With fans eagerly awaiting today's AFC North matchup against the Bengals, DE and defensive captain Cam Heyward sat down on Friday afternoon to talk with Steelers Nation Unite members in a total access edition of The Huddle, presented by Hyundai.
For year-round access to exclusive Huddle events such as this, visit SteelersNationUnite.com now to sign up and become an official member for free.
It was clear that fans had the AFC North on their mind as they began to ask questions to the seventh-year player. When asked which team is his favorite to play against, he had a hard time choosing just one.
"It's obviously fun to play against the AFC North. Each AFC North opponent we play is always a little bit special," he said. "With the Ravens, we've had that big rivalry for so long. The Bengals because that rivalry has really picked up recently and has become more of a physical game. And Cleveland because I have a lot of friends and family from there, so I get to rub it in sometimes."
Heyward was also asked about the confidence level of the defense following a strong performance against the Chiefs in Week 6 and if he expected more of the same this Sunday.
"You can be confident like that, but at the end of the day we have to take care of our assignments," he said. "You don't want to go out there and not do your job. I think that's one thing we did [against the Chiefs] that made us more successful than the prior week. If we do that, we'll be fine."
With this being the first opportunity for fans to talk live with Heyward since injury ended his 2016 campaign, members made mention often of how happy they were to see him back on the field.
"I almost forgot I was injured last year," Heyward joked the first time he heard someone say 'Welcome back' during the call.
Heyward was also asked about some off the field topics, including what meals he likes to eat and make following a hard-fought game.
"I always like eating some sushi," he said. "You can't go wrong with spaghetti and meatballs, and just the other week we made jambalaya. I loved it. We put in kielbasa, shrimp, chicken – you can't go wrong with that."
And as has practically become tradition with many of these live calls and video Q&As, Heyward was asked at the end about Steelers Nation and what he thinks any time he sees those Terrible Towels flying, be it at home or when fans take over on the road.
"We like to take over," said Heyward, smiling. "I don't think a lot of teams can do that. When you hear other fans get quiet and you hear, 'Here We Go, Steelers,' it's a compliment to you [fans]. We look forward to seeing it more."
Be sure to check out SteelersNationUnite.com for a full replay of the event, and see how this season can be even more rewarding with the Official Home of Steelers Nation.
