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Hines starring at Heinz Steelers' fourth-year wideout passing some legendsPosted: Friday December 14, 2001 7:59 PM
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Lynn Swann made the Hall of Fame. John Stallworth could make it in the future. Yancey Thigpen, Louis Lipps, Buddy Dial and Roy Jefferson also were accomplished Pittsburgh Steelers receivers. None of them had the kind of season Hines Ward is having. With 79 catches in 12 games, Ward needs seven in the remaining four games to break Thigpen's 1995 club record of 85. A couple more games like his 10-catch effort Sunday against the Jets, and Ward will be the first Steelers receiver with 100 receptions in a season. Such numbers seem surreal to Ward, a third-round pick from Georgia in 1998 who was drafted to be a complementary receiver, not a Pro Bowl player. They are even more remarkable considering the Steelers drafted receivers in the first round the next two years: Troy Edwards and Plaxico Burress. Edwards was a Biletnikoff Award winner, and Burress was one of the most gifted players in the 2000 draft, yet it is Ward who is emerging as a star. "I remember a year ago, before training camp, I wasn't even talked about," Ward said. "To come close to the record, words can't describe it because I never would have pictured this happening." Baltimore Ravens head coach Brian Billick, whose team meets Pittsburgh on Sunday night, compares Ward favorably to Minnesota's Cris Carter, another likely Hall of Famer. "He is one of those basketball-on-grass type athletes," Billick said. "He's very tough and physical. Cris is one of those guys who will zig and zag, catch the ball, put a move on you and then put a forearm right into your facemask, if that's what it takes. He [Ward] has that kind of quality about him." Ward's reputation as the best blocker among NFL receivers -- Steelers offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey said it isn't even close -- is fast spreading. Jaguars receiver Jimmy Smith sought Ward out last month and told him he had his Pro Bowl vote. Even some Ravens who talked sarcastically of Burress -- tight end Shannon Sharpe called him "Plexiglass" -- speak of their respect for Ward, a blue-collar player at a position where stars aren't always known for their toughness. "People tell me I'm among the league leaders and I'm like, 'All right,'" said Ward, who is fifth in the NFL in receptions. "To me, it's just an opportunity to catch balls and help the team out. It's a great honor to be up there passing those guys. I never would have thought I'd be in the Top 10 with all the great receivers who've been around here." Ward's toughness is providing ancillary benefits to the Steelers (10-2), who haven't had a record this good since Swann and Stallworth were their receivers in 1978 -- and they won the Super Bowl. Burress and Edwards are becoming more physical, partly because they know they are being compared to Ward rather than the other way around. "Plax is good friends with a lot of guys around the league and they're always patting him on the rear end," Ward said. "But when [linebacker Jeremiah] Trotter knocked him out in the Philadelphia game [last year], I told him 'You can't be friends with anybody.' "Once they get an opportunity to hit you, they're going to take their shot. So you've got to take your shots on them." So far, Ward's approach hasn't taken a toll physically, as he has yet to miss a game to injury in his four-year career. That may be partly the result of his approach: Hit defensive backs before they hit you. "That's how I play my game. They may talk a good game, but when you're constantly hitting them it comes out," he said. "Either they're going to hit you back or fold and shy away from you. That's my whole philosophy."
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