The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Pro Bowl Defensive End Cam Heyward of the Pittsburgh Steelers

Episode Date: January 29, 2020

Pro Bowl Defensive End Cam Heyward of the Pittsburgh Steelers

Ross Villarale here in Miami with Cam Hey, what I'm Ross? How are you, Cam? I'm good. How are you? I'm pretty good, man. You're doing all right? How are you feeling? Feeling good. Okay, that's good. That's important. Well, you're here at the Super Bowl, and I understand you'd rather probably be playing in the Super Bowl, but really interesting season for you guys. I mean, that's got to be unique, especially for you in your career. I mean, Rothesberger goes down early. Everybody's writing you guys off, but y'all are in the playoff race right there until the end. Yeah, you know, I don't think anyone could have foreseen what we were going through, But, you know, we constantly got better on defense.

And with new quarterbacks, you just try to be as complimentary as possible. Yeah, was that like a challenge for you guys? You said, was there anything said explicitly or was it just known? Like we, if we're going to have, if Ben's going down, you know, it's obviously complimentary, right? Some days he's going to pick y'all up. Some days y'all pick him up. Yeah. But when he goes down, we're really going to have to step up our game.

Well, you're just asking a lot of guys who haven't played. So, you know, you try to be as complimentary where, you know, If you get a turnover, it's not just get a turnover. It's trying to get a touchdown. Or, you know, get in their red zone. So we can give them a short field. You know, we can guarantee three points. You know, finding ways like that to really settle down a quarterback early on.

And hopefully down the road it pays dividends. Cool. So you guys are the defense. Obviously, you, pro bowler yourself, T.J. Watt. Obviously, we know we're in Houston. We know J.J. Watt. We know what he's well capable of. But, man, it's crazy.

You know, Derek Watt, T.J. Yacht, J.J. Watt. What's going on with these Watts, man? They're all just beasts. Man, I don't know what mom and dad were feeding him. But it was special. And, you know, T.J. has been a heck of a player for us. And we're very fortunate to have a guy like that. Yeah, I mean, so when you first, so you've been in the,

when he first came into camper, when you first saw that he was drafted, and, you know, it's always, it's always tough, I feel like. for a brother, especially a tough act to follow with JJ, three-time defensive player of the year and all that type of stuff, and to set himself apart, I mean, and in the conversation for a defensive player of the year, what were the first conversations with him like? I don't remember them verbatim, but I just remember.

I need the transcript, Kim. Yeah. But I think with TJ, you could see he was light years, you know, intellectually when you're talking football. You know, we were able to speak on a totally different level. You know, I'm talking to most guys. like I was talking to him, like, after the fourth or fifth year. But with him, I felt like he was already at that point.

And, you know, he was ready to blast off. I think he had, like, seven or eight sacks his first year. And then he's had double-digit these past, too. But, you know, he's just going to continue to grow. I don't even think he's a good for him. Wow, wow. Okay, Cam Hayward here of the Pittsburgh Steelers here on Sports Talk 790. And another thing that helped you guys, not necessarily turn it around,

but in the playoffs running the entire year, even after losing Big Ben, coach Mike Tomlin. I mean, that was a guy he'd been under fire. He's on the hot seat. People talking about him and should he be let go, all that type of stuff. And then he just rallied the troops. What is it about him? What sets him apart from other coaches in the NFL?

I just think he's consistent. I don't think he ever let us get out of character. I think we had great game plans. But with him, I think you can get off track when you lose one, two, three games in a row. I felt like he was always ready for that moment. He was able to keep us steady. Okay. So we're here in Houston.

Obviously, we got the Texans. I don't know if you heard Bill O'Brien just got elevated to GM over here. Congratulations. Congratulations to him. I don't think the – you're probably not too mad about that. The fans don't seem too happy about it. But just overall, the Texans of Sean Watson, I mean, it just feels like – I mean, this young town in the AFC, you got – I mean, been coming back.

But, I mean, Mahomes. Jackson, Watson. It feels like I kept waiting for, you know, the older guys with the Breeze and Brady and then Manning at the end, you're like, oh, when's this new air going to come? Looks like it's here. Man, it's definitely here.

You know, Mahomes is, I don't even need to speak on that. Everybody knows about Mahomes. But Deshaun Watson, I thought, had a heck of a year. You know, I think he took leaps and bounds, and I think the offensive line solidified that helped give him buying some more time to get downfield. Lamar Jackson, soon to be MVP. You know, we're in good hands in the AFC.

We're going to have our hands full. Hopefully Ben's got a couple more good years in it. Yeah, you've got to be up to the challenge. I feel like people, the old guys might be forgotten next year, but I think you're going to want to make some noise next year. That's okay with you. Yeah, you know, if we're the best kept secret, that's fine with me as long as I see us on Sunday. All right, well, we got to wrap it here with Cam Wood.

My name's Ross and Houston. Appreciate your time, Cam. Thanks a lot. All right, man. Have a good one. Sorry, Cam Hayward here from Radio Road, thanks to the Lotee Center and Twin Peaks Lodge.