Just hours after landing in the United States after his quick trip to the United Kingdom to see King Charles, Prince Harry made an unexpected appearance at the NFL Honors gala in Las Vegas on Thursday. There, he gave the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award to Pittsburgh Steelers player Cameron “Cam” Heyward.
“You guys are genuinely amazing in what you accomplish both on and off the field. The way you conduct yourselves and give back to the community makes you role models for millions of people,” the duke said to the crowd before to delivering the prize.
“This ultimate prize, the highest accolade, is all about giving back to your community, and we would like to celebrate one particular man right now. A player whose remarkable dedication to assisting others and willingness to go above and beyond are reflections of his own journey.”
Heyward freaked out over who was giving him the medal as soon as he stepped onto the stage.
“Oh, dude. Dude! Harry the Prince! I’m in shock, man! Prince Harry is that.” He said, evoking laughter from the crowd.
He spoke in a more somber tone, saying, “I want to start by giving thanks to God. I’m not going to be here today. I’ve always believed that God and my father, the late NFL player Craig Heyward, had a plan for me, and that plan is currently being fulfilled in my life, ever since I became a Pittsburgh Steeler. I would like to express my gratitude to the Pittsburgh Steelers for providing me with this chance.”
He continued, thanking his teammates, the Steelers organization, his town, his coach, Mike Tomlin, and most of all his family, at which time he started to cry with emotion.
In addition to being a defensive lineman for the Steelers, Heyward is the founder and president of the Cameron Heyward Foundation, which supports educators and students while battling illness and hunger in children. This incredible accomplishment, which connects to some of Harry’s charitable endeavors with the Archewell Foundation, is a big part of the reason he received the award on Thursday.
After spending one night in the United Kingdom, Harry returned to the United States and met with his father, who had tragically announced to the world earlier this week that he had been diagnosed with cancer. This led to Harry’s unexpected attendance at the NFL event.
