearance on Hot Ones to talk about his career and his life. He was asked about his own experience with the pre-draft process, specifically the odd topics that he had to answer to. Those meetings are clearly not a highlight of his life, according to him.
"I went into the Denver [Broncos] meeting, and I tried to tell a joke; nobody laughed, and then they were like, 'Go up on the board. Show us some plays.' So, I go on the board, and then the marker drops behind the board, and I'm like, 'Oh my God, this is how people feel in their job interviews. This is embarrassing.'"
There are always stories being told about how weird the pre-draft meetings are, as teams will seemingly do everything they can to make it as uncomfortable as possible. The Denver Broncos were no different in that regard. Under Head Coach John Fox, the team definitely kept that narrative up by making Heyward feel like he was trying to get a basic 9-to-5 job, as opposed to giving him the chance to live out his dream.
In the 2011 NFL Draft, the Broncos drafted Von Miller with the second overall pick. They did not get another chance to draft Heyward, as the Steelers picked him up right before the first round ended. The Broncos did get a generational talent, as Miller eventually went on to win Super Bowl MVP as well, so they likely have no regrets and missing out on Heyward. From the stories he told to Sean Evans on Hot Ones, Heyward is likely happy that the Steelers grabbed him, as opposed to falling to Denver in the second round.
Heyward also mentioned that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tried to get him to confess to having a vice. He said that he didn't have anything like that, especially with women, alcohol, and other common problems that some players have. The best that he could come up with was that he might like video games a bit too much. He was probably happy when they picked Adrian Clayborn over him, although the Buccaneers may regret that decision.
Steelers' Heyward Was Used To Unusual Meetings
Heyward having odd things happen to him before the draft had become normal by the time he got embarrassed in Denver. In the same episode, he mentioned that he did combine interviews while bleeding through his shirt due to recent elbow surgery. He couldn't participate in drills at the scouting combine due to that injury, so he just went to make a strong first impression verbally, and his elbow didn't help matters at all.
In the weirdest twist to his pre-draft process, Heyward also had a secret, unplanned meeting with the New England Patriots. Bill Belichick is known for getting any advantage he can find, and getting an extra meeting with him was no different. Luckily, that one was not embarrassing for Heyward, but the Patriots still passed on him in favor of Nate Solder.
