"Misfits" rallying cry fueled the Steelers' AFC North title run. Heyward reveals how Rodgers ignited this unlikely team's unbreakable bond.
Football players love to portray their teams as underdogs and play up the us-versus-the-world angle.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers played that card early this season. In his year with the Steelers, Rodgers labeled his team as “misfits,” saying many of his teammates had been cast off by other teams or hadn’t been given opportunities to prove they could be contributors in the NFL.
The idea that the Steelers have a roster full of misfits is dubious. They have a lot of talent.
However, the Steelers rallied around the idea and went on to win the AFC North title. The Steelers (10-7) host the Houston Texans (12-5) on Monday night in a Wild Card playoff game at Acrisure Stadium.
Hey, whatever works, and Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward believes Rodgers’ characterization of the team immediately resonated throughout the locker room.
"We have a lot of outcasts, a lot of people that trigger people for the right or wrong reasons," Heyward said. "We're a group that has our backs against the wall. We like our chances because we're all together. We thrive off of people either counting us out, people not believing in us, and us trying to play our best ball."
That Rodgers is a leader for the Steelers in his first season with Pittsburgh is not a surprise. He plays the sport’s most important position, is 42 years old, is in his 21st professional season, and has won four NFL MVP awards.
However, it would have been understandable if Rodgers had at least a small acclimation process after joining a new organization. However, Heyward says the way Rodgers immediately assimilated into the Steelers’ culture made an impact that has only grown as the season has progressed.
"The first day he came in, he talked about he wants to serve the group," Heyward said. "I think that spoke a lot to his mindset approaching us. And it's one thing to say with words, it's another thing to take part in everything we do. To get to know players, offensively, defensively, special teams.
"There's a competition that breeds togetherness amongst everybody in our group. I think offensively and defensively, this is probably the closest we've been in a really long time. O-line and D-line asking each other questions. Just trying to better everybody in this group. And it's great. Guys really stepping up, guys getting better. One thing I love is Aaron's game for competition in every part of this. And we've been going at it since training camp. Everybody's trying to get better."