Sometimes something other than just pure numbers defines a player, even in a stat-centric position like wide receiver. Maybe it's toughness. Maybe it's contributions to championships. And maybe it's a unique skill that arguably is better than anyone in the history of the game.
You know, the intangibles.
Such is the case for former Pittsburgh wide receiver Hines Ward, who was more than a pass catcher. He was a complete football player who contributed in ways that didn't directly show up on the stat sheet.
That contrasts with two other wide receivers -- Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne -- who have been Hall-of-Fame finalists multiple times and are sure to make the Class of 2024's Final 15 again in January. They're the classic big-numbers types whose cases are built on stats and Pro Bowl selections.
And that's fine. Both will eventually be enshrined, sooner rather than later.
However, Ward has been eligible for eight years, advancing to the semifinals seven of those times, and probably will do so again this year. But he's not yet made the Final 15 list, and, hopefully, that changes.
Because it should.
What sets Ward apart and makes him different from, say, Holt and Wayne -- as well as many receivers already in the Hall -- are his blocking skills. It's not as if there was a subtle difference between him and the rest of the crowd.
The difference was stark.
He was a tone-setter for a tough Steelers' offense in the 2000s, an era when hitting and intimidation were still allowed. As such, he was someone opposing defenders had to watch carefully, keeping their heads on the proverbial swivel when Ward was on the field. If they didn't, they were likely to be erased by a vicious Ware block to spring a ballcarrier.
And that skill mattered.
It helped lead the Steelers two Super Bowl victories-- including one where he was voted the game's MVP. That was Super Bowl XL, when Pittsburgh scored a 21-10 win over the Seattle Seahawks. In that game, he caught five passes for 123 yards and a touchdown to become the fifth wide receiver voted the Super Bowl's top player.
Only eight wide receivers have been so honored. That's important because, for Ward, the ring is the thing. Numbers were secondary.
Nevertheless, he had good numbers. It's not as if he was short in that department, and the envelope, please: He caught 1,000 passes for 12,083 yards and 85 touchdown passes. Plus ...
-- The touchdown receptions are more than plenty of Hall-of-Fame receivers -- players like Tommy McDonald, Calvin Johnson, Charley Taylor, James Lofton, Bob Hayes, Cliff Branch, Art Monk, John Stallworth, Charlie Joiner, and Lynn Swann.
-- His 85 touchdown receptions are also higher than some Hall-of-Fame hopefuls like Wayne, Holt, Steve Smith Sr., et al, and are tied for 19th all-time.
-- And his 1,000 receptions? They rank 14th all-time, outpacing plenty of receivers with Gold Jackets.
-- In 18 playoff games, which is just one more than the length of the current NFL season, Ward caught 88 passes for 1,181 yards and 10 touchdowns ... which are Pro Bowl-type numbers. When it mattered Ward produced.
But even with all those excellent numbers, Ward was never first-team All-Pro. He was second-team three times and a four-time Pro Bowler. That may be the biggest glitch in his case, perhaps what has kept him from having his case heard as a finalist.
Ward himself wonders if he will ever get his chance, telling broadcaster Jim Rome, "I thought that what a Hall-of-Famer was is a winner; a guy who changed the game. Yes, I impacted the game at a different level as far as my blocking skill. But when the game was on the line, you talk about playoff football, you look at my stats, I'm right there, toe-to-toe with everybody."
As far as not having a lot of personal accolades he told CBS Sports that "I wasn’t in an offense to be an All-Pro. We had All-Pro offensive linemen and we had All-Pro running backs because that’s what our offense was."
Ward was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round (92nd overall) of the 1998 NFL draft. He became a starter in his second year and played 217 career games, starting 190. He had four 90-catch seasons, six 1,000-yard years and three times had double digits in touchdowns. He also had the added value of being reliable as a runner on end-arounds and reverses, rushing for 428 yards in his career.
But it was the blocking that separated Wared, and it was not without controversy. Some players thought his play was "dirty" and provoked the NFL to pass a new rule after 2009 that reads, "A blindside block cannot be delivered with a helmet, shoulder or forearm to an opponent’s head or neck."
It's known as the "Hines Ward rule," but Ward was not flattered.
"It’s kind of funny," he said, "because week in and week out, that’s all we see is highlights of somebody getting blown up by a defensive player. In my case, it’s shunned or doesn’t look good or makes me a 'dirty' player. I don’t do anything different than what they do to offensive players."
But it's not Ward doing the blocking now. It's Hall-of-Fame voters.
Semifinalists will be reduced to 15 finalists by early January, then voted on later that month. Hopefully, Ward makes the leap. He should ... if voters value more than numbers.
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