Hines Ward
Hines Ward
Hines Ward isn’t in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but he’s still one of the most beloved figures in Pittsburgh Steelers history. He played for them for his whole career from 1998-2011, catching 1,000 passes for 12,083 yards and 85 touchdowns.
However, perhaps the trait that endeared him to fans most was his physicality. Ward was a receiver, but he hit as hard as any linebacker. Steelers fans loved that, but it also made Ward many enemies. That included the Baltimore Ravens, as former NFL linebacker Bart Scott explained.
“It was on sight,” Scott said recently on The Joint Venture Show’s YouTube channel. “There was times where I played the Steelers and they were going to the playoffs and we weren’t. Mike Tomlin [said], ‘Yeah Bart, ain’t gonna give him to you today.’
“Because he knew we had an open hit out on Hines Ward’s ass on sight, no matter where he was. He was the cheap shot king… He’s got that big ass head. He’s got the hardest head, smiling at you. It’s like, ‘Alright, motherfucker.'”
Scott played for the Ravens from 2002-2008, so he faced Ward during most of his prime. The Ravens certainly got their pound of flesh when they played Ward. There are plenty of examples of them attacking the receiver at full force.
Hines Ward was the toughest SOB of his time. Dude could've played in any era and excelled. #Steelers pic.twitter.com/2K7DgBsygb
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) July 18, 2020
Still, Ward was one of the toughest receivers of his generation. It’s easy to see why he had a target painted on his back. Defenders weren’t safe when he was on the field.
Just ask former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers. Ward hit him so hard in 2008 that it broke Rivers’ jaw and ended his season. However, Ward wasn’t flagged on the play. The hit wasn’t illegal yet.
Hines Ward block on Keith Rivers throwback #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/EyPTAWzCys
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) June 28, 2022
That changed soon after. Ward’s hit on Rivers caused the NFL to institute a rule after that season that made high, blindside hits illegal.
However, it’s not like Ward was the only one delivering blows like that. The Ravens dealt out just as many dirty hits on the Steelers. Ben Roethlisberger even said that Scott gave him the hardest hit of his career. The two teams were always looking to establish dominance over each other, and that included being tougher than the other.
Despite the Ravens’ disdain for Ward, he and the Steelers still ended up getting the last laugh more often than not. Pittsburgh went 15-12 in the regular season against Baltimore during Ward’s career. While the Ravens won their final two outings against the Steelers before Ward retired, Ward’s Steelers were also 3-0 against the Ravens in the playoffs.
Ward won two Super Bowls in his career, and he was named MVP of one of those games. The Ravens might’ve been trying to hit Ward as hard as he hit them, but he kept getting back up, and he had a great career. Hopefully, Baltimore will have to watch Ward walk into the Hall of Fame one day, too.