86 HINES WARD
PRO: (170-149/14-14):
Is
one of the top receivers in the NFL and is the longest-tenured wide receiver
with the same team in the league...is a four-time Pro Bowl selection
(2002-05)...is the team’s all-time leader in receptions (800), receiving yards
(9,780) and receiving touchdowns (72)...is the only Steeler to have at least 800
career catches and over 9,000 career receiving yards...became the only receiver
in Steelers’ history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards for four straight seasons
(2001-04)...has team records for receptions in a season (112), which he set in
2002...posted 12 TD receptions in 2003 to tie Louis Lipps (1985) and Buddy
Dial’s (1961) team record...drafted by Pittsburgh in the third round (92nd
overall) of the 1998 NFL Draft...named Associated Press All-Pro second team in
both 2003 and 2004...was named the Steelers’ co-MVP in 2005 (along with Casey
Hampton) and 2002 (with Joey Porter), and outright in 2003... earned Super Bowl
XL MVP honors after finishing with a game-high 123 receiving yards on five
receptions with one touchdown...has led the Steelers in receptions the past 10
years (tied with Troy Edwards in 1999)...has a pass in a team-record 162 games
entering the 2009 season...was named to the Steelers’ 75th Season All-Time Team
during the 2007 season...named the Steelers’ 2008 Walter Payton Man of the
Year...signed a five-year contract in 2001...signed a four-year extension during
the 2005 training camp...restructured his contract during the 2009 offseason and
signed an extension to keep him with the team through
2013.
2008
(16-14/3-3): Played
in all 16 regular-season games, making 14 starts...named Steelers’ Walter Payton
Man of the Year...finished the season with 81 receptions for 1,043 yards (12.9
avg.) with seven touchdowns...was the fifth 1,000-yard season of his career, and
his first since 2004...surpassed 9,000 receiving yards for his career
(9,780)...his final reception of the year in the regular-season finale against
the Browns gave him 800 for his career, extending his team record...became the
first receiver in team history to surpass 10,000 career total yards from
scrimmage (10,210)...his four 100-yard receiving performances gave him 20 for
his career, moving him past Louis Lipps (16) into sole possession of second
place on the team’s all-time list...his 11 receptions on November 16 against the
Chargers were a season high and the second-highest single-game total (tied) of
his career...extended his team record to 162 consecutive games with a
reception...started all three postseason games...finished with nine postseason
receptions for 168 yards (18.7 avg.)...became the second player in franchise
history (John Stallworth) to surpass 1,000 career postseason receiving yards
(1,064)...became the first player in team postseason history to catch 70 passes
in the postseason (76)...has caught a pass in 14 straight postseason games, the
second-longest streak in team history...9/7 vs. Houston: Made his 136th
career start in his 155th career game...caught six passes for 76 yards (12.7
avg.) with two touchdowns... was his 15th career multiple-touchdown
performance... his two touchdown receptions increased his career total to
67...9/14 at Cleveland: Made his 137th career start at WR...tied for the
team lead with five receptions for 59 yards (11.8 avg.) with one touchdown...
his touchdown increased his career total to68...was his third consecutive game
with a touchdown reception versus Cleveland...9/21 at Philadelphia:
Played in his 157th game at WR...had four catches for 34 yards (8.5 avg.) with a
long of 16...9/29 vs. Baltimore: Played in his 158th game at
WR...caught two passes for 57 yards (28.5 avg.) with a long of 49
yards...10/5 at Jacksonville: Made his 138th career start at WR...caught
seven passes for 90 yards (12.9 avg.) and scored the game winning touchdown on
an eight-yard pass with 1:53 remaining in the game...was his team-leading fourth
touchdown reception of the year and 69th of his career, extending his team
record...surpassed 9,000 yards for his career (9,053), the most in franchise
history...10/19 at Cincinnati: Played in his 160th career game...caught
four passes for 60 yards (15.0 avg.) with his team-leading fifth touchdown
reception of the season...his 16-yard touchdown reception from Byron Leftwich in
the fourth quarter extended his team record to 70 career touchdown
receptions...10/26 vs. New York Giants: Made his 140th career start at
WR...caught three passes for 30 yards (10.0 avg.) with a long of 14...11/3
at Washington: Made his fourth consecutive start at WR...tied for the
team lead with three receptions for 39 yards (13.0 avg.) with a long of 14
yards...11/9 vs. Indianapolis: Made his fifth consecutive start at
WR...caught eight passes for 112 yards (14.0 avg.)... had one rush for four
yards...was his first 100-yard game
of the season, and the 17th of his career, giving him sole possession of second
place on the team’s all time moving him ahead of Louis Lipps...11/16 vs.
San Diego: Made his sixth consecutive start at WR... established season
highs with 11 receptions for 124 yards (11.3 avg.) with a long of 30 yards...was
his 18th career 100-yard receiving game and his second
consecutive...11/20 vs. Cincinnati: Played in his 165th career
game...had one reception for 37 yards...11/30 at New England: Made
his 145th career start at WR...finished with a team-high five receptions for
37 yards (7.4 avg.) with one
touchdown...12/7 vs. Dallas: Made his ninth consecutive start at
WR...finished with one catch for two yards...12/14 at Baltimore: Made his
10th consecutive start at WR...finished with a game-high 107 yards receiving on
eight receptions (13.4 avg.), including a long of 30 yards...was his
19th career 100-yard receiving game and his third in 2008... became
the first receiver in team history to reach 10,000 career total yards from
scrimmage (10,031)...caught three passes for 36 yards on the team’s game winning
touchdown drive in the fourth quarter...12/21 at Tennessee: Made
his 11th consecutive start at WR...finished with 109 yards receiving on seven
receptions (15.6 avg.) and one touchdown, his second straight 100-yard receiving
game and the 20th of his career...12/28 vs. Cleveland: Played in his
170th career game and made his 12th consecutive start at WR... finished with six
catches for 70 yards (11.7 avg.) with a long of 24 yards...his six catches gave
him 800 for his career, making him the only receiver in team history to catch at
least 800 passes...finished the season with 1,043 receiving yards, marking his
fifth career 1,000-yard receiving season and his first since 2004... extended
his team record to 162 consecutive games with a reception...AFC Divisional
Game 1/11 vs. San Diego: Made his 12th consecutive postseason start
at WR...caught four passes for 70 yards (17.5 avg.) with a long of 41
yards...moved into second place on the team’s all-time list for receiving yards
in the postseason ahead of Lynn Swann, with 966 career postseason yards...became
the first receiver in team history to post at least 70 catches in the postseason
with 71...AFC Championship Game 1/18 vs. Baltimore: Made his 13th
consecutive postseason start at WR...caught three passes for 55 yards (18.3
avg.) before leaving in the first half with a knee injury...hauled in a 45-yard
pass on third-and-12 on the first possession of the game...with that catch, Ward
became the second player in team history to post at least 1,000 career
postseason receiving yards (1,021)...Super Bowl XLIII 2/1 vs. Arizona:
Made his 14th consecutive postseason start at WR...caught two passes for 43
yards (21.5 avg.) with a long of 38 yards on the Steelers’ second play from
scrimmage...has caught a pass in 14 straight postseason games, the
second-longest streak in team history.
Remainder of Ward
Bio
