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
The whole holdout was strictly business, and for me it was about getting the opportunity to retire as a Steeler, ... It was not about money or greed, it was about me wanting to retire as a Steeler and to have that chance to retire as a Steeler. Thats all I can really ask for.
I've never done anything like it before, ... I've never had a hamstring injury before, so I've been asking guys how to handle it.
If this is going to be his last year, what better way than to finish his career off where it all started in Detroit? Last year, we were one game short. This year, we're back to that and that's all we ask for is another opportunity. We're in that position to put him back in the Super Bowl.
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.
It helps a lot that we get a chance to go out there and redeem ourselves. We get another chance to face the No. 1 team in the AFC. That's about all you can ask for.
Charlie's been here a long time. He's looked good at practice. I know he's licking his chops for this opportunity. That's all he asks for, an opportunity to go out there and play.
Just keep doing your thing. But, if they ask you to play wide receiver or defensive back, just get involved with players and coaches who can help you the most.
Initially we did not know what to expect out of him. He kind of got thrown into the fire and it is kind of hard to really see and envision what a rookie can do, because not too many rookie quarterbacks can come into the league like he did and win ball games like he did.
Everyone put overwhelming pressure on us. It was overwhelming for everyone, including the veterans.
Nobody believed in us, but we believed in ourselves, and now we're in the Super Bowl. These last three games on the road show a lot about our team and this coaching staff.
The ball is getting spread around, and everybody's happy. We're still trying to find our identity. We're still a running team, but, when it's time to make plays in the passing game, we've got confidence all three of our guys can go out there and get the job done.
It was just deflating. He rarely fumbles the ball and if this had been his last game, you would have hated to see him go out like that. ... I truly believe the man up above had something to do with that.
They won the division. We really wanted to do that, so congratulations to them. But we've got another shot at them and the loser goes home.
They won our division. It's redemption time. We get that opportunity, and we feel good because we won in Cincinnati.