Ward has most to gain from Big Ben's return

Sunday, October 17, 2010
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/?m=1

Few NFL players, if any, are tougher than Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward.

None is more insecure.

It's an amazing dichotomy, isn't it?

Ward's toughness is out of this world. You know that. You see it every Sunday when he takes the most punishing of hits and gives out his share as one of the best blocking receivers the NFL has known, always with that same, lovin'-life smile on his face. It's among the many reasons he's lasted 13 seasons in the league. It's a big reason he will be enshrined one day in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, where he will join the Steelers' great receivers before him -- Lynn Swann and John Stallworth -- for eternity.

But Ward's unfathomable insecurity also has been critical to his success. To say it drives him every day would not be a stretch. Even now, after amassing 907 catches for 11,112 yards and 79 touchdowns, he's always looking over his shoulder, searching for the young receiver who will take his place. He walks through the Steelers' South Side compound, still smiling, sure, but half expecting to be summoned to coach Mike Tomlin's office for that "Thanks-for-everything-you've-done-for-us ... " man-to-man talk that's inevitable for every player.

Whatever works, right?

This is especially relevant today as the Steelers get ready to play the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field because Ward is in a bad statistical place, the worst since early in his career. He had a total of just six catches for 57 yards and a touchdown in the past three games, including a measly two catches for 14 yards in the brutal loss two weeks ago to the Baltimore Ravens, the team he most enjoys tormenting. The easy explanation is that franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger didn't play in the first four games this season because of his NFL-mandated suspension. But that doesn't make Ward feel better. Only the Steelers' 3-1 record does. He loves that and says those are the only numbers that really matter. But he's also a proud man. He wants to contribute more than two catches a game. He wants to keep on keeping on. He wants to be great game after game after game.

"I've gone to coach Tomlin and talked to him about it," Ward said last week. "It's hard to do an honest self-evaluation sometimes. I think I'm still getting open and getting separation from defensive backs, but my stats aren't showing it. Why? I asked [Tomlin], 'Do you see something in my game? Have I lost a step? Can I still get it done?' "

You can bet Tomlin thought long and hard about his answer. There are days when coaching involves more than X's and O's. This was one of them. Some players need a kick in the seat of the pants. Others need stroked.

"He told me to just continue doing what I'm doing," Ward said. "He said he knows I still have a lot left and he's going to squeeze every bit of it out of me. That was nice to hear. I know he's not looking to replace me."

Smart man, Tomlin.

Good coach, too.

Don't be surprised if Ward has a big day today. Once again, the easy explanation is Roethlisberger, who will play for the first time this season. "I can't wait to be a part of it," Ward said. "He's definitely going to make a difference for us. I think he's going to be great. I know he wants to show everybody he's back. 'Hungry Ben,' I call him. That's good for all of us. At the end of the day, to get where we want to go, we have to have him."

Ward said Roethlisberger has worked hard to make amends in the locker room. "He's changed. He's out there talking to everybody. As the quarterback, you're the leader of the team. You can't be cliquish. It can't be just you and the offensive linemen. It has to be you and everybody."

And the next step for Roethlisberger?

"I know he's very conscious of trying to get back in good with the fans," Ward said.

The best way for Roethlisberger to do that is by playing winning football. Ward and I agreed that he will be great today virtually from his first pass. "I can't wait to see it," Ward said. "He's a winner."

Ward said running back Rashard Mendenhall will benefit most from Roethlisberger's return because the threat of a big-time passing game will loosen opposing defenses. "Rashard has been running like crazy. We're not going to get away from that. It's like a light has come on for him. He realizes now how good he is."

I say Ward will benefit most. He had six catches total in the past three games? I'll bet he has six today, if not more.

A big game would nudge Ward closer to Torry Holt (920 catches), who is No. 11 on the NFL's all-time receiving list. I know this because Ward carries the list with him every day and showed it to me. It's on the front cover of his playbook. He will make it to ninth place this season if he gets 45 catches in the final 12 games. Certainly, that's a reachable number with Roethlisberger. The thought fuels him.

Whatever works, remember?

"I'd like to get to 1,000 for my career," Ward said. "That's important to me. To get to 1,000 with one organization, this organization ... That would mean the world to me."

The climb continues today. Ward might have doubts that he will get there. I don't.

Not with Roethlisberger along to do some of the heavy lifting.

Ron Cook: rcook@post-gazette.com. Ron Cook can be heard on the "Vinnie and Cook" show weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 93.7 The Fan.

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