Heywards lift Steelers after visit to dad's grave

ATLANTA -- Before heading to Mercedes-Benz Stadium connected Sunday, Connor and Cameron Heyward made the 35-mile travel to Lawrenceville, Georgia to beryllium adjacent to their dad.

Together, the brothers -- besides Pittsburgh Steelers teammates -- visited Craig "Ironhead" Heyward's sedate astatine Gwinnett Memorial Park wherever helium was buried successful 2006 aft a agelong conflict with cancer. Hours later, Connor scored his archetypal vocation NFL touchdown astatine the location of the Atlanta Falcons, the aforesaid enactment wherever his dada played for 3 seasons and rushed for a career-high 1,083 yards successful 1995 -- the past clip a fullback had a 1,000-yard rushing play -- and earned a Pro Bowl nod.

"I was beauteous affectional erstwhile helium got the touchdown," said Cameron Heyward, wearing his dad's aged No. 34 Falcons jersey successful the postgame property conference. "I don't similar to beryllium Mr. Sap, but similar that truly deed me. Luckily determination wasn't a camera connected maine due to the fact that I was a mess."

Connor Heyward, 23, scored connected a 17-yard walk from rookie backmost Kenny Pickett successful the 2nd 4th arsenic helium got down the defence heavy successful the extremity zone, hauling successful the shot earlier helium ran retired of bounds. The touchdown besides looked eerily akin to his dad's archetypal successful 1988 arsenic a rookie with the New Orleans Saints.

Heyward's touchdown gave the Steelers (5-7) a 13-3 pb and helped propel them to a 19-16 victory -- their 2nd consecutive. And it gave the rookie choky extremity a infinitesimal he'll ne'er hide successful beforehand of much than 30 friends and household who attended the game.

"It was everything," helium said of his catch. "It was truly cool. The shot was successful the aerial and my bosom benignant of dropped, like, 'Oh, it's coming to me.' But conscionable gladsome I made the play. Glad everybody, each the different 10 guys connected that play did their job."

Not lone did Connor Heyward people Sunday, but Cameron Heyward recorded a sack. They're the archetypal brace of brothers to bash that for the aforesaid squad successful a azygous crippled since sacks became an authoritative statistic successful 1982, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The brothers grew up extracurricular Atlanta and went to Peachtree Ridge High School. Though their dad, who was conscionable 39 erstwhile helium died, went to Pitt, neither followed -- but some inactive coiled up playing shot successful the aforesaid metropolis wherever their dada launched his shot career. Connor Heyward, a decennary younger than Cameron Heyward, was drafted by the Steelers successful the sixth circular of the 2022 NFL draft. Cameron Heyward was the organization's first-round prime successful 2011.

Before the Steelers took the tract Sunday, Cameron Heyward talked to the squad astir the value of the crippled for his household and astir his dad's legacy. It near a large content connected Pickett, a Pitt merchandise similar Craig Heyward.

"It was special, and Cam talked to the squad before, and I talked to Connor," Pickett said. "We were walking retired to the tunnel, and I said we're gonna get the triumph for his pops today. Connor to spell retired determination and get his archetypal touchdown successful this building, it's incredibly special. It's not a coincidence. I deliberation everything happens for a reason. Incredibly arrogant of him and truly blessed we got the triumph for some those guys."