Killer Cam
Our Buckeye photographer El Jay comes over to me during the Minnesota game and says “You gotta see this shot I got of Cam and Wilson getting psyched up… It looked like a fight!“ So he cues it up in the camera for me to see… and he was right. GIven, it looked like a playful fight. Head slapping and grunting and growling and just… man stuff. They did it while the rest of the team was huddled up and hopping around.
“We’re just trying to get psyched up.“ Cameron Heyward says with a smile. He owns a big, bright smile and a big, bright future. He and Lawrence Wilson use this self warm-up to harness the fire and beat-em-up mentality that seems to work best along the rugged line of scrimmage in college football. It’s a dark, nasty place and they go there to win.
Heyward enjoyed his best day as a Buckeye Saturday at Penn State with 11 tackles and 2 sacks. He was named the Big Ten’s defensive player of the week for his manhandling of several members along the PSU offensive line. He’s not a guy who runs his mouth, even when he should. He speaks in short sentences, but always with a positive take and a big grin. After his PSU mandhandling, Cam simply said “I just really wanted to play today.“
But what’s scary about Cam is what senior captain Kurt Coleman said about him Tuesday. “He’s not even grown into his body yet.“ Coleman said. “It’s scary to think how good he’s gonna be… he’s just a beast.“
Thus, I’m voting for “Killer Cam” as Heyward’s new nickname. I’ll probably be alone on this one.
Question now becomes will Cam and his still growing body consider the NFL draft after the season. Both Cam and Thaddeus Gibson will likely seek answers from NFL scouts about their draft prospects before deciding. But if either or both return next season Ohio State could be looking at it’s finest pair of senior defensive ends in school history. How did Cam get to this point? He says, because of everybody else.
“On defense we say ‘No name, no blame no worries’ and we’re wrapped around the team concept.“ he says. Truth is, he’s like a one-man team.
When he got to Ohio State he was known much more for being Craig “Ironhead” Heyward’s son. Needless to say Cam’s made his late father proud by quietly making his own name.
