The Pro Football Hall of Fame released their list of 15 finalists Thursday and one name was excluded that deserved a place on it.
Hines Ward.
Ward faced serious competition from other All-Pro receivers such as Reggie Wayne, Tory Holt and Andre Johnson, but the Steelers’ often overlooked and underappreciated receiver rightfully deserved his place among the 15 finalists.
The Steelers selected the Georgia Bulldog utility player with the last pick of the third round in the 1998 NFL Draft. Including the 13 wide receivers taken before Ward that year, only two of those 14 receivers truly stood out.
One was future Hall of Famer Randy Moss. Moss was selected with the 21st pick in the first round by the Vikings and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.
The other was Hines Ward.
Ward’s draft class had flashy college names like Kevin Dyson, Jacquez Green and Joe Jurevicius, but their careers paled in comparison to his.
In his rookie season, Ward didn’t establish himself as an instant sensation. Far from it as he tallied 15 receptions for 246 yards.
But in his second year, he established his presence and eventually developed into a force for the Steelers over the next 13 years with the team.
Ward retired with 1,000 receptions for 12,083 yards and 85 TDs. He was also a 4x Pro Bowler and 2x Super Bowl Champion, taking home the Super Bowl XL MVP in 2006. In that game, he caught 5 passes for 123 yards and 1 TD that become the game-sealing 43-yard score.
His Hall of Fame competition fielded comparable numbers.
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