Hines Ward

At 48 years old, Hines Ward has this physical status:

Hines Edward Ward Jr. (born March 8, 1976) is an American-South Korean former football wide receiver who spent 14 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League. (NFL).

At the University of Georgia, he played college football.

In the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft, the Steelers selected him as the team's all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown receptions.

Ward was named MVP of Super Bowl XL and was one of eleven NFL players to have at least 1,000 career receptions after his retirement. Ward grew up in Seoul, South Korea, to a Korean mother and African-American father.

Ward has been a promoter of mixed or mixed race in Korea, particularly mixed or mixed race youth. He has worked in several aspects of film and television media, including the reality TV series Dancing With The Stars and brief cameos in the 2012 film The Walking Dead.

He worked as a studio analyst for NBC's Football Night in America from 2012 to 2015.

In May 2016, Ward joined CNN and HLN.

He was the Player Relations Manager for the Alliance of American Football.

Early life

When Hines Jr. was one year old and Hines Sr. went to West Germany to complete a tour of duty, Ward was born in Seoul, South Korea to a Korean mother, Kim Younghee (Korean: ) and African-American father, Hines Ward Sr. Ward's parents divorced in the next year, with Ward living with his mother and then with his paternal grandmother after Hines Sr. pleaded not to raise Hines Jr. alone because she did not speak English sufficiently. Ward and his mother were reunited at the age of 7. Hines Ward Sr. did not offer Ward with child care or visit him often during this period because his reasons were not revealed to the public. Ward has stated that he and his father talk to each other about every two years. Ward has said he has yet to reconcile with his father, who left Hines Jr. when he was two years old. Ward demonstrated his athletic abilities as a quarterback and was named two-time Clayton County Offensive Player of the Year under the guidance of coach Mike Parris at Forest Park High School in Forest Park, Georgia. In the 73rd round (1,646th overall) of the 1994 MLB Draft, he excelled in baseball and was selected by the Florida Marlins.

Personal life

Ward and his partner, Lindsey Georginas-Ward, live in Sandy Springs, Georgia, and they have a son named Jaden from his first marriage, as well as three children, Jordyn, Jia, and Londyn. He has a tattoo of Mickey Mouse in Heisman pose, just below a tattoo of his name in Korean.

The Locker Room, Ward's co-owned a bar on Pittsburgh's South Side. Flooding caused by a broken boiler in February 2007, and the bar was closed to repairs until June of this year. The bar's insurance deal was worth $500,000, which later became a point of contention among the bar's owners as a result of a court dispute.

Nicholas Lettieri, the bar's co-owner, disappeared completely from a corporate account on September 11, 2007, causing the bank to postpone a large number of scheduled payments. Lettieri defended his claim that the money was owed to him, as well as Pitts' husband, Korry Pitts, had falsified invoices and diverted company funds to their own bank accounts, despite the fact that the company filed a lawsuit seeking the refund. Lettieri's charges were dismissed as "baseless, absurd, and unfounded," according to company attorney Thomas Castello, and the litigation is now being heard in the court. The Locker Room reopened under the name South Side 86 (because of Ward's jersey number) and is mainly owned by Ward, who bought out his co-owners.

Ward appeared on television in Pittsburgh from 2006 to 2012. Ward had signed on with NBC Sports to be a football analyst, as shown by his appearance on Sunday Night Football in America.

In August 2015, he opened Table 86 and a wine bar called Vines in Seven Fields, alongside Howard A Shiller from Fort Lauderdale. Due to a lawsuit involving the company's merger, the restaurant was closed in March 2019.

In May 2016, Ward joined CNN and HLN. He is a veteran CNN studio analyst.

He joined Alliance of American Football as the Player Relations Executive in 2018.

Ward was the first Korean American to win the Super Bowl MVP award in 2006. This achievement put him into the spotlight of South Korea's media.

Ward returned to Seoul for the first time since his parents immigrated to the United States when he was one year old from April 3 to May 30, 2006. Ward arranged "hope-sharing" meetings with multiracial Korean children in order to promote social and political change. "If the country would recognize me for who I am and accept me for being a Korean," he told a group of children at one hope-sharing meeting. On his last day in Korea, he donated US$1 million to the Hines Ward Helping Hands Foundation, which the AP describes as "a fund to assist mixed-race children like himself" in South Korea, where they have been discriminated against."

President Barack Obama named Ward as a member of the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in September 2010.

After being arrested by a MARTA police officer for failing to maintain his lane and then hitting a curb, Ward was arrested on July 9, 2011, in DeKalb County, Georgia, under the influence. The investigation and Ward's detention of an officer of DeKalb County Police Department resulted in the probe and Ward's deposition. The DUI charge was dismissed as part of a plea bargain on February 22, 2012. Ward pleaded guilty to reckless driving and was sentenced to one year of probation, 80 hours of community service, and a $2,000 fine.

Ward appeared in the 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises as a member of the fictional Gotham Rogues football team, and he was one of the cast members of "Team Rachael" in Food Network's second season. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off. He appeared as a walker in the ninth episode of The Walking Dead's third season.

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Playing career

Ward's 149 career receptions for 1,965 yards put him second in team history (1994–1997). He also played tailback and finished with 3,870 all-purpose yards, second only to Herschel Walker in Bulldog history. Ward had 52 receptions for 900 yards in 1996, and he had also run 26 times for 170 yards. He hauled in 515 yards and six touchdowns in 1997, while still running 30 times for 223 yards, earning All-SEC recognition in the process. In the 1995 Peach Bowl, Ward played quarterback, passing completions, and passing yards. Despite his success as a Sophomore, Ward primarily played receiver during his last two years of college football, only winning a handful of passes during those seasons.

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Ward, along with Kevin Dyson and Randy Moss, were regarded as one of the top five receivers in the 1998 NFL Draft after being drafted out of Georgia. He was expected to be chosen at the end of the first round or at the start of the second. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts expressed a definite interest in him, visiting him several times to speak with him. Ward's value dropped after it was discovered that he did not have an ACL in one of his legs. Instead, the Buccaneers selected Jacquez Green (34th overall), and the Colts selected Jerome Pathon (32nd overall) instead, instead, both wide receivers.

In the third round (92nd overall) of the 1998 NFL Draft, Ward was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers announced his three-year, $885,000 contract on July 20, 1998. Ward debuted on the Steelers' depth chart as the fourth receiver in his rookie season. On September 6, 1998, he appeared in his first game against the Baltimore Ravens, receiving a 12-yard pass from Kordell Stewart. He made a season-high 2 passes for 56 yards during a Week 10 game against the Green Bay Packers. Despite being in every game during his first season, he only had 15 receptions for 246 yards.

After former starting wide receiver Charles Johnson's departure for Philadelphia during the offseason, he saw more action in 1999. In the season opener against the Cleveland Browns, he debuted the ball as the starting wide receiver. Ward was his first game for 51 yards as a result of Mike Tomczak's interceptions. He had 6 receptions for 67 yards on October 10, 1999, and Kordell Stewart had a touchdown. In Week 12, he accounted for a season-high 7 receptions and 89 receiving yards, as well as a 34-yard touchdown in a 20-27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Ward was rewarded by Jerome Bettis' 21-yard touchdown pass during a Week 14 matchup against the Ravens. Ward had 61catches, 638 receiving yards, and 7 touchdowns in 16 games and 14 starts in his second season.

In the Steelers' home opener against the Baltimore Ravens, he began his third season with Pittsburgh, receiving 2 receptions for 20 yards. He made his first appearance of the season on September 17, 2000, and he had 5 receptions for 75 receiving yards. He threw a season-high 91 receiving yards on 2 plays in Week 7 over Cincinnati, while scoring a 77-yard touchdown, his first of the season. In a 10-30 loss to the New York Giants on December 10, 2000, he caught a season-high 6 passes for 64 receiving yards. Ward had 48 receptions for 672 yards and four touchdowns in his last season under offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride.

Ward was awarded a four-year, $9.5 million contract extension on September 8, 2001.

Ward had his best season of his career to that point in his first year under new offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey. He made 7 catches for 82 receiving yards in the season's opener at Jacksonville. Ward had 9 receptions for 112 yards and a 28-yard touchdown in their second game against the Jaguars in Week 10. This was his first game with over 100 receiving yards in his career. Ward tallied a season-high ten catches for 124 yards against the New York Jets on December 9, 2001. In a 27-10 divisional victory over the Ravens, he played in his first playoff game of his career in 2001, receiving 3 receptions for 37 yards. In a 17-24 loss to the eventual Super Bowl XXV Champions, the Steelers defeated the New England Patriots for 6 yards. With 94 attempts for 1,003 receiving yards and four touchdown catches, 2001 marked his first season with 16 starts and over 1,000 receiving yards. He was elected to the 2001 Pro Bowl along with Jerome Bettis, Kordell Stewart, Alan Faneca, Jason Gildon, and Kendrell Bell, making it his first appearance of his career.

In an AFC Championship rematch against the Patriots in 2002, he had eight catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. In a 17-30 loss to the Oakland Raiders, he caught 7 passes for 92 receiving yards and two touchdowns. It was his first game with more than a single touchdown in his career. Ward made 5 receptions for 45 yards and caught his first touchdown reception from new quarterback Tommy Maddox during a Week 5 matchup in New Orleans. During a 34–34 tie with the Atlanta Falcons on November 10, 2002, Ward had his best game of the season, with a season-high 11 receptions, 139 receiving yards, and a touchdown. In a 23-31 loss to the Titans, he caught ten passes for a season-high 168 receiving yards and two touchdowns. With two touchdown receptions, it was his third game of the season. With 125 yards on ten receptions and a 64-yard touchdown during the 29–21 win, he continued to dominate the next game against the Bengals. This was Ward's third straight game with over 100 receiving yards and a touchdown. For the second year in a row, the Steelers finished the season 10–5-1 and made the playoffs. They were playing the Browns in the AFC Wild-card game on January 5, 2003. Ward had 11 catches, 104 receiving yards, and also scored his first career postseason touchdown in the 36–33 win. In the divisional playoff game at Tennessee the Steelers played at Tennessee the following week. Despite losing 31-34, Ward was still on the field for 7 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Ward was selected to play in his second straight Pro Bowl alongside teammate Alan Faneca. He caught 2 passes for 45 yards and scored a 32-yard touchdown in the Pro Bowl. He finished his fifth season with 1,329 passing yards, 112 plays, and 12 touchdown receptions, all career-highs. With over 100 receptions, this was also his first season.

Ward made 9 catches for 91 passing yards and two touchdowns in the season-opening victory over the Ravens in 2003. He had his best season of his career. In a 20–41 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, he caught another 9 passes for 146 yards in the following game. In a loss to the Bengals on November 30, 2003, Ward ran for 149 receiving yards and a touchdown. The Steelers named him their team MVP in 2003 after he had an impressive output of 1,163 yards and ten touchdowns. He was elected to his third straight Pro Bowl, as well as Faneca.

Ward began the season under new offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt and new wide receivers coach Bruce Arians after three years with Mike Mularkey. In a 13-31 loss at Baltimore on September 19, 2004, he caught 6 passes for 151 receiving yards and a touchdown. Starting quarterback Tommy Maddox was hurt and relieved by rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger during the 4th quarter, who was later relieved. Roethlisberger threw a touchdown pass to Ward after replacing Maddox, making it the first one of their career together. Ward completed 9 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown during a Week 3 game against the Miami Dolphins. Roethlisberger, the Steelers' replacement Maddox, led the Steelers to 14 victories in a row. Pittsburgh defeated the Giants 33-33 on December 18, 2004, recording their 13th straight victory. Ward caught 9 catches for a season-high 134 yards. The Steelers played the Jets for the divisional championship after finishing the season 15–1. Ward racked up ten catches for 105 receiving yards and a touchdown during the 20-17 victory. The Steelers defeated the eventual Super Bowl XXIX Champions, the New England Patriots, 27-41 on January 23, 2005. Ward had 5 catches for 109 yards and a touchdown in AFC Championship play. He and Alan Faneca were voted to the Pro Bowl for the fourth year in a row. He had 63 receiving yards on 3 receptions and scored a touchdown in the game. He finished the season with 80 passes for 1,004 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns. This was also his fourth year with over 1,000 receiving yards.

Ward skipped the first two weeks of training camp in 2005, which would raise his salary. Ward had considered leaving out before camp in 2004, but after a meeting with the Steelers' owner Dan Rooney and Jerome Bettis, he was convinced not to proceed. He had been told they could do an extension throughout the year, and they'd be paid fairly. Dan Rooney, who had a great relationship with him, dropped and eventually appeared on the sidelines for Pittsburgh's first preseason match against the Philadelphia Eagles on August 15, 2005. However, he did not participate in the game that night. The Steelers announced on September 5, 2005, that they had reached an agreement on a four-year contract extension worth $25.83 million with Ward. In a 27–7 victory over the Texans on September 18, 2005, he caught 6 passes for 84 yards and 2 touchdowns. Against the Patriots, Ward had four catches for 110 receiving yards and two touchdowns, including an 85-yard touchdown reception. Although they lost 20–23 to the defending Super Bowl Champions, Ward's first back-to-back games with two touchdown receptions was held. Ward missed the game against the Jaguars on October 16, after starting 88 games in a row.

Ward caught the Browns' all-time leading receiver on ESPN Sunday Night Football, beating John Stallworth's record. The Steelers defeated the Browns 34–21. Ward threwed in a season-high 9 receptions for 135 yards and two touchdown receptions against the Bengals in Week 13. The Steelers played the Bengals for the AFC Wild Card on January 8, 2006, after winning the season 11-05. Ward had only 2 catches for ten yards in the Steelers' playoff victory over Cincinnati, and he also scored a 5-yard touchdown. The Steelers defeated the Indianapolis Colts 21-19, with he passing for 68 yards in the next week. As the Steelers defeated 34-17, he had 59 receiving yards on 5 receptions while also making a touchdown catch. Ward appeared in his first Super Bowl appearance on February 5, 2006. He had 5 receptions, 123 receiving yards, and intercepted a 43-yard touchdown pass from wide receiver Antwaan Randle El to seal the Steelers' 21-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. In Super Bowl XL, he was named MVP. He was the second foreign-born actor to be honoured for the distinction. Ward was also named co-MVP of the season by the Steelers, as well as Casey Hampton.

Following Super Bowl XL, Ward was caught on video for the 'I'm Going to Disney World.' "I'm taking the bus!" a television commercial announces. Jerome "The Bus" Bettis, Ward and Steelers teammate, and Emmitt Smith were among a triumph parade at the Magic Kingdom theme park on February 6 with Emmitt Smith.

In the Steelers' season opener against the Dolphins, he was back for 5 yards and a touchdown after 2005 and beat Miami, 28–16. For the first time in his career, Ward intercepted 8 receptions for 171 receiving yards and three touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons lost 38-41 to the Atlanta Falcons on October 22, 2006. He missed Weeks 13 and 14 during the season and only finished his second season in a row with exactly 975 receiving yards. Head Coach Bill Cowher announced that he would retire after the Steelers finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs.

Ward was the second coach of his career after eight years under Bill Cowher as the Steelers hired Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin as their new head coach. As Ken Whisenhunt left to become the Arizona Cardinals' head coach, it was also his first season under offensive coordinator Bruce Arians. Ward rushed for 88 yards and two touchdowns against the Bengals on October 28, 2007. During the 24–10 victory over the Bengals, he had a season-high 11 passes for 90 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions. Ward became the Steelers' all-time touchdown receptions leader with his 64th touchdown reception against the Bengals. In a game against the St. Louis Rams, Ward became the Steelers' all-time receiving yardage leader on December 20, 2007.

The Steelers finished 10–6 and made the playoffs in Mike Tomlin's first year as coach. Ward made 10 receptions for 135 receiving yards as they lost the AFC wild card game 29–31 to Jacksonville. Ward finished his ninth season with 71 receptions, 732 receiving yards, and 7 touchdowns. He missed Weeks 4, 5, 5, and 17, the most games he missed in a single season.

Ward won by 6 touchdowns, 76 receiving yards, and two touchdown catches in a 38-16 victory over the Texans, marking his start to the 2008 NFL season. Against the San Diego Chargers on November 16, 2008, he had a season-high 11 passes for 124 yards. Ward racked up a total of 7 receptions for 109 receiving yards and scored a touchdown when the Steelers lost 14-31. Ward held his 800th NFL reception on December 28, 2008, extending his franchise for receptions by a Steelers receiver. Ward also played in his first 1000-yard game since 2004, with 81 receptions for 1043 yards and 7 touchdowns on the year.

The Steelers posted a 12–4 record in the 2008 regular season and made the playoffs. Ward took 4 passes for 70 yards during an AFC divisional game against the San Diego Chargers. He made 3 receptions for 55 yards as the Ravens defeated the Ravens 23–14 in the AFC Championship last week and advance to Super Bowl XLIII. The Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals on February 1, 2009, led by the Steelers' former offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt. Ward served as a back-up for Santonio Holmes, the game's MVP, but the Steelers won 27–23 on a last-minute touchdown reception by Holmes during the game. He played with a strained right MCL during the game. Ward had 81 receptions, 1,043 receiving yards, and 7 touchdown receptions.

The Steelers agreed Ward to a four-year, $22 million contract extension on April 25, 2009, with a signing bonus of $3 million. He had 8 catches for 103 yards in the Steelers' home opener. Ward's four catches for 82 yards on September 27, 2009, making him the first wide receiver in the Steelers' history to reach that milestone. Ward was hit by Ben Roethlisberger for a 14-yard gain, giving Ward 10,001 career receiving yards. Ward had 8 receptions, 159 receiving yards, and a touchdown during a Week 6 match against the Browns. With over 100 receiving yards, this game was his third game of the season. On November 22, he had his fourth game with over a hundred yards against the Kansas City Chiefs, as he had a season-high ten catches for 128 yards and a touchdown. Ward won by 7 points for 126 receiving yards in a 37–36 victory over the Green Bay Packers on December 20, 2009. This was the first time Ward had 5 games with over 100 receiving yards in a single season.

As the Steelers finished 9-7, Ward finished the 2009 season with 95 receptions for 1,167 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Ward began to notice a decline in his receptions after the Steelers drafted Mike Wallace in 2009 and Antonio Brown in 2010. Ward intercepted 6 passes for 108 receiving yards in the Steelers' 2010 home opener against the Falcons. Ward became the first Steelers player to reach 11,000 receiving yards in the game against the Atlanta Falcons. With his 26th game for the Steelers, he passed for 108 yards in the game to beat Hall of Fame receiver John Stallworth for the most 100-yard receiving games all time. For his career, he earned 901 for his career, making him the 12th NFL player to reach 900 career receptions. He had a season-high 131 receiving yards on 7 plays and scored a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins on October 24, 2010. He hauled in a season-high 8 passes for 115 yards against the Bengals in Week 14. In a 39–26 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 10 of the 2010 season, Ward's streak of 186 consecutive games with at least one reception came to an end. When Ward was tackled by safeties Patrick Chung and James Sanders and was knocked out of the remainder of the game, he was suspended; the Patriots challenged the call, and the decision was ruled incomplete, snapping the streak. In the divisional playoffs, the Steelers defeated the Baltimore Ravens on January 15, 2011. As the Steelers defeated 31–24, Ward finished the game with 3 receptions for 25 yards and a touchdown. As the Steelers defeated the New York Jets 24-19 to advance to Super Bowl XLV, he had two catches for 14 yards next week. Ward appeared in his third Super Bowl with the Steelers against the Green Bay Packers on February 6, 2011. He had 7 passes for 78 receiving yards and a touchdown in his first Super Bowl appearance.

He had 59 receptions, 755 receiving yards, and 5 receiving touchdowns for the 2010 season. He had not had a season with fewer than 60 catches since 2000.

In the Steelers' season opener against the Baltimore Ravens, Ward started the 2011 NFL season by throwing 5 touchdowns for 67 yards. He had 7 catches for 54 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions on October 9, 2011 on October 9, 2011. He scored his last touchdown of his career on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger in the second quarter. Ward defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 35–7 on December 4, 2011, becoming the 19th NFL player to reach 12,000 receiving yards. Ward held his 1000th reception against the Cleveland Browns on January 1, 2012, becoming the eighth player in NFL history to do so. During the game, he also attended his last game of his career. In the AFC Wildcard Game, he appeared in his last game with the Steelers on January 8, 2012, when the Steelers defeated the Denver Broncos 23–29. He played in 15 games and 9 starts last season with a total of 46 receptions, 381 receiving yards, and only 2 touchdowns in his last season.

The Steelers declared on March 7, 2012, they planned to cut and release Ward, which they did two days later.

Ward announced his retirement from professional football on March 20, 2012, saying, "Without the help of the past 14 years, this game won't be the same to me." It wouldn't be as enjoyable for me. To me, you guys meant the world to me. To me, the city and this association mean the world. So today, as it does for me right now, I hope it will be a good day for everyone here."

Ward was the last remaining member of the Steelers to have played with the team during the 1990s at the time of his retirement. In addition,, he was also their last player to have played for them in Three Rivers Stadium.

In 14 post-season appearances, Ward had 76 receptions, 1,064 yards, and eight touchdowns.

Although Ward's #86 has not officially retired, the Steelers haven't reissued it since his retirement, and no Steeler will ever wear it again.

Ward's versatility, hands, and willingness to block made him a favorite wide receiver. Since being drafted by the Steelers in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft, he has had three team Most Valuable Player (MVP) picks. He was also a four-time NFL Pro Bowl pick (2001-2004). Ward also had a streak of four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. In the 2005 NFL season, the streak was broken, although he missed a game due to injury. He set a record for receptions (112) and touchdowns (12) in 2002, but was named to his first of two consecutive All-NFL teams.

Despite being one of the best blocking receivers in the game, Ward was chastised for his blocking technique, especially for his propensity to strike defenders on their blind side. Ward made a horrific downfield blindside block on rookie Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers during a game on October 19, 2008. Rivers were left with a fractured jaw and forced him to miss the remainder of the 2008 season. Ward was not punished for this block, nor was he suspended by the league because the assault was not deemed legal. However, the league later passed a new rule prohibiting such assaults. If the block came from the blocker's helmet, forearm, or shoulder of a defender's head or neck region, the so-called "Hines Ward Law" resulted in a blindside block that was unlawful. He was named the "dirtiest player in the NFL" in a Sports Illustrated poll of NFL players in 2009.

Coaching career

Ward spent time with the Pittsburgh Steelers in August 2017, assisting with their wide receivers.

Ward began his teaching career and was hired by the New York Jets as a full-time offensive assistant in September 2019.

Ward was hired as a special assistant to the head coach by the Florida Atlantic University Owls in 2021. Joey Thomas was also a wide receivers coach for the Seattle Seahawks. He was later promoted to the position of wide receivers coach.

Ward was announced as one of the eight XFL Head Coaches in June 2021. In July 2022, he was announced as the Head Coach of San Antonio, but Team Locations were not revealed.

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