Steelers: Hines Ward Small But Powerful

Former Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward made a career out of proving people wrong. After a fourteen year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers Ward proved that small is, indeed, powerful.

Ward was a third round pick by the Steelers in the 1998 NFL Draft out of the University of Georgia. As a wide receiver for the University of Georgia Bulldogs Ward’s 149 career receptions for just less than 2,000 yards places him second in their team history.

Ward was no one-trick-pony in college either. He played tailback and totaled 3,870 all-purpose yards, second to only Herschel Walker in Georgia Bulldogs history. Ward even played some quarterback in his sophomore year and holds the Georgia bowl records for pass attempts, completions and passing yards from the 1995 Peach Bowl.

Out of college and preparing for the NFL Scouting Combine and the draft it was discovered that he was actually missing an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee stemming from a bicycle accident during childhood.

Ward was considered one of the top 5 receivers in the 1998 draft and was selected by the Steelers in the third round. From then on he’s only go on to prove that power can come from small packages as he developed a rep for delivering blows to his blockers the likes of which no one has seen from a receiver in this stage of the NFL.

For Super Bowl 50 Hines teamed up with nine other athletes and Tide Pods to encourage people to “Never Underestimate Small.” Those who underestimated the small from Ward’s playing days certainly had to deal with the consequences and the same could be said for the Tide Pods.

Next: Steelers Free Agents: Quarterbacks

Here’s the spot he did with Tide to showcase his “Small but powerful skills.”

What do you think Steeler Nation?