In honor of new Mr. Steelers Defense’s 202nd game with team, Cam Heyward’s top 5 career moments

When Cameron Heyward takes the field for the first snap of Monday night’s game against the New York Giants at Acrisure Stadium, he will become the all-time leader in games played by a Pittsburgh Steelers defensive player.

For a franchise with a reputation for defensive brilliance, that Heyward will surpass 10 Pro Football Hall of Famers who played on defense for the Steelers — six of whom won multiple Super Bowls with the team — speaks to both to his longevity and ascending spot among the greats in franchise history.

On the eve of his 202nd game for the team — passing Donnie Shell for most by a defensive player — Heyward was asked by TribLive to list his five most memorable outings. Heyward said he had recently been compelled to sit down and think it over. He’d written down five moments that stood out over his 14-year NFL career. It should not come as a surprise that each came as part of one of the 124 times as a pro that Heyward walked off the field a winner.

In no particular order:

Oct. 2, 2016: Dominant Day

This Week 4 home matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs was the 84th regular-season game and 49th start of Heyward’s career. He still was in search of a two-sack outing.

Heyward did one better than even that — bringing down Alex Smith three times in what ended up the fourth-largest margin of victory of Heyward’s career, 43-14.

It remains Heyward’s only three-sack game.

“I think for whatever reason I was just mixing (pass-rush moves) stuff up that day,” Heyward said, “and things were working.”

Dec. 24, 2022: Honoring Franco

Cam Heyward comes onto the field carrying a #32 Franco Harris flag pic.twitter.com/eVFmgeKVF0

— Jenna Harner (@JennaHarner11) December 25, 2022

The day that first comes to Heyward’s mind was not so much about a game itself but with what certainly seems to be his most memorable overall moment as a Steeler: running out of the tunnel carrying a large “32” flag before a game that included a number-retirement ceremony for Steelers icon Franco Harris.

The Christmas Eve event became all the more poignant when Harris died unexpectedly just four days prior.

“His wife reached out and asked me to hold the banner coming out,” Heyward said. “That was one of those moments that was special to me.”

That the Steelers won 13-10 to keep their playoff hopes alive — and that Heyward had two sacks, a batted-down pass and three tackles for loss — made it even more special.

Jan. 9, 2016: Big part of playoff win

Heyward’s only postseason sack came during the only postseason win he has been a part of.

Heyward’s strip sack of A.J. McCarron came during the second quarter of the visiting Steelers’ wild 18-16 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals. The game is most remembered for the crazy fourth quarter in which Cincinnati erased a 15-0 deficit to take the lead, only to fritter it away via a combination of a Jeremy Hill fumble, double-personal foul penalty and an injured Ben Roethlisberger checking back into the game for the winning drive.

“That was a big one, of course, for me,” Heyward said.

Heyward was credited with four QB hits in the game, tied for the second-most of any of the 209 meaningful pro games he’s played.

Sept. 30, 2019: Friendly fire-d up

The Bengals were again the foe 2 ½ years later when Heyward had the second-best sack game of his career:posting 2 ½ during a 27-3 home victory. It was the Steelers’ first win of the season, and it came two weeks after Roethlisberger underwent season-ending elbow surgery.

The Steelers knew because they were down to backup quarterbacks that for the first time in recent memory, they would need to win via defense. Heyward, the unit’s captain, led the way with a strip sack among his takedowns of Andy Dalton. Heyward also had six tackles, second most on the team.

Heyward remembers all that. But he most recalls the game for another reason.

“Early on in the game, it was screen and (teammate) Stephon Tuitt ran into my leg and left this big old bruise,” Heyward said. “Friendly fire.”

Heyward recalled sitting on the sideline and screaming in a combination of frustration, pain and an attempt to fire himself up.

“And everyone looking at me like I was crazy,” he said.

“Then, after I went out and had 2 1/2 sacks, they were like, ‘What the heck happened there with that?’ That one was fun.”

Sept. 12, 2021: All-around effort in upset

In what would end up one as of the Steelers’ biggest upset victories of his career, Heyward put on an all-around performance in a 23-16 road win at AFC powerhouse Buffalo.

On the third snap from scrimmage in the game, Heyward batted down a Josh Allen pass intended for fellow All-Pro Stefon Diggs on a third-and-5. During the first half alone, Heyward added a forced fumble of Allen and a fumble recovery on a Watt strip sack.

Heyward went on to bat down another pass and sacked Allen again on a third down in the fourth quarter in helping the Steelers to a victory that set the early tone to ensure Roethlisberger’s final game would come in the playoffs.

“To beat the Bills in an opener was huge,” Heyward said, “and I just thought it was one of my really good (individual) performances.”