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
Making the Super Bowl, you are going to have more media requests. For him, it can be overwhelming. It's even overwhelming for me to look at all (the media) here wanting to ask me questions.
I hate seeing me put in this situation. It's totally different. ... I don't even think I'd look right in another uniform. ... It's unfortunate it came to a holdout, because I wouldn't miss this season for the world.
I hated to see that happen to Jerome. Not on the last play of his career.
I can't fault 'Twaan for that. He was trying to make a play. I thought he was going to get out of it and I was going to block, and he ended up pitching to me and I took my eyes off the ball and I wasn't really ready for it. I'm partly to blame. If I catch the ball, we don't turn the ball over and if we don't, we at least get a field goal out of it.
We gave ourselves a chance to win the ballgame,
We want to give him the ring. It would be the book in the making of the Jerome Bettis story.
You guys are going to catch him eventually, so he can't run from you. For him, it can be overwhelming, but it's overwhelming for me to look at all you guys. This is what it's all about.
This year, he's been in every scenario possible -- coming from behind, doing a two-minute drill, losing a shootout. He's experienced all that, and he's going to continue to grow.
When I was there, it wasn't cool to be a mixed kid. There probably was some hatred there. Some of the kids are treated badly and, sadly, it happens, but it's not the kids' fault.
We've put ourselves behind the 8-ball as far as the playoffs go. I think we've got to win all four of our games left.
What better way to finish your career than where it all started?
When you get large, lucrative contracts, the expectations are a little greater. The statistics aren't what I'm accustomed to, but what I brought each Sunday was going out and giving it all I've got.
The play-calling was aggressive. They thought all we can do is run the ball. We can pass the ball, too.
To sit there and do that, and for us to say there's still improvement that we need to make, that's the exciting part of it. Coming on the road, playing here in Houston with the heat, we went out there and did a tremendous job to do what we had to do to win the game.