Heyward wins the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year

Cameron Heyward is an intimidating, menacing force on the football field, but off the field, it’s a completely different story.

And that is exactly why Heyward was selected as the 2023 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, one of the most prestigious awards in the entire league. The award was announced on Thursday night during the NFL Honors in Las Vegas and presented by Prince Harry the Duke of Sussex.

“I want to say thank you to God. I wouldn’t be here today without him,” Heyward began his acceptance speech, after overcoming the surprise of Prince Harry presenting the award. “Ever since I’ve been a Pittsburgh Steeler I’ve always thought God and my dad had a plan for me. And I’m living it right now.

“I want to say thank you to the Pittsburgh Steelers for giving me this opportunity. Mike T (Coach Mike Tomlin), it’s an honor to be coached by you. I couldn’t play for any other coach. To my teammates, I’m thankful to be your teammate. There’s not a day goes by that I’m not touched. You push me, give me a chance to give back and you support me. I have to say thank you to the Steelers organization, Mr. (Art) Rooney II, Dan Rooney. I also have to give a big shout out to my community people. Blayre (Holmes), Angela (Tegnelia), Burt (Lauten), you guys do amazing job, Omar (Khan). You give me a chance to give back. You give me a chance to go out there and affect my community.
“This might be a little hard for me. When I talk about my family, I talk about my mom (Charlotte). When my dad passed away, there was only one person who stepped up for my family. And she stepped up for my foundation. I play football, and I got a chance to give back, but I can’t do everything. So she picks up the slack for our foundation. There isn’t anybody in Pittsburgh that doesn’t know her name. It’s all for the right reasons. My wife (Allie), you are my rock. You push me. You’re there for me. You are the love of my life. I am thankful for that.

“A special thank you to the Walter Payton family. This is my sixth time (nominated), so I’ve gotten a chance to know them over the years. And this guy, he always said it right. We are blessed to be a blessing.

“When I talk about my dad (the late Craig ‘Ironhead’ Heyward), he wore No. 34. And he’s been with me the entire time. He’s been with me every step of the way. But I didn’t know there was another No. 34 that was helping me. This man, Walter Payton. He’s done so much on and off the field and he’s changed so many lives and I have an opportunity to be part of such a great fraternity here for Walter Payton finalists and winners. I know I can carry this on and take the rock.”

Heyward, who was nominated for the award six times, joins an impressive list of Steelers players who have won the award in the past, including Franco Harris, Joe Greene, Lynn Swann and Jerome Bettis.

Heyward has a heart of gold under the helmet and shoulder pads, especially when it comes to helping others, to giving back to the community, to making a difference in the lives of people he might never even meet.

It’s just who he is. It’s how he was raised. It’s what he is passionate about and is tireless in his efforts to do good in a world where good is so desperately needed.

“There’s not a box that he doesn’t check,” said Coach Mike Tomlin. “From a quality of play standpoint, from a quality leadership standpoint, from a guy that does things right inside this building and outside this building. He’s just a blueprint for young players.

“Cam is a guy that embraces all this game and business has to offer, and the many challenges that it presents. He works off the field the way he works on the field.

“He’s just got a heart for the community in general, but I think it also is extremely important to him because of his family legacy being from this area. I think that just really stimulates him in unique ways relative to others in terms of really immersing himself in non-football related things and using the power of his influence for good. He doesn’t run away from it. He runs to it.”

The award recognizes a player’s off-the-field community service, as well as his playing excellence. Heyward, who was nominated for the sixth time this year, is a standout in both areas.

“Pittsburgh has meant so much to my family,” said Heyward. “To get to play in this league right next door to where my dad started his football career has been really special. It’s important to me to give back to this community that has blessed my family in so many ways.”

Heyward’s desire to give back is seen year-round and spurred his dad’s legacy, but he takes it to the next level during his annual ‘Cam’s Kindness Week,’ where he reaches out to different factions of the community on a daily basis.

And this year, he put his heart on his sleeve as he embarked on a journey of being a mentor to youth, a voice that can guide them and be an example that shines brightly for all who have the pleasure of being in his presence.

“As a coach, you hope to have a guy like Cam on your roster,” said Tomlin. “Someone you can point out to the younger players and say, ‘You want to be successful? Study film like this guy, compete like this guy, serve your community and your family like this guy.’ He’s done all the right things on and off the field consistently for a long time now. You hope your young guys absorb that.”

When Cameron Heyward was asked the question, it was one of those moments where your heart just skips a beat, because you know it wasn’t an easy question to ask, and an equally tough question to answer.

But Heyward handled it with composure and grace, just like he handles every other moment in his life.

And he gave an answer from the heart, because that is where all the memories of his late father, Craig ‘Ironhead’ Heyward, live, in his heart.

“If you could talk to your dad one last time, what would you tell him?” asked a young boy who has experienced the pain of losing a loved one just like Heyward has.

Heyward paused, and the emotional answer came from deep inside him.

“I would tell him I love him,” said Heyward.

And then he continued.

“I would say thank you for the moments I did get,” Heyward expressed. “And I would say we all miss you. There is not a day that goes by that we don’t miss you and we are going to continue to make you proud because that is all we are given.”

The touching exchange occurred at The Caring Place as a part of Cam’s Kindness Week, a week of giving back by Heyward to the Pittsburgh Community. The Caring Place offers programs to support children and families who are grieving after a devastating loss. And the statistics are sad, as one in 20 kids will have a parent die before they graduate from high school.

Heyward is one of those statistics, and that is why he wanted to share his story with the group. His father died when he was just 16-years old, the summer before his senior year of high school. Craig Heyward, who played at the University of Pittsburgh and in the NFL, had to give up football in 1999 because of a tumor that impacted his vision in the right eye. They thought that was the end of things, but it wasn’t. He suffered a stroke, becoming paralyzed on the right side.

“He was working to walk for my senior night,” Heyward shared with the group of kids and adults. “Before that happened, the summer before my senior year, he ended up passing away while I was at a basketball camp. My mom had to be the one to tell me. I remember that day clearly, looking for my mom, not knowing what was happening. I could feel everybody was being very delicate with me. When I found my mom, she had to share that with me. I know that was hard for her to share. I understood the strength she showed. From that moment, I got to see the strength she showed after that.”

Heyward himself also showed strength in his life, always wanting to honor his father’s legacy and take it one step further. He shared a conversation he had with his former coach at Ohio State, Jim Tressel, just before his senior season with the Buckeyes.

“Coach Tressel’s dad was revered in Ohio. One thing Coach told me was, my dad had a street named after him, I want a highway,” shared Heyward. “I took that as my dad has a legacy, and now I want to expand it. That is what my foundation is about, giving a chance to not only build on what my dad has done, but make it my own. I have done that ever since.”

Before the conversation with the kids finished, one young girl asked if he still gets sad about losing his dad, and how does he deal with it, obviously looking for advice to deal with grief of her own.

“I do still get sad. As much as I get sad, I am happy for the moments,” said Heyward. “The more I share, I tell people how much I miss him, how much I would love doing certain things. There is not a moment I don’t take to think about him and share his memory and what he would have done in those situations.

“When we lose someone we love, it doesn’t mean we lose them and their memories. Those memories are special to me.”