Ron Cook: It's an Honor to Have Ward, His Greatness

Friday, January 21, 2005
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

If the Steelers offense is introduced before the AFC championship game Sunday night at Heinz Field, the final player announced won't be the team's best player, Alan Faneca. It won't be the most respected and inspirational player, Jerome Bettis. It won't even be Ben Roethlisberger, who has seized this town like no athlete has since there was hockey and Mario Lemieux was winning Stanley Cup championships a lifetime ago.

"It's a great honor to be the last one out of the tunnel, trust me," Hines Ward said this week.
"I still can't believe I'm it.

"It's funny. Our guys were so used to Jerome coming out last that when he came out right before me for the first time this year, they started to break their lines and take off. I was like, 'Hey, guys, don't forget about me.' "

No one will forget about Ward Sunday night.

Trust me on that.

The Steelers will look to Ward to lead them past the New England Patriots, all the way to Jacksonville, Fla., for Super Bowl XXXIX.

The Patriots have Tom Brady, a quarterback every team wants in January because he's so clutch. He's 7-0 in the postseason and a two-time Super Bowl champion and MVP.

The Steelers counter with Ward, their most dependable offensive player, at least the most dependable not playing guard and wearing No. 66. They need someone to ease the playoff pressure on Big Ben? To make a big catch and get a key first down? To fight for extra yardage and turn an 8-yard catch into a 15-yard gain? Or maybe to spring Bettis or Duce Staley with a big block?

Ward is their man.

It was Ward, whose 10 catches for 105 yards Saturday against the New York Jets produced seven first downs and a touchdown.

It was Ward, who, on the tying drive midway through the fourth quarter, made a terrific 5-yard catch on third-and-3 at the Jets' 22 with safety Jon McGraw hanging on his back, then scored the touchdown on a 4-yard shovel pass.

And it was Ward, who had three catches for 32 yards on the winning field-goal drive in overtime, including one for 17 yards on third-and-6 at the Steelers' 33.

"I want it on my shoulders," Ward said.

We're lucky here. We're used to watching Steelers wide receivers step up at the biggest moments. That goes back to Hall of Famers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth.

"I want to be like those guys," Ward said. "I know I'll be remembered by what I do in the postseason. I can't ever remember seeing highlights of Swann and Stallworth from a regular-season game. But I sure remember seeing their spectacular catches in the Super Bowls."
Ward has caught a touchdown pass in three consecutive playoff games, a nice start toward Stallworth's NFL postseason record of eight in a row. Against Cleveland and Tennessee in the 2002 playoffs, he had big games -- a total of 18 catches for 186 yards and three touchdowns. And, before that, he had six catches for 64 yards against the Patriots in the AFC championship game after the 2001 season.

"I still have the picture of me sitting on the bench with a Gatorade towel over my head after we lost that game," Ward said. "I had it framed for a reason. I don't ever want to forget that feeling. I don't ever want to feel that way again."

Earlier this season, Ward had doubts he would be asked to lead the Steelers on a Super Bowl push. After having the three greatest receiving seasons in franchise history -- at least in catches -- his numbers were down. He finished with 80 catches for 1,004 yards, a significant drop from 2002 when he had 112 for 1,329.

But there were mitigating factors. One was the Steelers' commitment to the run. They attempted just 358 passes, fewest in the NFL and 153 fewer than the league average. Two was Roethlisberger, a rookie quarterback. The team didn't want to ask him to win games by throwing.

Opposing players and coaches took notice. They still voted Ward to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl. The Associated Press voters were similarly impressed and voted Ward second-team All-Pro.

What meant the most to Ward was a conversation with Dallas coach Bill Parcells before the Steelers played the Cowboys in October.

"He came up to me during stretching and just said, 'You're one hell of a ballplayer. Keep it going,' " Ward said. "To hear that from a coach like him, at a time when I was wondering if I was having a good year, it meant a lot."

It can't be any better than what the Steelers coaches tell Ward.

"Yeah, right. I never hear anything from them," Ward said, giggling.

Ward probably shouldn't feel too neglected. Nothing happens around the Steelers without Bill Cowher's approval, including the pregame introductions. That Ward is last in line leaves no doubt about what the organization thinks of him.

"Believe me, I wasn't complaining," Ward said. "I'm pretty sure they appreciate what I do."
The Steelers are expected to give Ward a big contract extension after the season. At this point, they wouldn't appear to have much choice. You can argue he's already the face of the franchise. There will be no doubt after Bettis retires, perhaps after this season.

Ward hopes the Steelers also find a way to bring back Plaxico Burress, who plays Stallworth to his Swann role. That seems unlikely. Burress, who will be an unrestricted free agent, will command an enormous contract. It's hard to justify two big deals to wide receivers in the salary-cap era.

Quick, name the Minnesota receiver opposite Randy Moss.

Or the Philadelphia receiver opposite Terrell Owens.

The point is the second receiver usually isn't a big name or a big-money player.

"Of course, I'd love to see Plax back," Ward said. "We've done so much together. We get each other open. It's like we create a pick-your-poison situation for opposing coaches.
"But neither of us is thinking about that right now. We're just living for the moment. If this is our last year together, we want to be able to say we went to a Super Bowl. We want a ring."
It wouldn't just be a nice souvenir for Ward, certainly better than that picture with the Gatorade towel over his head.

It would define his greatness.

And it would put him with Swann and Stallworth forever.


(Ron Cook can be reached at rcook@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1525.)