Sport
Hines Ward – Steelers Wide receiver retires from NFL
“I know the wideouts are going to be in great hands,” he said. “They’re full of talent.” And they’re part of an offense that didn’t exist when Ward made his debut 14 years ago. He spent most of his first three seasons blocking for running back Jerome Bettis, something he did better than any receiver in the league.
Over time, the Steelers evolved from the grind-it-out attack that has been the club’s identity for decades. Ward’s breakout season came in 2001 when he set a franchise record with 94 receptions then obliterated that mark in 2002 when he finished with 112 catches.
He made four straight Pro Bowls from 2001-2004 and seemed to get better as he aged. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2006 Super Bowl after catching five passes for 123 yards and a touchdown in Pittsburgh’s 21-10 victory over Seattle, the franchise’s first championship in 26 years. The Steelers added a second title in 2009 to give them six, more than any other team in the league.
Ward hoped to get the Steelers their seventh Lombardi Trophy but didn’t catch a pass in a 29-23 overtime loss to Denver in the wild card round of last year’s playoffs. Only one pass came his way, a dart down the sideline by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger during Pittsburgh’s final drive in regulation. Denver cornerback Champ Bailey swatted the ball to the ground and Ward walked off the field and into the unknown.
The former “Dancing With the Stars” champion could have a lucrative postseason career in front of a camera, he worked the red carpet during the Oscars, but he maintained after his release he could still contribute. He still does.
“I feel like I have a few more good years in me left, Ward said. “I would love nothing more to get back to the Super Bowl.”
He wasn’t willing to do it, however, outside Pittsburgh.
“I want to go down as one of the greats to wear the black-and-gold and that’s how it should end,” Ward said.
