Hines Ward

It was sad to see Hines Ward officially retire a few weeks ago. It was great to see that he retired wearing no other jersey than that of the Pittsburgh Steelers. That doesn't happen too often these days. Ward has always been one of my favorite football players. There may have been faster, more shifty receivers. Few had better hands. None blocked as well. Ward wasn't just a terrific receiver. He was a complete football player. If the Minnesota Vikings played the Steelers more often, maybe I wouldn't like him as much as I do. He could be a real pain-in-the-ass to play against. Many defensive players hated playing against him. Ward was a devastating blocker. For a receiver, that's remarkable. Offensive players have always had to have their head on swivel while crossing the defense. Ward turned that around. He put worries in the minds of defensive players. He would destroy defensive players when given the chance. There's no surprise that some defenders cried foul. They rarely like getting what they so routinely give. Offense can be physical too. Few did that better than Hines Ward. He was such a fun player to watch.

I'm hoping that young, physical receivers like Percy Harvin, Julio Jones and Miles Austin can carry on what Ward did so well. Keeping defenses from getting too comfortable. I'm going to miss watching Hines Ward play football. I'm just glad that his last playing days were in the same city as his first.