ode to a warrior
One of the favorite ongoing discussions/debates amongst us great and knowledgeable Pittsburgh sports fans is the future Hall of Fame status of current Steelers. Every fan of every team has a list of players that they think are bronze bust worthy, and I will maintain my previously stated position that I believe the current roster includes three future HOF'ers: Ben Roethlisberger, Troy Polamalu, and Hines Ward. I will refrain from using the word "lock", as I wish other fans would, simply, because all three of these gentleman are still not complete bodies of work and they all must continue along their progressive paths to Canton.
To fully understand and enjoy this debate, one must first appreciate that the NFL Hall of Fame is clearly the most selective of all sports Nirvanas. I think one of the pitfalls that we occasionally fall into is associating NFL HOF membership with the numbers driven halls like baseball or basketball. Numbers alone can get you into the NFL HOF, but they must be stellar. Ask a guy like Chris Carter.
There are few active NFL players that inspire greater Canton debate than Mr. Ward. With the Pro Bowl caliber numbers that #86 is shelling out thus far in 2009, he has now surpassed 850 career receptions and 10,000 career receiving yards. Great numbers, but in this day and age, certainly not enough to earn HOF induction. Take a look at this list of all time receptions leaders, and you will see the changes in trends over the years. In the glory days of Swann and Stallworth, 600 career receptions was an immortal milestone and worthy of a Canton bust. The NFL has steadily evolved into a pass happy league, and over time that threshold shifted to 700 catches, and now, I truly believe it would be tough for any current player to get inclusion with less than 900 grabs. With this continual air assault trend and improvements in sports medicine and conditioning systems which extend careers, there will eventually be a time when 1,000 receptions is the benchmark for HOF consideration.
This is where Ward becomes an intriguing study. Playing in a era dominated by offenses designed for more passes and catches, Ward has been the quiet understudy to the elite wideouts like Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Isaac Bruce, Marvin Harrison, and Torry Holt. Most critics will quickly argue that Ward was simply not in this group, and never one of the best receivers of his generation. The fact that Ward is the prom night wallflower standing next to these radiant divas probably helps him. How so? Let me elaborate. The NFL media likes good stories. They like guys that are unique and can be held in exclusive categories. If these writers were zoologists, they would prefer the bizarre and differentiated creatures from the Galapagos Islands. (reference to the great MP). Ward is that strange and unusual animal.
Not necessarily a graceful strider with surgeon like fingertips, capable of making the human highlight film catches every Sunday, Ward is a delicate blend of average speed, great conditioning, acute savvy, Kevlar toughness, and eagle like field vision. Top these traits off with an undying desire to do whatever is necessary to help his team win, sprinkle on a triple helping of grit, and you have Hines Ward - possibly the most complete offensive player of his generation. The fact that Ward is closing in on 1,000 career receptions on a team that never employed West Coast offense tactics is amazing. Add the extra consideration that a huge chunk of Ward's prime years were in an offense led by some very average quarterbacks (aka the "Pre-Ben Era"), and it becomes more understandable of just why the HOF tag is now being used by folks not just in Western PA, but nationally. The simply reality is that if Big Ben breaks 4,000 passing yards this season, it will have been the first time in team history. Hines Ward has steadily amassed HOF caliber numbers in mostly ground attack offenses. Ward is not the jet-set gazelle like the Mosses and Holts. He is the working class guy. He's blue collar, not blue blood. He's the type of wideout that a city like Pittsburgh would crave...a linebacker stuffed inside a receiver's body.
Hines Ward wins. Ward plays big when big play is required. Think of all the epic come-from-behind wins that the Steelers have made over the last several seasons. These comebacks are generally associated with the heroics of Roethlisberger - and for the most part, rightfully so. But how many of those memorable drives involved at least one huge catch and run by #86. The play I'm describing is the one where he somehow finds that soft spot in a zone on a 3rd and something, makes that awkward body catch, and then extends the play by breaking a tackle or two. The play I'm depicting generally serves as an energizer to the rallying team. The guy has made a career off that kind of play alone, always with that signature smile on his face.
Ultimately, it will be Ward's role as the leading receiver on a consistently great team that serves as enhancement to his numbers, and earns him that bust. This is where the playing field begins to thin out dramatically: 2 Superbowl rings, 1 Superbowl MVP trophy, 14 post season games with 76 post season receptions. To date, Ward has been the leading receiver on 6 playoff teams, and 4 teams that reached the AFC Championship. These are the numbers that when combined with his growing regular season stats and his unmeasurables (down field blocking, All World persona) make him an NFL Hall of Famer. When folks will remember the great Steeler teams of the early 21st Century, they will first think of guys like Ben, Polamalu, and Hines Ward. If the 1970's was the golden era of Steeler football, then 2001 to the present must be the silver era. Ward is truly the only great standout spanning that entire period. He is a great player from a great team. That is what NFL writers look for, greatness on a great team. This is one of the factors that has lengthened offensive line anchorman Dermotti Dawson's tenure on the induction waiting list. He is associated with good teams, not great teams. The NFL media loves winners, and in a word, that is what Hines Ward is, a winner.
So, after clearly presenting all the evidence, ladies and gentlemen of the e-jury, I will now use that shunned word..."lock". Now, the burning question is when? First ballot selection is a rarity in the NFL, and that honor most likely won't be granted to an everyman like Ward. So when? This is a dynamic variable, and can be influenced by Ward and his mates. Ward's eventual induction day moves up with every catch, every touchdown, every Pro Bowl berth, and every deep post season run. Should he earn a third Superbowl ring, and gain 1,000 receptions and 100 TDs, I think a first ballot selection is a potential. Again, that likelihood may seem remote, but after watching this man overachieve for 12 years, what accomplishment wasn't (at some point) remote?
