86 HINES
WARD
2007 (13-13/1-1):
Started 13 games and
the playoff loss to Jacksonville…was inactive Weeks 4 and 5 due to a knee
injury…sat out the season finale in Baltimore…led the team in receptions with 71
for 732 yards (10.3 avg.) and seven touchdowns…extended his own team record by
now catching a pass in 146 straight games and counting (3rd longest
streak among active players)…became the team’s all-time leader in receiving
yards in the Week 16 win over the Rams surpassing John Stallworth, who finished
with 8,723 yards…his two touchdown receptions in the Week 13 win over the
Bengals gave him 64 for his career, moving him past Stallworth (63) for first on
the team’s all-time list…his 11 receptions in that same game tied the
second-highest single-game total of his career…became the first player in team
history to record over 700 career catches (719 and counting)…caught 10 passes
for a playoff career-high 135 yards in the loss to Jacksonville…that marked his
fifth career 100-yard game and his second straight... 9/9 at Cleveland: Started at WR and
hauled in three catches for 51 yards (17.0 avg.) with a 24-yard long, while
adding one TD…caught at least one pass for the 134th straight game...9/16 vs. Buffalo: Started at WR and had
five catches for 55 yards (11.0 avg.) with a 21-yard long…extended his streak to
135 consecutive games with a catch...9/23 vs. San Francisco: Extended his
streak to 136 consecutive games with at least one catch…registered one catch for
two yards and one rush for seven yards, before leaving with an injury...9/30 at Arizona: Was inactive due to a
knee injury…10/7 vs. Seattle: Was
inactive due to a knee injury…10/21 at
Denver: Returned to action and started at WR…led the team with seven
receptions and 78 yards receiving (11.1 avg.) including an 18-yard
long…continued his streak of 137 consecutive games with at least one catch…10/28 at Cincinnati: Started at WR and
led the team in receptions with eight catches for 88 yards (11.0 avg.) and two
TDs…his two TDs marked the 11th multi-TD game of his career and the
first of the season…went over 60 career TD receptions (61), pulling him within
two TDs of John Stallworth (63) for the most receiving TDs by a Steelers’
WR…pulled within four points of John Stallworth for seventh place on the
Steelers’ all-time scoring leaders list…11/5 vs. Baltimore: Started in his
128th career game at WR…finished with four catches for 28 yards (7.0
avg.)…extended his team record to 139 straight games with at least one
catch...11/11 vs. Cleveland: Made
his fourth consecutive start at WR…finished with a game-high seven catches for
80 yards (11.4 avg.) with one TD…caught a 12-yard TD pass from Ben
Roethlisberger in the third quarter…his TD catch gave him 62 career TD catches,
leaving him one shy of tying the Steeler’s all-time record…11/18 at N.Y. Jets: Made his
130th career start at WR…recorded two catches for 47 yards (23.5
avg.) including a 25-yard long…continued his streak of 141 consecutive games
with at least one reception...11/26 vs.
Miami: Played in his 150th career game and started at WR for the
131st game…had a team-high and season-high nine catches for 99 yards
(9.8 avg.) with a long of 21 yards…extended his team record of 142 straight
games with at least one catch...12/2 vs.
Cincinnati: Started his 151st game at WR…finished with a
season-high 11 receptions for 90 yards (8.2 avg.) with two TDs, which marked his
second multi-TD game of the season and the 14th of his career…had a
two-yard reception in the second quarter…hauled in an eight-yard TD pass from
Roethlisberger to become the team’s all-time leader in receiving TDs with 64 for
his career…extended his team record of 143 straight games with at least one
catch…12/9 at New England: Played in
his 152nd career game at WR…finished with five catches for 39 yards
(7.8 avg.), including a 13-yard long…also rushed one time for no yards…continued
his streak to 144 consecutive games with at least one catch...12/16 vs. Jacksonville: Made his
134th career start and finished with three catches for 27 yards (9.0
avg.) with one TD…extended his team record to 145 straight games with at least
one catch…also had one rush for four yards...12/20 at St. Louis: Made his
135th career start at WR…finished with a team high six catches for 59
yards (9.8 avg.), including a 19-yard long…passed John Stallworth, becoming the
Steelers’ all-time leader in receiving yards with 8,737...12/30 at Baltimore: Was inactive...AFC WILD CARD 1/5/08 vs. Jacksonville:
Registered his 11th consecutive postseason start at WR…tallied a
team-high 10 catches for 135 yards (13.5 avg.)…his 135 receiving yards were a
new career high…this performance marked his fifth career postseason 100-yard
receiving game and his second straight in the postseason…caught a 31-yard pass
from Ben Roethlisberger on the Steelers’ first drive of the game, which was his
longest catch of the season.
2006
(14-14): Led the
team in receptions (74) and receiving yards (975)…hauled in a team-high six
touchdowns…missed two games with a knee injury late in the season…9/7 vs. Miami: Caught a pass in the
120th consecutive game…finished with a team-high five receptions for
53 yards (10.6 avg.) and a long of 19…hauled in a seven-yard touchdown pass from
Charlie Batch…9/18 at Jacksonville:
Started at FL and caught two passes for 29 yards with a long of 18…9/24 vs. Cincinnati: Started at FL…had
two receptions for 17 yards and a long of 11 yards…caught at least one pass in
his team-record 122nd consecutive game…10/8 at San Diego: Had a team-leading
four receptions for 49 yards (12.3 avg.) and a long of 24…10/15 vs. Kansas City: Grabbed five
balls for 59 yards (11.8 avg.) and a long of 28…caught a 13-yard touchdown in
the second quarter to give the Steelers a 28-0 lead…touchdown gave him 338
career points, tying Kris Brown for eighth place on the Steelers all-time
list…10/22 at Atlanta: Played
one of the best games against his hometown team…set new career highs in yards
(171) and touchdowns (3) in a game…caught eight passes for a 21.4 average…scored
on a 70-yard catch in which he lost his shoe…added TD catches of 11 and 17
yards…passed Kris Brown (338) for eighth place on the Steelers all-time scoring
list with 356 points…eight catches give him 600 for his career, becoming the
first Steelers player to record 600 receptions…10/29 at Oakland: Had game highs with
eight catches and 81 yards for a 10.1 average…had a long catch of 27 yards…11/5 vs. Denver: Caught seven passes
for a team-high 127 yards (18.1 avg.) and a long of 63 yards…marked the
16th career 100-yard game, tying for second with Louis Lipps on the
Steelers' all-time list…11/12 vs. New
Orleans: Had five receptions for 86 yards (17.2 avg.) and a touchdown…scored
on a 37-yard run and catch to give the Steelers and early 7-0 lead…11/19 at Cleveland: Had team highs with
seven catches and 81 yards (11.6 avg.) and a long of 23…had a 21-yard reception
that helped the team keep the game-winning drive alive…suffered a knee injury
but continued to play through the pain…11/26 at Baltimore: Started despite
suffering a hyper-extended knee in the previous game…caught four passes for 33
yards (8.3 avg.) and a long of 12…12/3
vs. Tampa Bay: Was inactive due to a knee injury…12/7 vs. Cleveland: Was inactive due to
a knee injury…12/17 at Carolina:
Started after missing two games with a knee injury…caught a team-high four
passes for 59 yards (14.8 avg.) with a long of 21…12/24 vs. Baltimore: Caught a game-high
eight receptions for 79 yards (9.9 avg.) with a long of 17…12/31 at Cincinnati: Had five
receptions for 51 yards (10.2 avg.) with a long of 17...has caught a pass in 133
consecutive games…rushed once for nine yards, passing Louis Lipps (388) as the
Steelers' all-time leading rushing wide receiver with 394…broke 8,000 yards
receiving, joining John Stallworth as the only Steelers' players to achieve
feat.
2005
(15-15/4-4):
Named team co-MVP (along with Casey Hampton) after leading the team in
receptions (69), receiving yards (975) and touchdowns (11)…finished the season
with three multi-touchdown and four 100-yard receiving games…his 14.1 receiving
average was his highest since 2000…ranked second (tied) in the AFC and third
(tied) in the NFL with his 11 touchdown receptions…named Super Bowl XL MVP after
finishing with 123 receiving yards on five receptions with one touchdown…9/11
vs. Tennessee: Started and caught two passes for 25 yards…9/18
at Houston: Started and caught a pass in team-record 106th
consecutive game…led team with six receptions, 84 receiving yards (14.0 avg.)
and two TDs…caught two touchdowns in a single game for the seventh time in his
career…9/25 vs. New England: Started at wide receiver and caught
four passes for 110 yards (27.5 avg.)…caught two touchdowns in a game for the
second straight week and eighth time in his career…stretched his streak of
consecutive games with a reception to 107…his first touchdown catch went for a
career-long 85 yards…caught his second TD with 1:21 remaining to tie the score
at 20-20…10/10 at San Diego: Led all Steelers
with six receptions for 83 yards (13.8 avg.), including a long of 33
yards…108th consecutive game with a reception…10/16 vs. Jacksonville: Missed the first game in his career
with a hamstring injury, snapping his consecutive games played (116) and games
started (83) streak…10/23 at Cincinnati: Returned after missing the first game
of his career…caught three passes for 35 yards (11.7 avg.), with a long of 18
and a four-yard touchdown…also had one rush for four yards…10/31 vs. Baltimore: Finished with
eight catches for 75 yards…11/6 at Green Bay: Started his 100th career
game and caught one pass for 12 yards…threw a key block to spring Antwaan Randle
El on a 43-yard rush on the team's first play from scrimmage…extended his streak
of consecutive games with a reception to 111 and moved to within three
receptions of breaking John Stallworth's career record for catches (537)…11/13 vs. Cleveland: Made Steelers' history with a 15-yard
reception late in the second quarter to break John Stallworth's reception record
(537)…finished with eight catches to give him 543 for his career…his eight
catches went for 124 yards (15.5 avg.), including a 51-yard touchdown reception
on a throw from Antwaan Randle El…earned AFC Player of the Week honors…could
have had two more touchdowns but one was reversed after an official's review,
and on the other he was ruled down at the one-yard line…11/20 at Baltimore: Caught a team-high six passes for 81
yards (13.5 avg.) and a long of 32…extended his streak of games with a reception
to 113…11/28 at Indianapolis: Caught three
passes for 28 yards (9.3 avg.), including a 12-yard touchdown reception from QB
Ben Roethlisberger in the first quarter for the only Steelers' score of the
game…12/4 vs. Cincinnati: Extended his streak to 115 straight
games with at least one reception…had season highs in catches (9) and yards
(135) for a 15.0 average yards per catch…caught a long of 31 and had two
touchdowns, marking the third time this season he had multiple touchdown catches
in a game, ninth multiple touchdown game in his career…also rushed once for
seven yards…was the 13th game in his career to have over 100-yards
receiving…his second touchdown, a six-yard catch, was the 50th
touchdown reception in his career…12/11 vs. Chicago: Caught three passes for 27 yards (9.0
avg.)...his longest catch went for a 14-yard touchdown in which he broke a few
tackles and dove into the end zone...tied Lynn Swann for the second place in
Steelers' history for receiving touchdowns with 51…12/18 at Minnesota: Caught two passes for 11 yards and a
long of 11…threw a key block on Heath Miller's 50-yard reception…extended his
streak to 117 straight games with at least one reception…12/24 at Cleveland: Caught seven passes for 105 yards
(15.0) and one touchdown with a long of 32…tied a career high with his fourth
100-yard receiving game of the season…surpassed Lynn Swann for second place in
Steelers' history with 52 TD receptions…1/1
vs. Detroit: Caught one pass
for 40 yards to extend his streak of consecutive games with at least one
reception to 119…surpassed the 7,000-yard career receiving mark, becoming only
the second Steeler to accomplish the feat (John Stallworth)…AFC
Wild Card Game 1/8 at Cincinnati: Caught two passes for 10 yards,
including a 5-yard TD reception…extended streak to five consecutive postseason
games with at least one TD catch…TD was his sixth career TD reception…AFC
Divisional Game 1/15 at Indianapolis: Caught three passes for 68 (22.7 avg.)
and a long of 45…had a reception for the eighth straight game in the
postseason…AFC Championship Game 1/22 at
Denver: Caught five passes for 59 yards (11.8 avg.) and one TD…had a
long reception of 21 yards…rushed one time for four yards…Super Bowl XL 2/5 vs. Seattle: Caught five passes for 123 yards (24.6
avg.) and a 43-yard touchdown…was named Super Bowl XL MVP…also rushed once for
18 yards…caught a 37 yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger down to the Seahawk's
three-yard line on third-and-28…marked the 10th straight postseason
game with a reception.
2004
(16-16/2-2): Selected
to the 2005 Pro Bowl, his fourth straight trip...also earned Associated Press second-team
All-Pro honors for the second consecutive season…led the team for the fifth
straight season (tied for lead in 1999) with 80 receptions for 1,004 yards, his
fourth consecutive 1,000-yard season…led the team in the postseason with
consecutive 100-yard receiving games…finished the postseason with an impressive
15 receptions for 214 yards and two TDs…caught four TD passes and scored first
career rushing TD...9/12 vs.
Oakland: Led the
team with seven receptions for 99 yards (14.1 avg.), including a long of 39
yards...9/19 at
Baltimore: Had
one of the best games of his career, catching six passes for 151 yards, his
second-highest receiving yardage total…recorded his ninth 100-yard receiving
game...produced his then second-highest per-catch average (25.2)...9/26 at Miami: Led the team for the third
straight game and just fell short of another 100-yard receiving performance…made
a spectacular catch for the only TD of the game when he went low for a pass from
Ben Roethlisberger and held on…finished with a season-high nine catches for 96
yards (10.7 avg.), including a long of 24 yards...10/3 vs. Cincinnati: Led the team for the fourth
straight game with six receptions
for 48 yards…also had one carry for 10 yards...10/10 vs. Cleveland: Tied Plaxico Burress for
team honors with six receptions for 61 yards (10.2 avg.)...10/17 at Dallas: Led the team for the fifth time in
six games with nine receptions for 76 yards…averaged 8.4 yards a reception...10/31 vs. New England: Tied Antwaan Randle El for a
team high with six receptions for 58 yards…had one rush for 11 yards...11/7 vs. Philadelphia: Scored his first TD since the Sept.
26 Miami game…finished with two TDs—one rushing and one on a reception…moved
into fourth place on the Steelers' all-time list for TD receptions (40), passing
Louis Lipps…had two receptions for 32 yards, including a long of 20…also had one
rushing attempt for 16 yards and the first rushing TD of his career...11/14 at Cleveland: Finished with three receptions for
42 yards, including a long of 22…threw a crunching block on defensive end
Orpheus Roye on a run by Ben Roethlisberger...11/21 at Cincinnati: Caught three passes for 15
yards...11/28 vs.
Washington: Extended
his string of consecutive games with a reception to 99 and led the team in
receptions for the seventh time…finished with three receptions for 42 yards,
including a long of 17 yards...12/5
at Jacksonville:
Extended his streak of consecutive games with a reception to
100…opened the scoring with a 37-yard TD reception from Roethlisberger…finished
with four catches for 80 yards…also had one carry for no gain...12/12 vs. N.Y Jets: Caught two passes for 38 yards,
including a long of 26 to increase his streak of consecutive games with a
reception to 101...12/18 at N.Y.
Giants: Led the team
with nine receptions for 134 yards, his 10th career 100-yard
performance…became only the third receiver to surpass the 6,000-yard mark…also
reached 500 receptions for his career, only the second receiver to reach that
mark in Steelers history...12/26 vs.
Baltimore: Tied Plaxico
Burress and Antwaan Randle El with a team-high three receptions for 21 yards…1/2 at Buffalo: Had two receptions for 11
yards in his limited playing time…topped the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the
fourth straight season...AFC Divisional Playoff Game 1/15 vs. N.Y. Jets: Led the team with 10
receptions for 105 yards and the second 100-yard receiving postseason
performance of his career...AFC Championship Game 1/23 vs. New England: Produced his second straight
100-yard receiving game and led the team with five receptions for 109 yards,
including a 30-yard TD reception...also was credited with a tackle.
2003
(16-16):
Selected
to the 2004 Pro Bowl, his third straight trip…was named the team MVP for the
second straight year (shared the award with Joey Porter in 2002)...also earned
Associated Press 2003
second-team All-Pro honors…led the team in receiving for the fifth straight
season...surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for the third straight season to become
the only receiver in Steelers history to achieve that mark…finished with 1,163
yards and 10 TDs on 95 receptions…also rushed for 61 yards on 11 carries…9/7 vs. Baltimore: Was the team's leading
receiver in season-opener…had a team-high nine receptions for 91 yards and two
TDs…surpassed Lynn Swann's 336 career receptions for third place on the
Steelers' all-time career receptions list...9/14 at Kansas City: Led the team for the second
straight week with nine receptions for a team-high 146 yards, including a
50-yard reception on the first play from scrimmage...9/21 at Cincinnati: Finished with four
receptions for 48 yards and one TD…fought for extra yardage on his TD when he
appeared to be stopped at the Bengals' two-yard line, but with the help of Dan
Kreider, managed to plunge forward for the score...9/28 vs. Tennessee: Led the team for the third
time in the season with nine receptions for 76 yards...10/5 vs. Cleveland: Was held to two receptions
for 55 yards, including a long of 30 yards...10/12 at Denver: Led the team for the fourth
game this season…had eight receptions for 81 yards, including a long of 19
yards…also had two runs for a total of nine yards, including a long of 12
yards...10/26 vs. St.
Louis: Led the
team for the fifth time this season with five receptions for 90 yards and two
TDs…had a long of 45 yards…rushed once for three yards...11/2 at Seattle: Had a team-high eight
receptions for 66 yards and one TD to lead the team in receptions for the sixth
time...also had three rushes for 14 yards, including a long of 11 yards...11/9 vs. Arizona: Led the team for the seventh
time in nine games with six receptions for 64 yards and two TDs...11/17 at San Francisco: Finished with four
receptions for 44 yards…suffered a neck injury on a long pass play in the third
quarter in which he landed head-first on the turf…returned to action in the
fourth quarter...11/23 at
Cleveland: Had
his lowest reception total of the season, catching one pass for 13 yards...11/30 vs. Cincinnati: Caught a career-high 13
passes for 149 yards and one TD...13 catches are the second most in a single
game in Steelers' history (14, Courtney Hawkins, 11/1/98 vs. Tennessee)…made
five catches during the Steelers' final 11-play scoring drive, including the
final two...12/7 vs.
Oakland: Led the
team for the eighth time with four receptions for 67 yards, including a long of
38 yards...12/14 N.Y.
Jets: Surpassed
1,000 receiving yards for the third-consecutive season and became the only
Steelers' player to reach 1,000 yards for three-straight seasons…is only the
second receiver to reach 1,000 yards three times (John Stallworth)…led the team
in receptions for the ninth time with five catches for 68 yards, including a
long of 25...12/21 vs. San
Diego: Became
only the fifth receiver in Steelers' history to reach 5,000 receiving yards…led
the team for the 10th time with six receptions for 94 yards and one TD…also had
three rushing attempts for 32 yards, including a long of 25 yards…12/28 at Baltimore:
Caught two passes for 11 yards, with a long of seven.
2002
(16-16/2-2):
Selected
to the 2003 Pro Bowl, his second straight trip…was also selected to the Associated Press second-team All-Pro
squad…led the team in receptions for the third consecutive year and eclipsed his
own team record with 112 receptions…also finished four yards ahead of Plaxico
Burress for team high passing yardage honors (1,329), just 69 shy of Yancey
Thigpen's team-record 1,398 yards (1997)…scored 12 receiving TDs to tie Louis
Lipps' (1985) and Buddy Dial's (1961) team record...became the first non-kicker
to lead the team in scoring since 1977 (Franco Harris)...was named the 2002
recipient of The Chief Award, presented annually by the Pittsburgh Chapter of
the Pro Football Writers of America to the player who best exemplifies the
spirit of cooperation with the media established by the late founder, Arthur J.
Rooney, Sr.…eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark for the second straight year, joining
Plaxico Burress as the first receiving tandem in team history to both surpass
1,000 receiving yards for two straight seasons…led the team with 18 receptions
for 186 yards and three TDs in the postseason...9/9 at New England: Began the season strongly in
the opener, leading the team with eight receptions for 90 yards and a TD...9/15 vs. Oakland: Led the team for the second
consecutive week with seven catches for 92 yards, including a 34-yard TD strike
from Kordell Stewart…scored two TDs for his first multiple-touchdown performance
of his career…9/29 vs.
Cleveland: Led
the team for the third straight game with nine catches for 104 yards, his first
100-yard game of the year and the third of his career...10/6 at New Orleans: Tied Antwaan Randle El for
the team high with five receptions for 45 yards, including a long of 21…scored
his team-leading fourth touchdown of the season when he dived to hit the pylon
after stretching for a pass from Tommy Maddox…had one run for 11 yards...10/13 at Cincinnati: Had four receptions for 24
yards…also ran once for 20 yards…moved passed Charles Johnson into sixth place
on the Steelers' all-time career receiving list...10/21 vs. Indianapolis: Scored two TDs on five
receptions…totaled 76 yards receiving…also had one carry for eight yards...10/27 at Baltimore: Led the team with eight
receptions for 97 yards, including a long of 20 yards...11/3 at Cleveland: Led the team in receptions
for the fifth time this season (tied once)…finished with nine receptions for 79
yards and a TD…also gained eight yards on one rushing attempt…11/10 vs. Atlanta: Had a 35-yard pass to
Plaxico Burress nullified by a holding penalty...finished with a team-leading 11
receptions for 139 yards and one TD…led the team in receptions for the sixth
time during the season…also had a 29-yard run...11/17 at Tennessee: Led the team for the seventh
time during the season…had 10 receptions for a career-high 168 yards and two
TDs, including the 72-yard TD on the game's initial play...11/24 vs. Cincinnati: Had another monster game,
tying for the team lead with five receptions for 125 yards and one TD…surpassed
1,000 receiving yards for the second consecutive season (1,039), becoming the
first Steeler since Roy Jefferson in 1968 and 1969 to achieve that
milestone…also rushed for a career long 39 yards on his only attempt...12/1 at Jacksonville: Produced another big
game…led the team for the eighth time with eight catches for 51 yards…also ran
two times for 19 yards...12/8 vs.
Houston: Led the
team for the ninth time during the season with nine receptions for 76
yards…eclipsed his own team record of 94 receptions…added seven yards on two
rushes...12/15 vs.
Carolina: Had
another productive day despite playing with a nagging hamstring injury…finished
with three receptions for 39 yards, including a long of 27…also had one carry
for two yards…became the first receiver in Steelers' history to record 100
receptions in a season...12/23 at
Tampa Bay: Led
the team for the 10th time during the season, catching six passes for 78 yards
(13.0 avg)...12/29 vs.
Baltimore:
Finished with a team-high five receptions for 46 yards to lead the
team in receptions for the 11th time during the regular season…also
had a 23-yard TD reception from Tommy Maddox...AFC
Wild Card Game 1/5 vs.
Cleveland:
Joined Plaxico Burress as the only Steelers receiving tandem to each
compile 100 or more receiving yards in a postseason game since John Stallworth
and Lynn Swann in Super Bowl XIII…finished with 11 receptions (tying Franco
Harris' team record for most catches in a postseason game) for 104 yards and one
TD…also ran once for 14 yards...AFC Divisional Playoff Game 1/11 at Tennessee: Led the team for the
13th time during the season with seven receptions for 82 yards and
two TDs, including a 21-yard TD catch…also completed a pass to Plaxico Burress
for a two-point conversion.
2001
(16-16/2-2):
Eclipsed
the 1,000 yard mark for the first time in his career, joining Plaxico Burress as
the only receiving tandem in team history to both surpass 1,000 receiving yards
for a season…made his first Pro Bowl appearance…led the team with a career-high
94 receptions, which also set a Steelers single-season record (85, Yancey
Thigpen in 1995)...9/9 at
Jacksonville:
Led the team with seven catches for 82 yards in season-opener,
including a long of 34…9/30 at
Buffalo: Had a
then career-high nine receptions 79 yards…converted three first downs...10/7 vs. Cincinnati: Led the team for the fourth
straight game with eight receptions for 68 yards, including a key 24-yard gain
on a third-and-long that helped lead to the Steelers' game-clinching field
goal...10/14 at Kansas
City: Had four
receptions for 38 yards and the team's first receiving TD...led the team in
receptions for the fourth straight week…also had a crushing block on the
Steelers' third-down attempt at the end of the game to clinch the victory...10/21 at Tampa Bay: Tied for team lead with three
receptions for 44 yards…also had one run for nine yards out of the shotgun
formation from the quarterback position...10/29 vs. Tennessee: Displayed his versatility,
catching, running and even throwing his first pass of the season…finished with
two receptions for 20 yards and a TD…took a direct snap from the shotgun
formation and raced 36 yards on his only carry...11/4 vs. Baltimore: Tied a then career high with
nine receptions for a then career-high 97 yards...11/11 at Cleveland: Finished with eight
receptions for 55 yards, including a long of 15 yards…was sacked once for three
yards...11/18 vs.
Jacksonville:
Recorded the first 100-yard receiving game of his career…finished
with nine receptions for 112 yards, including a 28-yard TD on a screen pass...11/25 at Tennessee: Finished with seven
receptions for 99 yards, just missing his second consecutive 100-yard
game…eclipsed his then season career high with his third reception…also
established a new career high for receiving yardage in a season...12/2 vs. Minnesota: Finished with three
receptions for 37 yards, including a long of 19 yards...12/9 vs. N.Y. Jets: Recorded then single-game
career highs for receptions (10) and receiving yards (124), his second 100-yard
game of the season…also ran three times for 14 yards…accounted for four
third-down conversions (three on receptions and one running)…moved into 12th on
the Steelers all-time receptions list with 203 career receptions...12/16 at Baltimore: Was held to his lowest
reception total of the season…had just one catch for seven yards…ran once for
six yards…12/23 vs.
Detroit: Had
seven receptions for 67 yards and one TD to eclipse Yancey Thigpen's Steelers'
single-season receptions record (85)...12/30 at Cincinnati: Caught three passes for 42
yards with a long of 30…also ran once off a direct snap for 14 yards…1/6
vs. Cleveland: Had four catches for 30 yards…AFC
Divisional Playoff game 1/20 vs.
Baltimore:
Caught three passes for 37 yards…also had six rushing yards on one carry...AFC
Championship Game 1/27 vs. New
England:
Had another solid performance…led the team with six receptions for 64
yards, including a long of 24.
2000
(16-15):
Had
another solid season, leading the team in receptions for the second straight
year…finished with 48 receptions for 672 yards and four TDs…also rushed for 53
yards on four carries...9/3 vs.
Baltimore:
Finished with two receptions for 20 yards…also returned one kickoff
for 23 yards...9/17 at
Cleveland: Made
his first start of the season for the injured Troy Edwards…had a productive day,
leading the team with five receptions for 75 yards, including a 31-yard
catch…also nearly broke a kickoff return for a TD, recording a 57-yard return...9/24 vs. Tennessee: Earned his second start of
the season and responded with a very productive day…led the team with five
receptions for 59 yards…also returned three kickoffs for 69 yards, including a
long of 31 yards…was credited with one solo special teams tackle...10/1 at Jacksonville: Caught two passes for 23
yards, including a long of 15 yards…also had one special teams tackle...10/8 at N.Y. Jets: Had two receptions for 18
yards…also was credited with one solo stop...10/15 vs. Cincinnati: Made a spectacular catch and
run for a 77-yard TD on the second play of the game, a play that was the longest
pass play by the Steelers since the 1994 season…finished with two catches for 91
yards...10/22 vs.
Cleveland:
Caught one pass for five yards…was credited with one tackle on
special teams...10/29 at
Baltimore: Had
another big game for the Steelers, including an outstanding 45-yard TD reception
on which he leaped over a Ravens defender and wrestled away the ball as he
stepped into the end zone…finished with two receptions for 55 yards...11/5 at Tennessee: Caught one pass for seven
yards…made a bruising tackle on Derrick Mason on a kick return when it appeared
Mason might go the distance...11/12
vs. Philadelphia:
Finished with two catches for 22 yards…also had one special teams
assist...11/19 vs.
Jacksonville:
Caught a Kordell Stewart pass and raced 22 yards for a 32-yard TD
reception, his third TD of the season…finished with three receptions for 60
yards…also returned two kickoffs for 47 yards, including a 26 yarder...11/26 at Cincinnati: Led the team with four
receptions for 70 yards, including a 34-yard TD…also had two carries for 38
yards, including a 23-yard reverse…threw a key block on Mark Bruener's TD
catch...12/3 vs. Oakland: Led the team for the second
consecutive week with four receptions for 36 yards…also had one run for three
yards...12/10 at N.Y.
Giants: Tied
Bobby Shaw with a team-high six receptions for 64 yards…had a long of 23...12/16 vs. Washington: Tied Bobby Shaw with a
team-high three receptions…totaled 31 yards…also rushed for 12 yards on a
reverse…was credited with one special teams assist...12/24 at San Diego: Caught four passes 36 yards.
1999 (16-14): Tied for the
team lead with Troy Edwards with 61 receptions for 638 yards…averaged 10.5 yards
a reception and scored a team-high seven TD receptions…also had one punt return
for two yards and one kickoff return for 24 yards…also served as a valuable
member of the special teams…started in 14-of-16 games...led the team with a
16.4-yards-per-reception average...9/12 at Cleveland: Displayed his
big-play capabilities in season-opener…had the longest reception in the game,
connecting with Kordell Stewart on a 42-yard gain that led to Steelers second
TD…finished the game with three catches for 51 yards and a TD…scored on a
one-yard pass from Mike Tomczak for the Steelers final TD in the fourth quarter,
Ward's first career TD...9/19 at Baltimore: Started his
second straight game at wide receiver…finished with two receptions for 31 yards,
a team-high 15.5 yards a catch…also had his first run of the season, a
three-yard gain on a reverse...9/26 vs. Seattle: Finished with two
catches for 18 yards…also was credited with a special teams tackle and a tackle
on an interception...10/3 vs. Jacksonville: Caught two
passes for 19 yards...10/10 at Buffalo: Finished with a
team-high six receptions for 67 yards and a TD…scored the team's first offensive
TD in two games…10/17 at Cincinnati: Had three
receptions for 18 yards...10/25 vs. Atlanta: Tied two other
players—Courtney Hawkins and Will Blackwell—for team lead with three receptions
in Monday Night game…totaled 28 receiving yards...11/7
at San Francisco: Finished with four catches for 31 yards…leaped over a
defender to score a 13-yard TD...11/14 vs. Cleveland: collected a
team-high four receptions for 39 yards...11/21 at Tennessee: Finished with
three catches for 20 yards…also registered one special teams tackle...11/28 vs. Cincinnati: Set then
career single-game highs for receptions and receiving yardage…caught seven
passes, tying Troy Edwards for team honors, for a team-high 89 yards…scored his
fourth TD reception of the season to lead the team in that category…also made a
possible touchdown-saving tackle on a kickoff return by Tremain Mack...12/2
at Jacksonville: Tied Bobby Shaw for team honors with four receptions
for 35 yards, including a long of 25 yards...12/12 vs. Baltimore: Caught three
passes for 43 yards, including a 21-yard TD pass from Jerome Bettis…averaged
14.3 yards per reception...12/18 at Kansas City: Finished with
four receptions for 41 yards, including a long of 17…reached the 50-reception
mark for the season...12/26 vs. Carolina: Led the team
with five receptions for 40 yards and a touchdown…also had one punt return for
two yards...1/2 vs. Tennessee: Finished with six
catches for 68 yards and one TD despite suffering a fracture in his lower back
in the first half…returned one kickoff for 24 yards.
1998
(16-0):
Finished
the season with 15 catches for 246 yards...averaged a team-high 16.4 yards a
reception...also had one carry for 13 yards and completed a pass to Kordell
Stewart for 17 yards...registered 28 total special teams tackles, which ranked
second on the team (one shy of leader John Fiala's 29)...was credited with four
downed punts inside the 10-yard line and two saved punts inside the 20 (one at
the one-yard line)...9/6 at
Baltimore: Had
the first reception of his career in the season-opener, a 12-yard pass from
Kordell Stewart...9/13 vs.
Chicago: Shined
on special teams, registering three solo tackles...did not have any
receptions...9/20 at
Miami: Produced
one of the few offensive bright spots with a nifty pass-and-catch for 18
yards...had one special teams tackle...9/27 vs. Seattle: Was brilliant on special
teams and tied Donta Jones with a team-high two solo special teams tackles...10/11 at Cincinnati: Produced another strong
special teams performance...was credited with two special teams tackles...also
made an excellent play by downing a fourth-quarter Josh Miller punt at the
Cincinnati one-yard line that ultimately led to a Steelers' go-ahead field goal
late in the game...10/26 at Kansas
City: Displayed
a glimpse of his vast talents, throwing a pass to Kordell Stewart for a 17-yard
gain and a first down that eventually led to a field goal...also registered one
solo special teams tackle...lined up on several four-receiver sets...11/9 vs. Green Bay: Had the best day at that
point of his rookie season on offense, catching two passes for 56 yards...had a
spectacular catch-and-run covering 45 yards late in the second quarter that led
to a touchdown...made a key block on Kordell Stewart's 30-yard run in the first
quarter that set up a Steelers' touchdown...also had five special teams tackles
(three solo)..11/15 at
Tennessee: Had a
productive day as a receiver and on the special teams...caught two passes for 21
yards...registered two special teams tackles...nailed Tennessee punter Craig
Hentrich for a one-yard loss on a fake punt attempt...11/22 vs. Jacksonville: Finished with two catches
for 26 yards...also was credited with one special teams tackle...11/26 at Detroit: Played well on special teams
and as a receiver...led the team with four total special teams tackles,
including two solo tackles...also had two receptions for 35 yards, including a
long play of 25 yards...12/6 vs. New
England:
Collected two receptions for 19 yards...had another strong game on
special teams, finishing with three special teams tackles (two solo)...12/13 at Tampa Bay: Had an outstanding leaping
catch, his only one of the game, for 18 yards...12/20 vs. Cincinnati: Had one reception for 17
yards...ran one reverse for 13 yards, his first carry of the season...made a
sensational play on a punt, keeping the ball out of the end zone in the second
quarter and downing it at the two-yard line that helped lead to a Steelers'
touchdown when Carnell Lake returned an interception 27 yards for the score...12/28 at Jacksonville: Had one catch for 24 yards
in the season finale.
COLLEGE: Finished
his career ranked second in school history with 144 receptions...had 1,965
career receiving yards to rank third in team history...gained 3,870 all-purpose
yards, second only to Herschel Walker (5,749)...was a 1997 All-American choice
by The Poor Man's Guide to the NFL Draft. 1997: Earned All-Southeastern
Conference (SEC) honors as a senior...led team with 55 receptions for 715 yards
and six touchdowns...had 12 receptions for 154 yards against Wisconsin in the
Outback Bowl. 1996:
Was an Academic All-SEC pick...caught 52 passes for 900 yards (17.3
avg.) and five touchdowns...gained 170 yards on 26 carries, returned five punts
for 47 yards and 13 kickoffs for 234 yards...named SEC Offensive Player of the
Week after catching nine passes for 175 yards and a score. 1995: Started first two games at
flanker before moving to tailback for the third game, to quarterback for the
fourth game, back to tailback for the seventh game, and then returned to
quarterback for the final three games. 1994: Selected to the All-SEC
Freshman team by the Knoxville News-Sentinel...earned bachelor's degree
in consumer economics.
PERSONAL: Earned All-American honors
from SuperPrep, Blue Chip Illustrated & USA Today, and
added All-State & Super Southern Top 100 honors at Forest Park (Ga.)
High...was a two-time Clayton County Offensive Player of the Year...rushed for
1,111 yards and 14 touchdowns and completed 122-of-204 passes for 1,575 yards
and 14 scores as a quarterback during his senior season...threw for 3,581 yards
and 38 scores and rushed for 2,500 yards and 29 touchdowns during his three-year
career...lives in Forest Park, Georgia...Full name: Hines Ward Jr.
