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Cam Heyward names surprising defender to his Steelers Mount Rushmore
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- Cam Heyward names surprising defender to his Steelers Mount Rushmore
When asked to assemble a personal "Mount Rushmore" of the greatest teammates from his prior 15 years with the Pittsburgh Steelers , seven-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Cameron Heyward excluded quarterbacks to make room for defensive legends. Alongside perennial All-Pros T.J. Watt , Troy Polamalu , and Casey Hampton, Heyward highlighted a teammate whose career ended prematurely: defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt .
During an interview with former Steelers defensive back Bryant McFadden at training camp in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, Heyward praised Tuitt's raw talent and underrated impact on Pittsburgh's front seven.
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"A guy who doesn't get enough love, Stephon Tuitt," Heyward told McFadden. "Um, I thought, you know, obviously his career got cut short, but I thought we had the best one-two punch as a defensive line."
Tuitt, a second-round pick out of Notre Dame in 2014, spent seven seasons dominating alongside Heyward before retiring from the NFL following the 2021 season. At 6-foot-6 and 303 pounds, Tuitt combined rare athletic agility with overwhelming physical power inside, earning him a unique nickname among his teammates.
"We called him the Mustang," Heyward said. "Because he had no brakes."
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During their peak years together, Heyward and Tuitt created an interior pass-rush tandem that routinely wrecked opponent game plans. In 2020, Tuitt's final full active season, the duo combined for 15 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, and 44 quarterback hits, anchoring one of the NFL's premier defensive units.
While tragic personal loss and injuries forced Tuitt to step away from football earlier than anticipated, his impact clearly left a lasting impression on the franchise's long-time defensive captain. By placing Tuitt alongside legendary All-Pros on his personal Mount Rushmore, Heyward offered a poignant reminder of just how dominant "The Mustang" was when controlling the line of scrimmage in Black and Gold.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Cam Heyward names surprising defender to his Steelers Mount Rushmore
