Despite being a great defensive coordinator and one of the best defensive backs in NFL history, longtime Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau rarely felt comfortable pounding the table for players to be picked in the draft.
Defensive lineman Cameron Heyward was an exception.
Leading up to the 2011 NFL Draft, LeBeau felt very comfortable making the case for Heyward to be the Steelers’ draft pick as the Ohio State product really impressed him on tape and in person at Buckeyes Pro Day. That gave LeBeau the comfort necessary to pound the table for Heyward, who has gone on to have quite the career with the Black and Gold.
There was one play that sold LeBeau on Heyward during the pre-draft process, and it wasn’t even a standard play from defensive linemen.
“Well, the first thing I did was look at all of his games. His early games, his middle games and his senior-citizen games. And I said, ‘This guy’s a player.’ But the play that sold me, I mean, I was jumping on the table for him when I came back from my recruiting visit…Miami. …And when I saw that play, it was a very remarkable and crucial play the game. I said, ‘Oh, there’s my guy. There’s my guy,'” LeBeau said on the Not Just Football with Cam Heyward podcast, according to video via the show’s YouTube page.
That matchup between Ohio State and Miami (FL) occurred on Sept. 11, 2010, at The Horseshoe in Columbus, which featured the No. 2 Buckeyes against the No. 12 Hurricanes in a colossal early-season tilt.
With the Hurricanes driving for a potential score in a 26-17 game, Heyward dropped into coverage in a zone blitz. He stepped in front of a pass from Miami QB Jacory Harris and raced 80 yards the other way, showing off his ball skills and the athleticism in space that LeBeau coveted for his defense, which thrived on the zone blitz.
Here’s a look at that play.
During LeBeau’s career with the Steelers as a Super Bowl-winning defensive coordinator, a career that put him in the Steelers Hall of Honor, he was famous for the zone blitzes, catching teams off guard by dropping guys into spots they had no business dropping into.
Heyward showing that ability at Ohio State, along with his character that LeBeau observed and knowing his family’s history, sold the defensive coordinator on pounding the table for the Steelers to draft him.
Ultimately, the Steelers obliged LeBeau, selecting Heyward No. 31 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft. Though he took two years to fully develop into a starting defensive lineman for Pittsburgh, once he did, he took off and has put together a Hall of Fame career.
LeBeau says he just knew.
“Well, we took you in the first round, and first-round choices, people like to be pretty careful with. I never felt any more secure in recommending a player than you,” LeBeau told Heyward. “I don’t know if you remember, but I went to your workout at Ohio State and quite a few of your family members were there, and I got to spend some time with them, and your mom just made such an impression on me. And I said, ‘This man has been brought up correctly and he’s gonna be a great asset and have a long and strong career in the National Football League.’
“And picking guys in [those] early rounds, because you don’t get an X-ray machine that tells you what’s inside of them. I had a little insight to what was inside of you, and I felt very, very secure with that draft pick. And like I say, I really love people that make me right.”
LeBeau believed Heyward was a can’t-miss guy. Early returns didn’t indicate that as Heyward was stuck behind some veterans and struggled to get onto the field. But he continued to put his head down and work, and he ultimately developed into the caliber of player that LeBeau believed he would be in the NFL — and then some.
On top of his on-field production and the Hall of Fame career he’s built, Heyward has been a great community leader, winning the Walter Payton Man of the Year award. LeBeau knew, and he knew rather quickly, allowing him to pound the table for Heyward.
Good thing he did, too. The Steelers made the right decision and have been rewarded in a big way — and then some — with Heyward.
Check out the full interview with LeBeau on the Not Just Football with Cam Heyward podcast below.
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