Hines Ward
Hines Ward
Hines Edward Ward, Jr.is a retired American football wide receiver, businessman, and television personality. He is the current NBC studio analyst who played 14 seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Georgia. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft, and he became the team's all-time leader in receptions, receiving yardage and touchdown receptions. Ward was voted MVP of Super Bowl XL, and...
ProfessionFootball Player
Date of Birth8 March 1976
CitySeoul, South Korea
Playing in altitude, all that, playing there, I'm pretty sure that the city of Denver is going to be rallying behind their team. It's one game away from the Super Bowl. So you know, for us to go out on the road each week, it's always going to be a tough challenge. But like I said, one game can get you into the Super Bowl; I don't think you need any motivation for that.
Relieved? Yes, ... I dont wish this on anybody. It was very hard to go out onto the field with peace of mind knowing that youre so close. I can go into the season focused now.
People may put them down, but they're the champions. Until someone dethrones them, they're still the team to beat in the NFL.
Stepping up and making that play, that was kind of Lynn Swann-like, I guess. You watch all the highlight tapes and ESPN Classic and you see him making spectacular catches. That's what I tried to do yesterday - just make every catch I could get my hands on.
If anyone wants to play the respect card, be mad at the people that make the odds, don't be mad at us. I don't know how they can feel disrespected when everybody had them going to the Super Bowl anyway. We feel like we're the underdog. Nobody was talking about us.
For us, we don't get caught up in statistics as much. As players, the team MVP is the guy who exemplifies hard work at practices, gives it his all on Sundays and is the guy to get the guys up.
My mother had to overcome a lot more things.
I already told Jerome that if we lose this year, I'm not going to cry.
He didn't say, 'Hines, I'm about to pitch it,' ... He saw me and I looked at him. I thought he was going to get out of (the tackler's grip) and I was going to try to block. The ball hit me in the hands, so I needed to catch it, I guess. I take responsibility for that.
He laid it on the line. He's lying there hurt on the ground, and he said to me, 'At least we're in field goal range.
He laid it on the line. He did what he had to do to drive us down the field. Everybody made plays. We came into San Diego, nobody really gave us a chance. We fought our tails off and ended up winning the game.
It felt good. It's still only my third day of practicing and getting a chance to get out here and participate in a live game. It's good to be back.
I thought he was going to be here, but obviously he's not. It's sad. I don't think it had to come to this. ... I've got to prepare like we're going into the season right now without Plax; we don't know what is going to happen.
I thought he was going to be here, but obviously he's not, ... It's sad. I don't think it had to come to this. ... I've got to prepare like we're going into the season right now without Plax; we don't know what is going to happen.