ALAMEDA — Some $38 million and change later, can we agree Darrius Heyward-Bey is not a bust?
It’s an over-used term in the draft process, and incorrectly applied when it comes to one of the most controversial draft picks in the tenure of late Raiders’ owner Al Davis. Heyward-Bey is a reserve receiver and special teams player for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who visit the Coliseum Sunday.
Heyward-Bey never became the game-breaking wide receiver Davis envisioned. Instead, he came to understand his limitations, maximizing both his career and income.
“We appreciate what he brings, but it’s interesting, he’s a football player first and a wide receiver second,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told Bay Area media by conference call Wednesday.