6 Pittsburgh Steelers who made the NFL rewrite its rules

Hines Ward 1998-2011

He will go down as one of the best Steelers wide receivers of all time, whether he gets enshrined at Canton or not. No one will question that, unless perhaps you are a Ravens fan. As much as he loved burning defensive backs for six points, he had another uncanny ability he could do just as well.

Beyond his receiving abilities, many consider him one of the best-blocking receivers that ever played.  He could lay blindside blocks on defensive backs or linebackers as well as any offensive lineman.  Much to the ire of the Baltimore Ravens, who on many occasions called Hines Ward out as being a dirty player. More or less a testament to his ability, than that Hines actually played dirty.

If you are not convinced of Hines’ blocking abilities, ask Keith Rivers. In 2008 at a game in Cincinnati, Ben Roethlisberger tossed a small screen pass to Matt Spaeth. Frank Rivers closed in to tackle Spaeth when, out of nowhere, Hines Ward leveled him, breaking his jaw. While a clean legal hit, the injury to Rivers forced the NFL to review rewrite its blocking rules.

They rewrote the rule book, making it illegal for blocks from a helmet, forearm or shoulder to land in the neck area of the defender from the side or behind. Oddly enough, watching the replay, Ward clearly hit Rivers no higher than the shoulder. Should it have caused a rule change? Well, that’s debatable; nonetheless, it did. The NFL called it the Hines Ward Rule.