Thursday, May 11, 2006
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Santonio Holmes made a good first impression on Hines Ward, personally when they met last week at the Steelers' training complex and professionally from what the veteran receiver has seen on highlight tapes.
Ward also wants to help the rookie receiver assimilate into the Steelers' offense, though he learned a lesson about offering such help from the previous two receivers the Steelers drafted in the first round. So, if Holmes wants his help, starting with minicamp this weekend, he'll have to ask for it.
"If he wants to be helped and asks, I'm more than willing," Ward said this week. "But for me to go out of the way to try to help somebody, I'm not going to do it. I did that before, and it didn't work."
Ward said he was rebuffed in his efforts to help Troy Edwards, drafted in the first round in 1999, and Plaxico Burress, drafted in the first round in 2000. Ward felt those two receivers did not respect him because he was drafted in the third round in 1998.
Their reaction, he said, was something like this: "How can a third-round guy who doesn't even start -- I'm here to take your job -- help me?"
Eventually, Ward reacted this way: "All right, help yourself. You're a first-rounder anyway, you're here to beat me out."
"So, I stopped doing that," he said.
Nevertheless, he took Antwaan Randle El under his wing when the Steelers drafted him in the second round in 2002, he said, because Randle El asked for his help. He would do the same for Holmes or wide receiver Willie Reid, a third-round draft choice this year. He also believes that, with the loss of Randle El to the Washington Redskins in free agency, the rookies can help the offense.
"I think it's great. From what I've seen, they're playmakers. Does that mean we'll throw the ball more? I hope so. But ... probably not.
"I really don't know much about Reid other than what I've read about him. I know he's from Georgia. Santonio, I know he's a playmaker, and we need that in our offense because you only get so many opportunities, and the opportunities you do get you have to make something happen. If you want to be our stretch-the-field guy, you may get two opportunities a game. You're not going to get many."
It's unlikely any young receiver joining the Steelers would have less than abundant respect for Ward, 30, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, a four-time Pro Bowler, three-time Steelers MVP and holder of most of the club receiving records. The dynamics of the situation today also differ from that of six and seven years ago when the Steelers lacked depth at receiver and still were unsure of the young Ward.
Ward, though, apparently still harbors resentment over what he perceived were the team's attempts to push him aside in favor of Edwards and Burress. Sports Illustrated quotes him this week as saying he has never had a warm relationship with coach Bill Cowher.
"I don't have anything to say to him," he told the magazine. "After what he did to me, after how he treated me, no. The numbers I put up? The seasons I had, for them to keep on bringing in guys ...?"
Ward led the Steelers in receiving in each of the past six seasons and tied Edwards in 1999 for the lead with 61 receptions. Ward holds the team record with 574 receptions and has the top three receiving seasons in Steelers history. Edwards eventually fell out of favor and was traded in 2002. Burress signed with the New York Giants as a free agent last year.
Said Cowher: "Our decision to draft wide receivers in the first round of the 1999 and 2000 NFL drafts was not a reflection on Hines Ward. We had lost a couple of our top veteran receivers to free agency over the previous couple of offseasons, and drafting receivers in the first round of those two drafts was more a reflection of us trying to strengthen that position."
Perhaps Ward can still use that as his personal motivation, or somehow believe that another receiver, Holmes or Reid, was drafted to replace him. "Maybe one of those guys are supposed to take my job when I get older," he said.
He admits he thrives on such motivation. He says he was driven last year to prove wrong those people who thought he could not flourish without Burress and to show he was worth his new $27 million contract.
"How do I follow up?" Ward asks. "What can I do? Every year, I had motivation to do something. People said I couldn't do this, yet we won the Super Bowl and I'm Super Bowl MVP. Now, what's my next goal to try to set for myself?
"Every year, you have to prove yourself, there's nothing guaranteed. Jerry Rice said every year you get younger guys coming in and trying to replace you. You're Super Bowl MVP. My god, what's the next goal? I'm in new territory. I'm still looking."
(Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com or 412-263-3878. )
No comments:
Post a Comment