Hines Ward: A Retrospective of Ward's Pittsburgh Steelers Career

Wednesday's release of wide receiver Hines Ward by the Pittsburgh Steelers was a sad day in the Steel City, as the realities of life in today's NFL necessitated Pittsburgh closing the books on the Steelers career of one finest wideouts in franchise history.

Team president Art Rooney III tried to put the best face on a bad situation, thanking the 14-year veteran for his years of service on the team's website, as reported by ESPN.

"

We had a conversation today with Hines Ward and informed him that we plan to release him of his contract prior to the start of the 2012 NFL calendar year. Hines has been an integral part of our success since we drafted him in 1998, and we will forever be grateful for what he has helped us achieve.

"

Ward had an extremely productive career in Pittsburgh, hauling in 1,000 passes for over 12,000 receiving yards and 85 touchdowns, and with the help of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, here's a look back at some highlights of Hines Ward's time with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

1998: After being chosen in the third round of the 1998 draft, the former Georgia standout played sparingly as a rookie, managing only 15 catches for 246 yards.

1999: Ward made his debut in the Pittsburgh Steelers' starting lineup, catching his first career touchdown pass on September 12 against the Cleveland Browns.

2001: In November, Ward recorded the first 100-yard receiving game of his career against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the 2001 season also produced Ward's first 1,000-yard campaign, playoff appearance and Pro Bowl selection.

2002: Hines Ward led the Steelers in receiving in 2002 with a career-high 1,329 yards, and his 112 receptions and 14 touchdown receptions that year either set or tied franchise records in those categories.

2003: In 2003, Hines Ward became the first Pittsburgh wide receiver to post three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, he was named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl and Ward became only the fifth pass catcher in Steelers history to surpass 5,000 career receiving yards.

2004: Ward posted his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard in season in 2004, scored his first career rushing touchdown in a November 7th tilt with the Philadelphia Eagles and was a force for the Steelers in the playoffs, catching nine passes in back-to-back postseason games.

2005: After playing in a team-record 116 straight times, Ward saw his streak come to an end after a hamstring injury sidelined him for an October contest with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Ward became the Steelers' all-time leading receiver later that season and capped off his 2005 campaign by being named MVP of Pittsburgh's Super Bowl XL victory over the Seattle Seahawks after reeling in five passes for 123 yards and a touchdown.

2006: On October 22nd Ward had one of the best single games of his career in a contest with the Atlanta Falcons, as the hometown boy set career highs in receiving yards (171) and touchdowns (three) in an overtime loss.

2007: Although Ward missed three games and failed to top 750 receiving yards for the season, that was still enough to propel him to the top of the heap in franchise history in both receiving yards and touchdown catches.

2008: For the first time since 2004, Ward topped the century mark in 2008, making 81 catches for 1,043 yards, and for the second time in his career Ward helped lead the Steelers to a world championship after Pittsburgh defeated the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 in Super Bowl XLII.

Oh, and Ward broke Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers jaw with one of his patented crushing downfield blocks.

2009: In posting his best statistical season since 2002 with 95 receptions and 1,167 yards, Ward became the first Pittsburgh receiver in team history to surpass the 10.000-yard mark for his career, making him only the fifth wide receiver in National Football League history to amass 10,000 yards with one team.

2010: Ward's streak of 186 consecutive games with at least one reception was broken when a concussion sidelined him in a November game against the New England Patriots, but Ward still managed to pass the 11,000 yards mark for his career with 755 yards on 59 catches for the season, finishing off the year by reeling in seven passes for 78 yards in Pittsburgh's loss to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV.

2011: At 35 years old, Ward's production tailed off badly last year, with him making only nine starts and posting his lowest yardage total since his rookie year, but Ward still managed to become only the eighth player in National Football League history to amass 1,000 career receptions.

Ward hasn't yet closed the door on his playing career, however, and as he told the Chicago Sun-Times, there may well be yet another chapter to be written in the NFL for the 6'0" 205-pound wideout.

"

This isn’t how I wanted this chapter of my career to end, but I do feel that I still have more football left in me and I am looking forward to playing in the NFL, again, this upcoming season.

"

Should 2012 mark the end of the proverbial line, there's no denying that Hines Ward has enjoyed a long and successful career in the National Football League. In a few short years Ward will again be the center of discussion when we gather to discuss the merits of his inclusion in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.