Hines Ward News: Pro Sports Daily

Ward Helps Biracial Youths on Journey Toward Acceptance

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November 10

New York Times

"Steelers receiver Hines Ward surrounded himself with old friends at the dinner table on a recent Saturday night. The bond was as obvious as the look on everyone's faces - half Korean, half something else. The shared experience was far more than skin deep. There was a boy who was bullied into depression and tried to commit suicide. There was a girl ordered by a teacher to keep her hair pulled back tight, to straighten the natural curls she inherited from her black father. There was another too intimidated by her taunting classmates to board the bus, choosing instead the humiliating and lonely walk to school. There were the boys who were beaten regularly and teased mercilessly. There were ..."

Steelers' Hines Ward leads the NFL in receiving at the age of 33

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October 22

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"On a gorgeous fall afternoon, Hines Ward left his workplace yesterday with a good three hours of sunlight remaining. Enough to get in a little golf? "No," Ward, 33, said. "I'm going to go sleep in my hyperbaric chamber. It's my fountain of youth." Who could argue? Ward not only is off to the fastest start of his 12-year career with the Steelers, but he also is atop the NFL receiving statistics this week. No Steelers receiver has ever led the league, but more than a third of the way through this season no one has more than Ward's 599 yards. He and Steve Smith of the New York Giants are tied for the league lead with 41 receptions. At that rate, he'll catch 109 passes for nearly 1,600 yards. ..."

Hines Ward leads the NFL in receiving at the age of 33

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October 22

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"On a gorgeous fall afternoon, Hines Ward left his workplace yesterday with a good three hours of sunlight remaining. Enough to get in a little golf? "No," Ward, 33, said. "I'm going to go sleep in my hyperbaric chamber. It's my fountain of youth." Who could argue? Ward not only is off to the fastest start of his 12-year career with the Steelers, but he also is atop the NFL receiving statistics this week. No Steelers receiver has ever led the league, but more than a third of the way through this season no one has more than Ward's 599 yards. He and Steve Smith of the New York Giants are tied for the league lead with 41 receptions. At that rate, he'll catch 109 passes for nearly 1,600 yards."

Hines Ward is off to his best start in years

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October 11

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"A new name has found its way among the leading NFL receivers, right there with Moss and Wayne and Smith and Gates. The name is Ward, Hines Ward. At 33, Ward is off to the kind of start he has not seen in five years. He is tied for third among NFL receivers with 26 receptions, and ranks sixth with 355 yards. It is the third-fastest start of his career in terms of yardage. He had 394 yards after four games in 2004 and 361 after four games in 2003. He made the Pro Bowl both times. "Not bad for an old fellow,'' Ward beamed. At this pace, he would finish with a career high of more than 1,400 yards. Ward knows there will be ups and downs, bad weather and perhaps games in which the Steelers run a ..."

Ward's milestone dampened by loss

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September 28

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"The problem for Hines Ward is that his career milestone came with a millstone yesterday. He became the first Steelers receiver to catch 10,000 yards worth of passes and he had to hit that mark in a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Needing 60 yards coming in to hit 10,000, Ward caught four passes for 82 yards. He has 10,022 yards. "It means nothing to me now," Ward said. "It's a great milestone but starting the season off 1-2, all the milestones and records, I can't even think about that right now." Wallace the oneMike Wallace likely has won the No. 3 receiving spot yesterday for two very big reasons. He became the first rookie since Santonio Holmes in 2006 to have a 100-yard game. Wallace, ..."

Ward says he won't hit opponents low

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September 24

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Hines Ward laid such a vicious hit on Cincinnati's Keith Rivers last year that the rookie linebacker was lost for the season with a broken jaw. It also prompted the NFL to put in rule making blindside blocks targeted at the head illegal. Ward said Wednesday that he would do it again if the only alternative was taking out his knees. "If I get another opportunity to hit somebody, I am going to take it," Ward said. "I am not going to go low on anybody. To me, that is an unwritten rule or kind of code of things you don't do around the league, especially when they aren't watching." Ward referenced an illegal crack back block that Brett Favre put on Houston's Eugene Wilson during a preseason ..."

New rule won't change Ward

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September 24

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Hines Ward will not apologize. If he has to block Cincinnati's Keith Rivers again Sunday he will do it the same way that he did last season, even though it's now against NFL rules, even though he broke the young linebacker's jaw. He said he's not going to take a Brett Favre-like approach and hit a guy low and possibly blow out his knee. "It's unfortunate it happened but I'm not going to change," Ward said over and over yesterday in front of his locker. "If I get another opportunity to hit somebody, I'm going to take it. "I'm not going low on anybody. To me, that's, I guess, an unwritten rule, kind of a code that you don't do that around the league, especially when nobody's watching. "The ..."

Ageless Hines keeps on ticking

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September 7

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward has made hundreds of bigger, more significant catches, to be sure. But the grab he made in the exhibition game against the Buffalo Bills Aug. 29 -- he stretched high and behind him to pull in a pass from Ben Roethlisberger for a 19-yard gain -- was extraordinary, especially for a man who is 33 and has spent the past 11 seasons risking life and limb by going across the middle of NFL fields. Mike Tomlin was so moved that he offered Ward another contract extension on the spot. The coach was joking, I think. When Ward is involved, though, you never know for sure. The Steelers just did a new deal with Ward in the offseason, signing him through 2013. It was done ..."

Ward's goal: Retire as a Steeler

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May 4

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Hines Ward already put himself among theSteelers as a Super Bowl MVP, the only four-time Pro Bowl receiver and the holder of most of the team records for his position. His new goal, and one he believes he will accomplish because of his new contract, is to retire with the Steelers. That has become a rare feat in the free agency era that began in 1993. If Ward, who is 33 and under contract for the next five seasons, ends his playing days with the Steelers, he will become only the third Pro Bowl player in the past 16 years to wear only their uniform. The others were center Dermontti Dawson and nose tackle Joel Steed. Every other Steelers Pro Bowl player whose career included all or part of ..."

Ward Thirlled to be Able to Retire as a Steeler

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May 4

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"The Steelers didn't make a lot of noise about it, but one move that you have to love is the team making sure there would be no issues with veteran wide out Hines Ward. The Steelers and Ward got a 5-year deal done that was announced the morning of the draft. It was a deal that will mean that Ward, the team's all-time leading receiver, will retire in black and gold. "It's a big honor for me to start my career here and evidently end my career here," Ward said this past weekend. "I couldn't be happier." And if you love the Steelers, you should be thrilled that the team won't have to go through an issue with Ward like they did in year's past with players like Rod Woodson, Kevin Greene, Eric ..."

Ward's goal: Retire as a Steeler

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May 3

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Hines Ward already put himself among theSteelers as a Super Bowl MVP, the only four-time Pro Bowl receiver and the holder of most of the team records for his position. His new goal, and one he believes he will accomplish because of his new contract, is to retire with the Steelers. That has become a rare feat in the free agency era that began in 1993. If Ward, who is 33 and under contract for the next five seasons, ends his playing days with the Steelers, he will become only the third Pro Bowl player in the past 16 years to wear only their uniform. The others were center Dermontti Dawson and nose tackle Joel Steed. Every other Steelers Pro Bowl player whose career included all or part of ..."

Steelers, Hines Ward agree to four-year contract

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April 26

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"The Steelers and Hines Ward have agreed to a four-year contract. ESPN.com is reporting that the deal is worth as much as $22 million. The new contract should allow Ward, 33, to accomplish his goal of playing for the Steelers his entire career. It should also provide the Steelers salary cap relief for the upcoming season. Ward, who holds most of the Steelers' major receiving records, had been going into the final year of his contract. Ward said earlier this week, "I don't want to put on another uniform. I want to go down as one of the best receivers to play for the black and gold.""

Steelers Ward accepts new contract

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April 26

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Monday, Hines Ward said he wanted to retire with the Steelers, no matter what the price. Yesterday, he found out the price. Ward, 33, will sign a contract that will last either four or five years this week, his agent said yesterday. Agent Eugene Parker acknowledged that the new contract will likely keep Ward with the Steelers the rest of his career. He said that Ward had not signed the deal, and it still was not determined whether it will be four or five years. Parker also said that the deal was done in part so the Steelers could save salary-cap room this year. Ward was scheduled to earn $5.8 million in salary with a cap number of $8.55 million. The new contract reduces his salary this ..."

Ward has shoulder surgery

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February 11

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"The concern for Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward during the two weeks leading to the Super Bowl was his right knee, which was sprained during the AFC championship game. He started in the Super Bowl and caught two passes for 43 yards in the Steelers' 27-23 victory against the Arizona Cardinals to claim their sixth Lombardi Trophy. This week, Hines Ward had surgery -- on a shoulder, not the knee. He had a procedure to "clean up" a shoulder, according to a Steelers source, and should be fine for the 2009 season. The sprained ligament in his right knee did not require surgery and will heal on its own, the club source said. Ward had his best season statistically in five years in 2008. He ..."

Steelers' Ward has surgery on shoulder, not knee

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February 10

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"The concern for Hines Ward during the two weeks leading to the Super Bowl was his right knee, which was sprained during the AFC championship game. He started and caught two passes for 43 yards in the Steelers' 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals to claim their sixth Lombardi Trophy. This week, Hines Ward had surgery -- on his shoulder, not his knee. Ward had surgery to "clean up" a shoulder, according to a Steelers source, and he should be fine for the 2009 season. The sprained MCL in his right knee did not require surgery and will heal on its own, the club source said."

Injured Steelers receiver Ward returns to practice

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January 31

Contra Costa Times

"Wide receiver Hines Ward took part in his first full-scale practice since injuring his right knee in the AFC Championship game when the Pittsburgh Steelers worked out Thursday for their Super Bowl matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. Ward did not run at full speed as he recovers from a sprained right medial collateral ligament, but he worked with the starting offense throughout a rainy practice at the University of South Florida. The Steelers worked out for nearly two hours despite rain that fell hard for 20 minutes and persisted for 45 minutes. Ward looked "awesome," according to coach Mike Tomlin, and is expected to play Sunday. Ward was the only regular listed on the Steelers' ..."

Ward eases way into shape

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January 29

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Hines Ward did not fully practice yesterday when the Steelers took the field for the first time at the University of South Florida, but he did run and cut and went through his own workouts after joining his teammates for some sessions. Each of the two Super Bowl teams' practices are open to one pool reporter. Peter King, of Sports Illustrated, is assigned to Steelers practices. Here is his report: The team worked without pads on a beautiful Florida afternoon -- 77 degrees, sunny, with 15 mph winds from the south -- on the USF campus north of downtown Tampa. Second-year coach Mike Tomlin began the one-hour, 58-minute session with a shout of "Let's go to work, men," and pronounced himself ..."

THE X's

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January 29

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"In a playful moment during Super Bowl media day at Raymond James Stadium, Cardinals rookie cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, came up behind teammate Ralph Brown, put his hands on Brown's shoulders and leapfrogged over the 5-foot-10 cornerback. He landed like a gymnast executing a perfect 10. Rodgers-Cromartie, the Cardinals' No. 1 draft pick, will attempt another difficult task in Super Bowl XLIII: Keep Santonio Holmes from making big plays. That might be harder than leapfrogging a teammate. "A born playmaker," Rodgers-Cromartie said of Holmes, who has been just that in the postseason. Holmes, pictured above left, has helped ignite his team in each of the playoff victories against ..."

Ward gives Pittsburgh Steelers toughness in rare spot

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January 28

St. Petersburg Times

columnist John Romano

"It seems to be a position fit for a diva. For Anquan Boldin to pout, and Randy Moss to quit. Or maybe it is a position built for a drama queen. For Chad Johnson to preen, and Terrell Owens to whine. And so, when confronted with Hines Ward, the question is obvious: What's a tough guy like you doing at a position like this? Receivers are like the sports cars of the NFL. Quick, lithe and fragile. So maybe they're built tougher than placekickers, but you suspect they might hide from a punter or two. All of which explains why Ward has become evil personified in the NFL. It's like he is Dick Butkus catching passes over the middle. Conrad Dobler blocking on the outside. It has been left to Ward ..."

His resolve is solid steel

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January 27

Houston Chronicle

"As soon as the Pittsburgh Steelers arrived for Super Bowl XLIII, they were besieged with questions about receiver Hines Ward’s knee. Ward sprained his knee in the first half of the AFC Championship Game win over Baltimore and didn’t return. He’s been undergoing around-the-clock rehabilitation. He won’t practice until Thursday. “People ask me that question, and I want to smack them,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said Monday. “I mean, it’s Hines Ward. People ask me all week if he’s going to be out there. First of all, it’s the Super Bowl. Second of all, it’s Hines Ward. He’s going to be out there, and he’s going to be just fine.” Ward, who is one of the most physical receivers in NFL ..."

Ward anxious to test knee

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January 27

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"His knee feels better, Hines Ward said, but then he has not tested it either. That will come tomorrow, he hopes, when the Steelers begin their practices at the University of South Florida. "It feels better," Ward said several hours after the Steelers' charter landed around noon yesterday. "I don't have a brace on, I walk around fine. It's not going to be 100 percent, I'm not going to trick anybody, but I think I'm going to be good, to be able to go out and perform like I want to." The Steelers receiver took a break yesterday from a stepped-up pace of rehabilitation on his injured knee. "I've been rehabbing all weekend long. Off today -- I did a little rehab this morning before we came down ..."

No pain, no gain for Ward

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January 25

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"The Steelers cannot come close this week to duplicating the dramatic tale of Super Bowl XL, when they followed Jerome Bettis home to Detroit for his final game. It's not the same. For one, Tampa, Fla., is not the hometown of Hines Ward, and he has no plans to make Super Bowl XLIII his final game. So, while there is no story that can equal the Bus' from three years ago, Ward's will do. "He's the heart and soul of our group," tight end Heath Miller said. It's not just that Ward, at 32, is an elder, that he holds virtually every team receiving record, that he plays wide receiver like a linebacker, or that he was MVP of their most recent Super Bowl win. It's all that and more, like crying ..."

Ward's hyperbaric oxygen chamber will be shipped to Tampa

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January 22

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Hines Ward is serious about doing everything he can to recover from a sprained knee in time for Super Bowl XLIII. The Steelers wide receiver is having the hyperbaric oxygen chamber he owns sent to Tampa, and he will use it next week as part of his rehabilitation regimen. "They're shipping it today," Ward said of the Steelers. "They'll have it in my hotel room when I get there Monday." Ward said he sits in the chamber for an hour to an hour and 20 minutes at a time. The sessions, he added, promote the production of red blood cells and accelerate the healing process."

Ward ramps up rehabilitation

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January 22

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald got to know each other when the latter starred at Pitt, and the two have been exchanging text messages. Fitzgerald jokingly sent one to Ward asking if he and the Steelers would take a dive on Feb. 1 because they have already won a Super Bowl. Ward's response: He wants another ring. In his quest to add to his jewelry collection, Ward has been setting an alarm clock so he can wake up early and pack his right knee in ice. He said he also has been doing the twice-a-day rehabilitation regimen the Steelers' medical personnel put together for him. The measures Ward is taking to accelerate his return from a ..."

Ward says he won't miss Super Bowl

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January 22

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Hines Ward treated the questions yesterday as if he were boring down on an unsuspecting safety. He will play in the Super Bowl. It was not a prediction but a blood oath. "I have two weeks to prepare for the Super Bowl and I won't miss the Super Bowl," Ward told wave after wave of similar questions. His coach agreed with him. "Hines is going to play," Mike Tomlin stated after practice. "It's going to be miserable between now and next Sunday, but he'll be there. He did a little bit today." Ward has a slight MCL sprain in his right knee, from the first quarter of the AFC championship game. He played briefly into the second quarter, then left for good. He said he could have finished the game, ..."

Ward: If game were Sunday 'I would play'

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January 21

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Wide receiver Hines Ward said today that if the Super Bowl were held this Sunday, he would play. That he has an extra week to get his sprained right knee ready for the Arizona Cardinals is a bonus. "Things feel good," Ward said. "The MRI came out pretty good; where I sprained it at was in a good place and it's a great place to heal. I have a whole week off and we'll see what happens next week." Asked though if the game were to be played this Sunday, Ward said, "I would play.""

Ward says sprained knee won't stop him

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January 21

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward has said a sprained knee won't prevent him from playing in Super Bowl XLIII. Tight end Heath Miller didn't see anything Monday at the Steelers' South Side facility to convince him otherwise. "I saw him walking, so I'm pretty sure two weeks from now he'll be playing," Miller said. "I don't think there's any question that (No. 86) will be on the field." Ward got hurt in the first quarter of Sunday's AFC Championship Game when his right foot was caught in the turf as he was getting tackled. He did not play in the second half of the Steelers' 23-14 win over the Baltimore Ravens and had an MRI taken on the knee yesterday. Ward, the MVP of Super Bowl XL, said ..."

Similarities fuel Ravens-Steelers rivalry

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January 16

Baltimore Sun

"It is a rivalry of similarity and proximity rather than difference and distance. Baltimore and Pittsburgh are midsized cities on the water that are separated by a four-hour drive and the Allegheny Mountains. Both reached heights of prosperity in the Industrial Age and watched too many jobs ebb away in the late 20th century. Both have pinned hopes for the future on service and research industries and on downtown redevelopment. And yes, both love pro football above any other sport. When the Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers clash Sunday in their highest-stakes game ever, they will do so with a brotherly intensity. Ravens linebacker Bart Scott calls Sunday's game "an opportunity for one of our ..."

Hines Ward nears his fifth 1,000-yard season

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December 27

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Ask Hines Ward what has been the key to 11 seasons of accomplishments, and he'll turn the question the way he turns defenders. "You guys are the key," Ward said during a media scrum this week. "I love it when you write about what I can't do." Most receivers prefer to run and catch without carrying extra baggage around, but Ward seems to play his best when he has that chip on his shoulder. It's uncertain who, if anybody, wrote that Ward wouldn't be on the doorstep of another 1,000-yard season going into the regular-season finale against the Cleveland Browns tomorrow. No matter. The former Super Bowl MVP plays his best when everything is on the line. A favorite on YouTube for his devastating ..."

Ward looks toward Baltimore

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December 11

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Hines Ward was asked if he'll be the most hated Steeler inside M"

NFL's perspective baffles Ward

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October 24

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Steelers receiver Hines Ward said it's no secret that the Baltimore Ravens put a bounty on him several years ago. "I'm not griping about the bounty that I've been having for the last five or six years," Ward said before Thursday's afternoon practice. "The league looks at that and they're aware of that." Appearing yesterday morning on a local radio show, Ward said former Baltimore running back Jamal Lewis told him, 'Man, there's a bounty out on you. Be careful.' " A day after a clearing-the-air meeting with NFL officials and then telling reporters that he was ready to move on, Ward said he changed his mind after league executive vice president of football operations Ray Anderson explained ..."

NFL reaction to hit bothering Ward

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October 24

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Hines Ward is still upset how his season-ending block on Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers is being portrayed, especially after an NFL executive said the hit, which was not penalized or fined, could be a penalty if the rules are changed next year. Ward was so bothered he called a local radio station yesterday morning after the station played comments by Ray Anderson, the NFL's executive vice president of football operations who visited the Steelers offices Wednesday to talk with several players, including Ward, about recent fines and penalties. Even though he said Ward's hit was clean and did not merit a fine, Anderson said video of that hit would be reviewed by the NFL's competition ..."

Ward Has Eye on Ball and a Nose for Cont

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October 23

New York Times

"In discussing Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward on Wednesday, Pittsburgh Coach Mike Tomlin and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger were not asked about Ward's considerable skill at catching passes. Instead, they responded to queries about his blocking. "Like a boxer, he delivers a great blow with a short punch," Tomlin said on a conference call. Roethlisberger called Ward "an extra lineman" on running plays. "He is not afraid, like a whole lot of wide receivers are," Roethlisberger said. "He is going to put a helmet on you. Guys are always wondering where he is." Ward is expected to be one of several key performers in Sunday's game against the Giants at Heinz Field, a matchup between division ..."

NFL looking into Ward bounty

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October 23

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Ray Anderson, NFL executive vice president for football operations, says the league is investigating a bounty made against Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward by Baltimore Ravens linebacker/defensive end Terrell Suggs, who appeared on the "2 Live Stews" show on Sporting News Radio. "We certainly are looking into it," Anderson said. "That bounty notion is completely against the rules. We will look into it aggressively." Suggs reversed field Wednesday and told Baltimore reporters that there's no bounty on Ward. "We're watching out for him. We are alert," Suggs said. "If there is a guy loose pulling people's drawers down in the neighborhood, you're going to be alert for him." Ward also ..."

Steelers' Ward avoids fine

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October 22

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Wide receiver Hines Ward will not be fined for a block that broke Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers' jaw, an NFL spokesman said today. Ward flattened Rivers, who is likely out for the rest of the season, last Sunday while blocking after a Matt Spaeth reception. Ward has been fined twice recently by the NFL for unnecessary roughness. Neither play that got him fined drew a penalty. He didn't get penalized for the hit on Rivers, the Bengals' first-round draft pick last April, either. After the Steelers' 38-10 win over the Bengals, Ward said, "I hit the guy clean. My intention wasn't to hurt him. I looked back and saw he was hurt. I said a little prayer for him and that was it.""

Ndukwe rips Ward for hit

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October 20

Cincinnati Enquirer

"Bengals safety Chinedum Ndukwe didn't think much of the Hines Ward hit that knocked linebacker Keith Rivers out of Sunday's game. "Too bad he can't hit someone face up," Ndukwe was quoted as saying in today's Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "It's too bad he has to wait until he's not looking to get him. "It's unfortunate that's the type of guy he is." Rivers broke his jaw after being blocked by Ward, a Steelers wide receiver, on Pittsburgh's opening drive. Ward threw the block during Matt Spaeth's 6-yard reception from Ben Roethlisberger. Ward said the hit was clean. "I'm not going to wait around until you hit me," Ward said. "It was a clean hit. I didn't get penalized for it." Rivers is the ..."

Steelers notes: Ward still puzzled by fines

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October 16

Beaver County Times

"Hines Ward still isn't sure why he's $15,000 lighter. But he vows not to change his physical style of football. "Coach (Mike) Tomlin said, 'Just keep playing.' I'm going to keep playing the way I play," said the Steelers' star wide receiver who's been fined by the NFL twice in recent weeks for unnecessary roughness. Ward was fined $5,000 and $10,000, respectively, after the Steelers' last two games even though he wasn't penalized by game officials. The first fine came when he hit Ravens cornerback Corey Ivy in the Sept. 29 win over Baltimore. The second fine came after an Oct. 5 win in Jacksonville. Ward said he has yet to be informed exactly what play drew the fine, although the NFL ..."

Ward fined twice for unnecessary roughness

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October 13

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Chalk up another fine mess for Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward. "I got fined two weeks in a row," Ward said today, "Jacksonville and Baltimore, unnecessary roughness." Ward said he was fined $5,000 by the NFL for unnecessary roughness in the Steelers' 23-20 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 29 and $10,000 for unnecessary roughness for his play in a 26-21 win on Oct. 5 at Jacksonville. Ward was not penalized for unnecessary roughness in either game. "It's hard for me to tone things down because that's just the type of player I am," Ward said. "And I'm not getting flagged for anything, that's what I don't understand. "I'm getting fined for plays that I'm not getting flagged on. ..."

Steelers' Ward says players must do too much

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August 23

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"The Steelers' first teams will get their most extensive look tonight when they play the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis. That's fine with Hines Ward, but he thinks somewhere along the line the NFL should reduce the amount of football its players must endure, either in the preseason or the offseason. "It's long, monotonous, especially with OTAs," said Ward, entering his 11th NFL season. "You do all those OTAs, why not cut back on the preseason games?" Organized team activities, or OTAs for short, are those voluntary practices and meetings each NFL team now conducts throughout the spring, usually from late April through early June. Each team is permitted 14 OTAs, plus a five-practice ..."