2017 SCU Awards: Defensive Player of the Year

by Eric Herrmann (SteelersGrind) on February 20, 2018

Steel City Underground presents the 2nd annual SCU Awards. Our panel of contributors all voted on various awards for the Steelers with the player getting the most votes being the winner. Each article will have the list of nominees with one of our contributors stating their case for why that player earned their vote and deserves the award.Comment and let us know if you agree or disagree with our winners and nominees.

The nominees…

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Cam Heyward

The captain of the defense returned with an ax to grind, as Cameron Heyward, at times, looked like an unstoppable force, as he went on to lead the Steelers defense with a dozen sacks en route to the defense also claiming an all-time franchise record with 56.

He was sorely missed through half of the 2016 season, and now we can see why. Though there are others who stepped up on this side of the ball, Cam was the “man” in 2017.

– Joe Kuzma

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Mike Hilton

Hilton has found his new home on the Steelers’ roster as the team’s nickel defensive back, or first cornerback on the field in sub packages. Hilton played in all 16 games this season, tallying 54 combined tackles, 6 passes defended, 2 interceptions, 5 tackles for a loss, 1 FF and 4 sacks (per NFL.com stats).

At 23 years old and only 5’9” Hilton has made the most of this opportunity when Golson went down for the second year with an injury & after his flash in preseason Hilton showed up to work, played his butt off, outworked his peers to make him too valuable to keep off the field.

DPOY to me is that player that stands out in crucial games and clutch situations when expectations are not high. Mike exceeded anything we could have hoped for by his pickup. He recently signed a 1-year extension as soon as the Steelers season ended. One of the first actually re-signed. This shows the coaches love him and he will be a featured DB in 2018.

– Terry Fletcher