Game on: the Steelers wide receiver talks about football the same way he plays it: with a no-holds-barred attitude - Interview: Hines Ward

Football Digest, April, 2003 by Ed Bouchette

WHEN THE PITTSBURGH STEELers drafted Hines Ward in the third round in 1998, they knew they had a great athlete. What they weren't sure about was where to put him. Ward had played quarterback, halfback, and wide receiver at Georgia, prompting Steelers coach Bill Cowher to call him another "Slash," after Kordell Stewart, who began his NFL career as a receiver-runner-quarterback.

Ward wound up finding a home at receiver, where he has become the team's most prolific pass-catcher in history over the past two seasons. The 6'0", 200-pounder set the Steelers record in 2001 with 94 receptions; he then obliterated that mark this season with 112 catches. In addition, he tied the team record with 12 scoring receptions and became the first non-kicker to lead Pittsburgh in scoring since Franco Harris in 1977. Not surprisingly, Ward went to his second straight Pro Bowl this season.

Ward and the 6'5" Plaxico Burress have become one of the most feared receiving tandems in the league. In 2001 they became the first duo in Steelers history to each have 1,000 receiving yards in the same season, and they repeated the feat in '02.

Still, it hasn't been easy for Ward. After tying for the team lead with 61 receptions in 1999, he fell behind Troy Edwards and then-rookie Burress on the depth chart in training camp the next year. Ward ultimately became the starter, but he and Edwards rotated that season, causing his receptions total to slip to 48.

The Steelers recommitted to Ward in 2001, his breakthrough season. And in '02 he took another step forward, graduating from a tough possession receiver to a genuine playmaker. For his efforts, his Steelers teammates named him co-most valuable player of the team, along with linebacker Joey Porter.

Ward, a Second-Teamer on FOOTBALL DIGEST's 2002 All-Pro Team [see page 42], recently told us about his newfound stares as one of the game's elite receivers and the road he took to get there.

FOOTBALL DIGEST: Did you ever dream you could catch 100 balls on a traditionally run-oriented team like the Steelers?

HINES WARD: When I first got here, I never would have thought about catching 100 balls or tying the record for touchdowns. I was just going to catch 50 to 60 a year--that was a good year. I thought 2001 was magical. But being voted co-MVP and selected to a second Pro Bowl, it's like it's official now: I've arrived. I can really say that I'm a pretty good receiver and came a long way.

FD: You already are fourth on the team's career receiving list, six catches away from Hall-of-Famer Lynn Swann. Do you find that remarkable?

HW: Thinking of the Pittsburgh Steelers, you would never think first of their receiving corps. Plax and I are right up there among the league leaders, but you always hear about Peerless Price and Eric Moulds, Jerry Rice and Tim Brown. You won't hear about Plaxico and Hines Ward because when you think about the Pittsburgh Steelers, you think about a dominant running game and our defense. You never would think of a wide receiver tandem. Swann and John Stallworth were great, but you never had two guys go over 1,000 yards, and we've done it twice. Plax and I are starting to play together and complement each other very well.

FD. Do you compete with Burress for the ball?

HW: I don't want Plax to be jealous. Maybe he wants to be the go-to guy. He can be the go-to guy, as long as we're winning ballgames and not competing against each other and are playing together as a unit. The sky's the limit for Plax and me. I try to tell Plax, "It's not about me being better than you or you being better than me. You do the job the best you can do and I'll do it the best I can do, and as a tandem we can be among the greats."

FD: You complained after one game that Burress got more media attention than you. Did that cause a problem between you two?

HW: It's more of respect factor, especially with that comment It wasn't demeaning toward Plax. There are two wide receivers over here--I mean, we have two who are productive. I know you look at Plax and see 6'5" and all his ability, and everyone wants him to be the next superstar. Whatever. That's fine with me, but don't sit there and overlook the things I've done. It's always been that way around here. We have great receivers here, and they shouldn't be overlooked because of one guy.

I sat down with Plax and talked about it. He has a lot of ability, and I think we complement each other very well. Us competing brings out the best in both of us because we want to be good. We have two good receivers. It's as much a respect factor as anything. We don't hang out all the time, but we're close.

FD. Does it still bother you that you weren't drafted until the third round?

HW: I remember going to Tampa three times before the draft. They had the first pick in the second round. I didn't have an ACL in my knee, and they said, "Well, Hines is a high-risk factor." I remember an article that said, "Jack of all trades, master at none" because I never actually stayed at one position in college to become good at it. That was a little unfair by the university to put me through that I tried to help as much as I could.