Hines Ward Exemplifies the NSR Student-athlete Through Long Career

Georgia Bulldog Builds Lifetime of Impressive Stats and Honors

Go through the litany of former NSR prospects and perhaps no other individual is as tied to excellence as former University of Georgia and current Pittsburgh Steeler standout Hines Ward.  As one of the NFL’s most prolific pass catchers since entering the league in 1998, Hines has accumulated an exceptional list of performance statistics as well as on- and off-the-field honors.

A Seoul, South Korea-native born into a military family, Hines grew up in East Point, Georgia.  At Forest Park High School in Forest Park, Georgia, he was twice named the county’s Offensive Player of the Year as a quarterback.  He signed a national letter of intent in 1994 to play at the University of Georgia in Athens where as a receiver and running back Hines put up record-setting numbers for the Bulldogs with 149 career receptions for 1,965 amd 3,870 all-purpose yards, second only in Bulldog history and lore to legend Herschel Walker.  During his senior season, he was even called upon to be the Dawgs’ QB due to injuries at the position.  Prior to leaving Athens for the NFL, Hines earned a bachelor’s degree in consumer economics.

Drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1999 draft, Hines has earned three team MVP selections and has appeared in four Pro Bowls (2001–2004). At the present time, Hines is the longest-tenured wide receiver with the same team in the NFL.  He is the team’s all-time leader in receptions (954), receiving yards (11,702), receiving touchdowns (83) and is the only Steeler to have at least 800 career catches along with over 11,000 receiving yards all while becoming the only receiver in Steelers’ history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards for four straight seasons (2001-2004.  Hines has established team records for receptions in a season (112), touchdown catches in a season (12) and consecutive games with a reception (186).  In 2008, he was honored as the Steelers’ Walter Payton Man of the Year and was named to the Steelers’ 75^th Season All-Time Team in 2007.  In the team’s Super Bowl XL win, Hines was voted the game’s MVP after a game-high 123 receiving yards on five receptions and one touchdown.

In 2006, Hines returned to his homeland of South Korea for the first time and upon his departure a month later donated $1 million USD to create the Hines Ward Helping Hands Foundation, which the AP called “a foundation to help mixed-race children like himself in South Korea, where they have suffered discrimination.”

At NSR, we are proud of Hines Ward and his legacy both as a great athlete, but also because of his character and humanitarian efforts.