This Week's Dawg - Hines Ward

Because my previous post is redirecting to a post from after the Steelers-Seahawks Superbowl, let me let you all know that THIS WEEK'S DAWG IS HINES WARD.

If you listen to my grandfather, Hines Ward played quarterback, tailback, fullback, halfback, wideout, tight end, defensive end, cornerback, waterboy, and Hairy Dawg. And that was just the Vandy game!

Deep into my own world of teenage angst, I missed Hines Ward's career at Georgia (hey, my Dad loves football too. At that age, anything my dad loved, I DID NOT PARTAKE OF!!!). So, loyal '90s Dawg fans, PLEASE share your best memories of Hines Ward not as a Steeler, but as a tried-and-true Georgia Bulldog!

Hines Ward and I are from the same area. Hines was a QB at Forest Park High School in Clayton County as was I many, many years before HW. I really appreciate what he did for the Dawgs, and really proud of the way he carried himself both on and off of the field. One of those guys that always had a nose for the football and knew what to do with it after he got his hands securely around the pigskin. MVP in the superbowl does all Dawgs proud . . . .

He brought \"sandlot football\" to \"big time\" college football. Never seen a player have sooooo much fun playing any sport, always a smile on his face or was laughing about something. One of my best memories of Hines was in the Florida game in 1997. It was the Hines Ward, Roberts Edwards and Mike Bobo show. It seemed like every 3rd down and 2, 3,4 or 5, they would just put Hines at QB and let him adlib to get the 1st down and he converted everyone to keep drives going. Everyone knew he was just going to take the snap and run around like it was sandlot ball. I don't even think his team mates knew where he was going but he managed to dodge, cut and weave through everybody and did WHATEVER it took to \"get it done\", he was amazing..........and fun to watch (especially because we killed them that year)

Even now he does \"what ever it takes\" to get 1st downs, TD's or blocks.............all with a smile on his face.

Again, with my grandfather...

He's given up, basically, on his beloved Giants (being from The Bronx, he roots for his ORIGINAL teams, the Giants, in both football and baseball), so now he just roots for individual Dawgs in the NFL. I think his brain exploded when Hines won the Superbowl MVP. He always said HW was COMPLETELY underappreciated in the NFL, which I agree with. And it's his hard work and sandlot instinct that prevented him from getting most of the backlash other NFL stars get when they hold out. Most people -- I mean 99% of non-Jackets -- were saying, \"Pay the man! Let the Big Dawg eat!\"

Again, I didn't watch Hines at UGA. But to me, he's the absolute epitome of the American Dream. He was born on an army base, is a mixture of at least three different races, was a stellar student and a remarkable athlete. He's worked his way up to excel at the highest level, but he gives back to the community that adores him. I think if more kids wore Hines Ward jerseys rather than Michael Vick jerseys, I'd be more optimistic about the direction our country is going in.

My Hines Ward Steeler jersey is one of my most treasured possessions.....especially since it is a \"real\" jersey, and not a reproduction, and it has \"Super Bowl MVP\" written on the tag....the only thing missing is Hines' autograph, lol.....

Hines Ward was the all around player. He was recruited as a QB and ended up playing RB, WR, and returned punts and kicks.

2nd in all purpose yards behind Herschel.

As you guys may know Hines mother is from Korea. Props to Hines because you don't see many Koreans playing football at the college level. My mom is from the Phillippines and I love to see Asians excel at football for some reason.

Anyway my story relates in that one Sat. night after a game back in 96 I think, I was at a party. I walk in to the party and there is this smoking hot girl staring at me. Naturally I think my zipper is down or I have food on my shirt or some such thing. I make sure everything is cool and go about my business. Anyway as the night progresses I notice this girl whispering to her friend and pointing at me. One of my buddies convinces me it would be a good idea to find out what is going on. We step up to the girls and they get visibly nervous. The girl that was staring at me when I arrived says she knows who I am. I was totally shocked because as far as I knew I wasn't that popular. I ask her how she knows me and she gushes and tells me that she recognizes me from the football team. At this point my buddy leans over and says OMG!! she thinks you are Hines Ward. I have to admit I guess I kind of did look like Hines with the Asian eyes and the shaved head. The girl confirms my friends suspicion. At this point being an average 19 year old I'm thinking of how I could take advantage of this poor girls honest mistake. I then decided it would be in my best interest (didn't want it to get back to Hines I was scoring with girls by impersonating him:whistle: ) to tell the poor girl that I was in fact not Hines Ward much to her as well as my friends disappointment.

This was the closest I ever got to being a football player at UGA. I will admit it was nice while it lasted.