Steelers' DT Discusses Clearing Concussion Protocol
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward discusses clearing concussion protocol ahead of Week 16 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Transcript
00:00 >> Getting there, feel better than I did.
00:04 I kind of scrum on at the end of the game, I was just out of it.
00:10 But I'm feeling good now.
00:13 >> Can you be confident for Saturday?
00:15 >> Yeah, they cleared me, so I might as well be confident.
00:20 >> Was there a specific game this Sunday, or was it just a-
00:22 >> It was at the end of the drive,
00:25 I kind of just took the double and I just took the blunt of it,
00:28 both sides of my head, and then was just not feeling right after that.
00:32 Checked myself on the protocol, I mean, I checked myself with the doctors and
00:35 then they put me on the protocol.
00:37 >> I know you guys have been doing it every year, I mean, every game pretty much.
00:40 It seems like how difficult will it be in the middle of the field,
00:42 not having your safety in the inside linebacker situation?
00:46 >> Well, you look at our situation, you just say,
00:50 you know, you've dealt certain cards, but you can't run away from it.
00:54 Injuries are a part of the game.
01:00 Obviously, we'd like to have me, like to have KZ out there,
01:03 you'd like to have your inside linebackers.
01:06 But can't cry about spoiled milk, you just gotta bounce back and
01:11 be ready for the group.
01:13 I mean, that puts more emphasis on the front to get home.
01:17 Guys who are in there have to tackle well, and we have to have great communication.
01:21 >> With or without the injuries to the safeties and
01:23 the inside linebackers, what was going wrong up front that they were ripping
01:27 the holes that they were opening up last week?
01:31 >> One, I think penalties were a big factor.
01:33 They were able to flip the field a couple times.
01:36 I think we didn't make them settle for field goals when we had the opportunity.
01:40 I know we got a stop, a fourth down in the red zone, but
01:46 I think we could have done a lot more.
01:48 And then the Russian game, I think, just got our hand.
01:52 Stopped them early in the first half, and then the second half,
01:54 they kinda got going and waged a war in the second half.