Steely McBeam
Well-known member
- Mar 20, 2019
- 2,135
- 0
Getty Images
Steelers captain Cameron Heyward has already heard many different viewpoints.
And while finding any consensus is difficult in any situation right now, the Steelers have already seen what can happen when any one individual is singled out.
“We’re living in a climate where guys need to know they have a platform and they should be able to voice their opinion,” Heyward said, via Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “It’s not for one guy to decide. It’s not for two guys to decide. It’s a team that has its own interests at heart.”
When protests during the national anthem became a thing in 2017, the Steelers tried to stay off the field for the anthem. But left tackle Alejandro Villanueva, a former Army Ranger, stood in the tunnel. He was the only player visible, and that created criticism of singling him out.
“The thing that ticks me off about that is what we were trying to do was remain out of the spotlight and it got turned upside down,” Heyward said. “To know that we were looked at like we were leaving one of our brothers out, leaving Al out to dry . . . It was never meant to ostracize a player. . . .
“I think we want to stay united in what we do and what we want to accomplish. “Coach T[omlin] always told me that if we win a Super Bowl, that’s not enough for the city of Pittsburgh. We want to leave a lasting change on our community as well.”
That might mean that players decide to approach the national anthem differently, after weeks of protests sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer. And as many have noted, racial inequality and police brutality were the issues Colin Kaepernick was advocating for in 2017, and they are the issues now/
“No one really paid attention to the issues Colin Kaepernick was talking about at the time,” Heyward said. “They were mostly concerned about what he was doing rather than his message. This time around, you see the evidence and you see what he was talking about.
“It wasn’t like he was blowing smoke. These are real issues affecting our community.”
They still are, and Heyward said he’ll continue to listen.