If you haven't been paying attention, the Pittsburgh Steelers' lone touchdown this past weekend was a pretty cool moment. Sure, it was a huge play that helped the team improve to 5-7 heading into Week 14. Beyond just that though, rookie Tight End Connor Heyward caught the first touchdown of his young NFL career. The sentimental aspect doesn't stop there though.
Photo Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Connor's touchdown happened in Atlanta, where his father Craig played three NFL seasons in the 1990s. Much of the Heyward family resides in Atlanta, making it quite a special moment for the family. His brother Cam, who is obviously a star defender for the black and gold, admitted to tearing up on the sidelines after the play. The two visited their father's grave Sunday morning before the game, only adding to the overall emotions on the day.
In his 12th season in the league with the Steelers, Cam is nine years older than his younger brother Connor. Connor appeared on Cam's podcast, Not Just Football, after the huge victory over the Atlanta Falcons. The tight end spoke about a special moment with Quarterback Kenny Pickett, who was aware of the special occasion.
"He was just like let's go get this win for your pops," Connor said on Not Just Football. "And then after he threw it [the TD] to me, he was like that was for your dad."
Photo Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Alex Kozora provided quite a cool video, which shows how similar Connor's first career TD was to his father's first TD. Connor has seen the field a little bit over these last two weeks, as his 14 snaps against the Falcons was his third-highest snap count of the season. He's now caught eight of his nine targets in his rookie season, racking up 93 receiving yards and that lone touchdown.
Also in the episode, Connor clarified that he did indeed get the ball. That's one that will surely go up in his future home, for a multitude of reasons. The Steelers' overall tight end room has quietly become one of the team's strengths, led by second-year blossoming star Pat Freiermuth. Heyward seems like he can have a real impact as a backup TE for the black and gold for years to come.
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