PITTSBURGH – Cam Heyward is well-versed in the sometimes messy optics associated with taking a stand against social injustice.The Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end and his teammates met it head on in 2017, when a miscommunication with left tackle and Army veteran Alejandro Villanueva left Villanueva on the field in Chicago for the national anthem while the rest of the Steelers remained in the tunnel.
The image — Villanueva with his hand over his heart, the other 52 players on the roster hidden in darkness — became a flashpoint in the debate on what is and what isn't the proper way to protest.Nearly three years later, it still stings.“Thing that ticks me off about that, what we were trying to do was remain out of the spotlight and it got.