Shaka Heyward Aims to be Diamond in the Rough for Bengals

Cincinnati's defense is loaded, but Heyward is hoping to make a push after signing as an undrafted free agent.

Author:
Elise Jesse
Publish date:
Aug 17, 2023 10:42 AM EDT

In this story:

New players trying to make the Bengals roster have a sense of urgency, not only to perform in practice, but to also show the best side of themselves in preseason games. Being consistent is one of the biggest keys to carving out a role and making the team.

One of the guys who aims to make a big impression is Shaka Heyward. The rookie linebacker’s energy and communication was noticeable last week against Green Bay. Heyward has been calling plays on defense since his early days at Duke University.

“I kind of took that role as being the mic, you know the voice of the defense, just running the show I would say ever since my redshirt sophomore year,” Heyward said. “That’s when I came into the role as the mic linebacker communicating to the defense and everything like that so pretty much halfway through my career.”

Heyward was a three-year starter at Duke that made his mark through 51 career games (41 starts), racking up 339 tackles, 32.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks.

Now he’s trying to make his mark in the NFL like his cousin Cam Heyward has done with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The rookie’s journey to solidifying a spot in the NFL has not been as smooth as his cousins route. He wasn’t picked 31st overall like Cam in 2011. Instead, he’s trying to make it as an undrafted free agent.

Outside linebacker James Harrison went undrafted in 2002 before signing with the Steelers. He went on to be a five-time Pro Bowler and the only undrafted player to be named Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2008. Harrison was a crucial member of two Super Bowl-winning teams. It’s nearly impossible to forget his iconic pick-six in 2009 which still stands as the longest interception return in Super Bowl history.

Harrison was known for his intimidating demeanor, his hard hits, but mostly for his consistency in the way he played.

Consistency has been talked about a lot these last few weeks as players know the coaching staff is looking for it as a marker of trust and reliability as they evaluate up and coming talent. Finding a diamond in the rough is part of the beauty of the game. You never know which player on the rise will show up and create a storied career.

Heyward hopes to shine bright in his second NFL preseason game.

“You can’t come in one day and be up here and the next day come down,” Heyward said. “Consistency makes them trust you which means they’ll put you in more and stuff like that so consistency is a huge piece.”

Being consistent every day in practice and elevating even higher when the game lights come on isn’t as easy as one might think. There’s a mental fortitude that players must possess in order to put uniform days of playmaking on display.

“It’s definitely a mental grind especially for a rookie like me going into a new system and you’re not the starter so you’re trying to capitalize on the reps that you do have and making the most of it,” Heyward said.

Linebacker Logan Wilson’s dependability on the field allowed him to ink his second contract with the Cincinnati Bengals giving him something all guys in the league ultimately strive for: security.

“It’s a sigh of relief to know where I was going to be beyond this season,” Wilson told AllBengals. “For my wife and I to know that we are going to be here for the next five years was big for us.”

Wilson has now created a predictable way of living for his family outside of football, but he remembers the early days of his NFL life after being taken 65th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.

“It can be hard because coaches are going to be really hard on you because you’re a rookie essentially,” Wilson said. “It’s kind of like your freshman year all over again from college football. That’s just how it is and as soon as a coach stops coaching you hard then you know you’re kind of on their bad side. When a coach is always trying to push the best out of you that means they see potential in you and that’s what our coaches have been doing with Shaka for sure.”

The starting defense is expected to play in Atlanta, but you can expect to see Heyward get the bulk of the work against the Falcons on Friday night.

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