Steelers' Cam Heyward Named 2023 Walter Payton Man of Year

The Pittsburgh Steelers defensive captain has been named the 2023 Walter Payton Man of the Year.

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle and seven-time team captain Cam Heyward has been named the 2023 Walter Payton Man of the Year, the first time winning the award after six nominations throughout his career. 

The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award recognizes a player's off-the-field community service, as well as his playing excellence. 

This year, Heyward hosted his second annual Cam's Kindness Week, helping different facets of the Pittsburgh community each day for an entire week. This year, one of his stops was at UPMC Children's Hospital, where he recorded a book reading that was shared with all of the patients and hung out playing video games and talking with kids. He also gave each patient a No. 97 pillow to use for comfort. 

"Pittsburgh has meant so much to my family," Heyward told Steelers.com. "To get to play in this league right next door to where my dad started his football career has been really special. It's important to me to give back to this community that has blessed my family in so many ways."

Heyward was also a member of the Social Justice Committee and donated $100,000 to Social Justice Funds in 2022. $50,000 went toward Café Momentum Pittsburgh and $50,000 to the Homewood Children's Village. The Steelers matched both donations.

This past year, he's also won the Ambassador Daniel M. Rooney Champion of Mentoring award, presented by The Mentoring Partnership. 

All of this only adds to Heyward's work he was doing beforehand. The veteran defensive tackle launched Craig's Closet in 2018, which is dedicated to his late father. The work provides free dress clothes to help young men in job interviews, internships, events and more. 

Craig's Closet also hosts its yearly Suiting Up for Success Soiree. The event celebrates male high school seniors who show leadership, sportsmanship, hard work, and good character despite their challenges and provides a custom suit and new shoes for each student. They also share in a formal dinner with Heyward that includes motivational speakers. 

"With me and my brothers, we always try to honor our dad and we know we've all been given blessings beyond," Heyward said. "It's up to us to honor that legacy and expand on that legacy, because through that we can only be better men."

As the winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year, Heyward receives $35,000 toward the charity of his choice. He'll also have this honor remembered by wearing the Walter Payton Man of the Year patch on his jersey. 

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