Cameron Heyward

Heyward married Allie Schwarzwalder on May 11, 2013. They have three children: a son, Callen, and two daughters, Chloe and Caia.

He is the son of former NFL fullback Craig “Ironhead” Heyward and Charlotte Heyward Blackwell. Craig Heyward died after battling a brain tumor, an experience that influenced Cameron’s later community work and his efforts to honor his father’s legacy. His brothers include Corey Heyward, who played college basketball for Georgia Tech, and Connor Heyward, a tight end whom the Steelers selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft.

Heyward has asthma, including weather-induced, allergy-induced and exercise-induced asthma. He has spoken about managing the condition while continuing to compete as a professional athlete.

Heyward grew up in Georgia after his family moved to Atlanta when he was six. He attended Whitefield Academy before transferring to Peachtree Ridge High School, where he played football and basketball. As a senior, he recorded 16 sacks and was named Georgia Class 5A Defensive Player of the Year. Peachtree Ridge also shared the Georgia Class 5A state championship that season.

He chose Ohio State University after visiting the campus with his mother. Playing for coach Jim Tressel, Heyward developed across multiple defensive positions and helped the Buckeyes reach the BCS National Championship Game as a freshman. Ohio State won the 2010 Rose Bowl against Oregon and later defeated Arkansas in the 2011 Sugar Bowl.

Heyward completed his Ohio State career with 163 tackles, 37.5 tackles for loss and more than 15 sacks. He graduated with a degree in human development and family sciences, choosing to return for his senior season rather than enter the NFL draft after his junior year.

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Heyward 31st overall in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft. He made his regular-season debut in the 2011 opener against the Baltimore Ravens and recorded his first career sack against Tennessee Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. He became a regular starter in 2013 and moved into the defensive tackle role during his Steelers career.

Heyward emerged as one of the NFL’s most productive interior defenders during the late 2010s. He recorded a career-high 12 sacks in 2017, earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors twice that season and was named a first-team All-Pro. He also received first-team All-Pro recognition in 2019, 2021 and 2024, along with second-team honors in 2020 and 2025.

He has been selected to seven Pro Bowls and served as a Steelers team captain for 11 consecutive seasons from 2015 through 2025. His career totals through the 2025 season included 796 tackles, 92 sacks, 139 tackles for loss, 64 passes defensed, nine forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries and two interceptions. His 92 sacks were the most by a Steelers defensive lineman since individual sacks became an official statistic in 1982.

Heyward missed part of the 2023 season because of a groin injury, returning in Week 9. In 2024, he started all 17 games, recorded 71 tackles and eight sacks, and produced a career-high 11 passes defensed. In 2025, he played and started all 17 regular-season games, finishing with 78 tackles, 3.5 sacks and six passes defensed.

Heyward and Allie founded The Heyward House in 2015 to support underserved children and families in Pittsburgh and the Atlanta area. Its programs have included after-school activities, food distribution, clothing assistance and partnerships with community organizations.

The foundation’s Craig’s Closet program, named for his father, provides formal clothing for high school students preparing for interviews, internships, banquets and proms. The Rufus and Judy Jordan Literacy Program established Little Free Libraries and provides books, including financial-literacy materials, in underserved communities. Heyward also created Cam’s Birthday Bash for children who might not otherwise have the opportunity to celebrate their birthdays.

His other initiatives have included partnerships with Blessings in a Backpack, Thanksgiving food distributions with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, and the Voices of Hope Scholarship for people affected by brain tumor diagnoses. He received the 2023 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, which recognizes community service along with performance on the field.