# Hines Ward
**Hines Ward** (full name Hines Ward Jr.) is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 14-season career as a wide receiver with the [Pittsburgh Steelers](https://www.edgepedia.org/pittsburgh-steelers) from 1998 to 2011, becoming the franchise's all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, and winning the Most Valuable Player award of [Super Bowl XL](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl-xl).[1](https://www.steelers.com/history/bios/ward_hines__4hof) • [2](https://www.nfl.com/news/texans-interview-former-steelers-wr-hines-ward-for-head-coaching-job) He later moved into coaching, serving with the [New York Jets](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-jets), Florida Atlantic University, the San Antonio Brahmas of the UFL, and Arizona State University.[2](https://www.nfl.com/news/texans-interview-former-steelers-wr-hines-ward-for-head-coaching-job) • [3](https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/pittsburgh-steelers-history/172387/steelers-legend-hines-ward-opens-up-about-coaching-journey-jordyn-tyson-arizona-state)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Playing career | Wide receiver, Pittsburgh Steelers, 1998–2011; 217 games[1](https://www.steelers.com/history/bios/ward_hines__4hof) • [4](https://www.nfl.com/players/hines-ward/stats/career) |
| Draft | Third round of the 1998 NFL Draft, 92nd player overall, out of Georgia[1](https://www.steelers.com/history/bios/ward_hines__4hof) |
| Career totals | 1,000 receptions, 12,083 receiving yards, 85 receiving touchdowns, each first in Steelers history[1](https://www.steelers.com/history/bios/ward_hines__4hof) • [4](https://www.nfl.com/players/hines-ward/stats/career) |
| Championships | Two Super Bowl titles (XL, XLIII); MVP of Super Bowl XL with 5 catches for 123 yards and a touchdown in a 21-10 win over Seattle[1](https://www.steelers.com/history/bios/ward_hines__4hof) |
| Honors | Four Pro Bowls (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004); Steelers Hall of Honor (2019)[1](https://www.steelers.com/history/bios/ward_hines__4hof) |
| League standing | Eighth player in NFL history to reach 1,000 career receptions; with Jerry Rice, one of two players with 1,000 catches and multiple Super Bowl rings[5](https://www.steelers.com/news/hines-ward-announces-retirement-7073148) |
| Born | Seoul, South Korea, to an African-American father and a Korean mother[6](https://facsoftoday.uga.edu/docs/FACS_Mag_2010_Fall.pdf) |
## College career at Georgia
Ward played at the [University of Georgia](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-georgia) as both a receiver and a quarterback.[7](https://georgiadogs.com/news/2018/10/2/football-hines-ward-chosen-as-2018-sec-legend) Ward, who grew up in Rex, Georgia, and attended Forest Park High School, received first-team All-SEC recognition following the 1997 campaign, his last with the Bulldogs, a team that finished 10-2 and beat Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl.[7](https://georgiadogs.com/news/2018/10/2/football-hines-ward-chosen-as-2018-sec-legend) He was later named to the 2018 Southeastern Conference Football Legends class.[7](https://georgiadogs.com/news/2018/10/2/football-hines-ward-chosen-as-2018-sec-legend)
## Steelers career
Ward played 14 seasons for [Pittsburgh](https://www.edgepedia.org/pittsburgh) after being selected in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft, the 92nd player overall.[1](https://www.steelers.com/history/bios/ward_hines__4hof) He finished with 1,000 receptions for 12,083 yards and 85 touchdowns, all franchise records for a team whose previous Hall of Fame receivers include John Stallworth and [Lynn Swann](https://www.edgepedia.org/lynn-swann).[1](https://www.steelers.com/history/bios/ward_hines__4hof) • [8](https://www.steelers.com/news/ward-headed-to-ga-hall-of-fame-16842029) His best statistical season was 2002, when he caught 112 passes for 1,329 yards and 12 touchdowns.[4](https://www.nfl.com/players/hines-ward/stats/career) He was selected to four consecutive Pro Bowls from 2001 through 2004.[1](https://www.steelers.com/history/bios/ward_hines__4hof)
**Super Bowl XL.** Ward earned MVP honors in the Steelers' 21-10 victory over the [Seattle Seahawks](https://www.edgepedia.org/seattle-seahawks), catching five passes for 123 yards and a touchdown, including a 43-yard touchdown reception from [Antwaan Randle El](https://www.edgepedia.org/antwaan-randle-el) on a trick play.[1](https://www.steelers.com/history/bios/ward_hines__4hof) • [9](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-109sres367ats/pdf/BILLS-109sres367ats.pdf) He joined [Franco Harris](https://www.edgepedia.org/franco-harris), Lynn Swann, and Terry Bradshaw as the only Steelers to that point to earn the award.[9](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-109sres367ats/pdf/BILLS-109sres367ats.pdf) He won a second championship with Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLIII.[1](https://www.steelers.com/history/bios/ward_hines__4hof)
**Playing style.** Ward was known for sure hands, clutch play-making, and a willingness to block, often delivering hits on defenders to help teammates gain extra yards.[1](https://www.steelers.com/history/bios/ward_hines__4hof) • [2](https://www.nfl.com/news/texans-interview-former-steelers-wr-hines-ward-for-head-coaching-job) His blocking became a signature of his reputation; as a coach he later carried the mantra "No Block, No Rock," and Arizona State receiver [Jordyn Tyson](https://www.edgepedia.org/jordyn-tyson) cited Ward's emphasis on blocking while logging 360 run-blocking snaps in a regular season.[10](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/isuni.sidearmsports.com/documents/2024/12/4/24FBNotes_Big12Champs.pdf)
**Retirement.** Released by the Steelers in a salary cap maneuver three weeks earlier, the 36-year-old Ward announced his retirement on March 20, 2012, at a news conference at the UPMC Sports Performance Complex, saying he did not want to play in any other uniform.[5](https://www.steelers.com/news/hines-ward-announces-retirement-7073148) • [11](https://www.nfl.com/news/ward-announces-retirement-after-14-seasons-with-steelers-09000d5d827b9855) At retirement, his 1,000 career catches ranked eighth in NFL history.[5](https://www.steelers.com/news/hines-ward-announces-retirement-7073148)
## Hall of Fame debate
Ward has been a recurring candidate for the [Pro Football Hall of Fame](https://www.edgepedia.org/pro-football-hall-of-fame) without induction. Supporters point to totals that exceed those of several enshrined receivers, including more receptions than [Randy Moss](https://www.edgepedia.org/randy-moss) and [Steve Largent](https://www.edgepedia.org/steve-largent), more yards than Michael Irvin, and more touchdowns than Fred Biletnikoff and Michael Irvin, along with two Super Bowl rings and an MVP award that none of those receivers earned.[12](https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2020/7/21/21332188/hines-ward-belongs-in-the-pro-football-hall-of-fame-long-before-antonio-brown-pittsburgh-steelers/)
## Life off the field
After Ward's family relocated to the United States, his Korean mother brought him up on her own; he was born in Seoul, South Korea, to an African-American father and that mother, and he finished a Consumer Economics degree at Georgia in 1998.[6](https://facsoftoday.uga.edu/docs/FACS_Mag_2010_Fall.pdf) In September 2009 he was named to President Obama's Advisory Commission on [Asian Americans](https://www.edgepedia.org/asian-americans) and Pacific Islanders.[6](https://facsoftoday.uga.edu/docs/FACS_Mag_2010_Fall.pdf) He won the television competition "Dancing With the Stars" and was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in February 2016.[5](https://www.steelers.com/news/hines-ward-announces-retirement-7073148) • [13](https://georgiadogs.com/news/2016/2/24/Georgia_Sports_Hall_of_Fame_to_Induct_Ward_Schaefer)
## Coaching career
Ward's coaching path began in the NFL with two years as an offensive assistant with the New York Jets (2019-2020), followed by a role as wide receivers coach at Florida Atlantic in 2021 and a position as special assistant to the head coach there.[2](https://www.nfl.com/news/texans-interview-former-steelers-wr-hines-ward-for-head-coaching-job) • [3](https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/pittsburgh-steelers-history/172387/steelers-legend-hines-ward-opens-up-about-coaching-journey-jordyn-tyson-arizona-state) In January 2022 the [Houston Texans](https://www.edgepedia.org/houston-texans) interviewed him for their head coaching position as they searched for a replacement for the fired David Culley.[2](https://www.nfl.com/news/texans-interview-former-steelers-wr-hines-ward-for-head-coaching-job) He later served as head coach of the San Antonio Brahmas in the UFL and, as of 2026, is the wide receivers coach and associate head coach at Arizona State University.[3](https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/pittsburgh-steelers-history/172387/steelers-legend-hines-ward-opens-up-about-coaching-journey-jordyn-tyson-arizona-state) • [14](https://www.fantasynerds.com/news/story/2026/07/14/hines-ward-reflects-on-coaching-career%2C-emphasizes-work-ethic-1573352)
## References
1. [Hines Ward | Pittsburgh Steelers, Steelers.com](https://www.steelers.com/history/bios/ward_hines__4hof)
2. [Texans interview former Steelers WR Hines Ward for head coaching job, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/news/texans-interview-former-steelers-wr-hines-ward-for-head-coaching-job)
3. [Steelers legend Hines Ward opens up about coaching journey, Behind the Steel Curtain](https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/pittsburgh-steelers-history/172387/steelers-legend-hines-ward-opens-up-about-coaching-journey-jordyn-tyson-arizona-state)
4. [Hines Ward Career Stats, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/players/hines-ward/stats/career)
5. [Hines Ward announces retirement, Steelers.com](https://www.steelers.com/news/hines-ward-announces-retirement-7073148)
6. [FACS Alum Named to Obama Commission, UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences](https://facsoftoday.uga.edu/docs/FACS_Mag_2010_Fall.pdf)
7. [Hines Ward Chosen as 2018 SEC Legend, University of Georgia Athletics](https://georgiadogs.com/news/2018/10/2/football-hines-ward-chosen-as-2018-sec-legend)
8. [Ward headed to GA Hall of Fame, Steelers.com](https://www.steelers.com/news/ward-headed-to-ga-hall-of-fame-16842029)
9. [Senate Resolution 367, honoring the Pittsburgh Steelers, govinfo.gov](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-109sres367ats/pdf/BILLS-109sres367ats.pdf)
10. [Arizona State 2024 Football Notes, Big 12 Champions](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/isuni.sidearmsports.com/documents/2024/12/4/24FBNotes_Big12Champs.pdf)
11. [Ward announces retirement after 14 seasons with Steelers, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/news/ward-announces-retirement-after-14-seasons-with-steelers-09000d5d827b9855)
12. [Hines Ward belongs in the Hall of Fame long before Antonio Brown, Behind the Steel Curtain](https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2020/7/21/21332188/hines-ward-belongs-in-the-pro-football-hall-of-fame-long-before-antonio-brown-pittsburgh-steelers/)
13. [Georgia Sports Hall of Fame to Induct Ward, Schaefer, University of Georgia Athletics](https://georgiadogs.com/news/2016/2/24/Georgia_Sports_Hall_of_Fame_to_Induct_Ward_Schaefer)
14. [Hines Ward Reflects on Coaching Career, Emphasizes Work Ethic, Fantasy Nerds](https://www.fantasynerds.com/news/story/2026/07/14/hines-ward-reflects-on-coaching-career%2C-emphasizes-work-ethic-1573352)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › American football players, coaches, and executives › Wide receivers › Retired NFL wide receivers › 2000s and later retired receivers › Surnames A to H*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license