Background and career
Hines Edward Ward Jr. (born March 8, 1976) is an American football coach and former player who is the wide receivers coach and associate head coach for Arizona State. He played as a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) after being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1998 NFL draft. He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs. Ward played his entire professional career for the Steelers 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 upon retirement was one of eleven NFL players to have at least 1,000 career receptions. Ward is often regarded as one of the best wide receivers of the 2000s, as well as one of key figures for the Steelers' success during the 2000s. Aside from his career in the NFL, Ward has appeared in various forms of film and television media, including the reality TV series Dancing with the Stars and brief cameos in the 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises and in the television series The Walking Dead. He was a studio analyst for NBC's Football Night in America from 2012 to 2015. Ward joined CNN and HLN in May 2016. He was the player relations executive of the Alliance of American Football. In 2019, Ward began his coaching career as an offensive assistant for the New York Jets, working with wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson. In 2021, Ward was hired by Florida Atlantic as special assistant to the head coach. Born in Seoul, South Korea to a Korean mother and African-American father, Ward grew up in the Atlanta area. He has become an advocate for the social acceptance of foreigners in Korea, especially blended or mixed race youth.
Ward was born in Seoul, South Korea to a Korean mother, Kim Young-hee (Korean: 김영희) and African-American father, Hines Ward on March 8, 1976. His family moved to Atlanta and East Point, Georgia, when Hines Jr. was one year old and Hines Sr. went to West Germany to serve a tour of duty. The next year, Ward's parents divorced, with Ward living with his mother and then with his paternal grandmother after Hines Sr. pleaded in family court that Kim could not easily raise Hines Jr. independently, as she did not speak English sufficiently. At the age of 7, Ward was reunited with his mother. For reasons not disclosed to the public, during this time, Ward Sr. did not support Ward with child support or visit him regularly. In 2006, Ward stated that he talked with his father about once every two years. That same year Ward stated that he had yet to reconcile with his father who left Hines Jr. when he was two years old. Ward Sr. died in 2024. Under the guidance of coach Mike Parris at Forest Park High School in Forest Park, Georgia, Ward showcased his athletic skills as a quarterback and was two-time Clayton County Offensive Player of the Year. He also excelled in baseball and was selected by the Florida Marlins in the 73rd round (1,646th overall) of the 1994 MLB draft.
As a wide receiver for the University of Georgia Bulldogs (1994–1997), Ward's 149 career receptions for 1,965 yards placed him second in team history. He also played tailback and totaled 3,870 all-purpose yards, second only to Herschel Walker in Bulldogs history. In 1995, Ward played some quarterback his sophomore year. He holds Georgia bowl game records for pass attempts, pass completions, and passing yards in the 1995 Peach Bowl in which he completed 31 of 59 passes for 413 yards. Despite his performance at the quarterback position as a Sophomore, Ward primarily played receiver his final two years of college play only attempting a handful of passes during those seasons. In 1996, Ward had 52 receptions for 900 yards, and also ran 26 times for 170 yards. In 1997, he hauled in 55 passes for 715 yards and scored six touchdowns while, and also ran 30 times for 223 yards, getting All-SEC honors in the process. When he came out of college, it was discovered that Ward was missing an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee, which he lost during a bicycle accident during childhood. According to a Yahoo! Sports article, Ward broke his kneecap in the fourth grade and the doctors never accounted for the ligament.
Coming out of the University of Georgia, Ward was regarded as one of the top five receivers in the 1998 NFL draft, along with Kevin Dyson and Randy Moss. He was projected to be selected at the end of the first round or beginning of the second. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts expressed major interest in him, visiting him multiple times to meet with him. After it was discovered Ward did not have an ACL in one of his legs, his value dropped. The Buccaneers chose to draft Jacquez Green (34th overall) and the Colts chose Jerome Pathon (32nd overall) instead, both wide receivers.
Ward was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round (92nd overall) of the 1998 NFL Draft. On July 20, 1998, the Steelers signed him to a three-year, $885,000 contract. Ward contributed in a wide receiver group that included Courtney Hawkins, Charles Johnson, and Will Blackwell. He played in his first career game on September 6, 1998, against the Baltimore Ravens, catching a 12-yard pass from Kordell Stewart. During a Week 10 contest against the Green Bay Packers, he caught two passes for a season-high 56 yards. Although he appeared in every game during his first season, he finished with only 15 receptions for 246 receiving yards.
In 1999, Ward saw more action after former starting wide receiver Charles Johnson departed for Philadelphia during the off-season. He began the season as the starting wide receiver in the season opener against the Cleveland Browns. Ward caught his first career touchdown from Mike Tomczak and finished the game with a total of three catches for 51 yards in the 43–0. On October 10, 1999, he had 6 receptions for 67 receiving yards, and caught a touchdown from Kordell Stewart against the Buffalo Bills in Week 5. In Week 12, he accounted for a season-high seven receptions and 89 receiving yards, and caught a 34-yard touchdown in a 20–27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. During the first quarter of a Week 14 matchup against the Ravens, Ward caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from Jerome Bettis. Ward finished his second season with 61 catches, 638 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns in 16 games and 14 starts.
