RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. During his NBC Sports debut, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin didn't hesitate to push for one of his "feared" former players to get a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Tomlin was part of the crew of analysts covering the annual Hall of Fame Game, with this year's matchup pitting the Carolina Panthers against the Arizona Cardinals. Each team had a player who is part of this year's Hall of Fame Class, with the Panthers' former defensive standout Luke Kuechly and the Cardinals' legendary receiver Larry Fitzgerald.
However, when asked about who he'd give a "Golden Ticket" to for a spot in the Hall of Fame, Tomlin immediately spoke about his former Super Bowl-winning player, Hines Ward.
"My Golden Ticket unquestionably goes to Hines Ward. He's got Hall of Fame numbers. He's got 1,000 career catches, 12,000 yards, 85 touchdowns, a Super Bowl MVP," Tomlin said on NBC's coverage. "But beyond the statistics, it was his style of play. This guy was a predator, not prey. Every, every defensive player in the National Football League feared Hines Ward."
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Ward spent 13 years in the league, joining the Steelers in 1998 and leaving them in 2011 after winning two Super Bowls in Pittsburgh. He was named Super Bowl XL MVP while playing for Bill Cowher, and later starred in Tomlin's only Super Bowl-winning season in 2009.
In addition to those Super Bowl rings and the MVP Award, he was a four-time Pro Bowl representative. Ward currently ranks 31st amongst all-time receiving yards , although two active players, the Los Angeles Chargers Keenan Allen and the Washington Commanders Stefon Diggs, both should pass him at different points if they have healthy seasons.
Ward was among the semifinalists in this year's voting for the Hall of Fame Class. He joined fellow receivers Anquan Boldin from the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens, as well as the Green Bay Packers' Sterling Sharpe, as potential inductees who could see their inductions in the coming years.
Tomlin will likely see his entry into the Hall of Fame also in the coming years due to his stellar career as a head coach.
The former Steelers coach was making his debut as an NBC analyst after spending 19 seasons as head coach in Pittsburgh. He achieved a 193–114–2 record during his time there, which included him setting the NFL record with 19 consecutive winning seasons as a head coach and winning the Super Bowl in 2009.
So far, his addition as an analyst to NBC Sports has been great, and fans have responded with mostly positive remarks on social media, suggesting they are enjoying the former head coach's debut. He'll participate in upcoming NBC football coverage, mostly on Sunday nights, with the network's first regular-season game arriving between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday, Sept. 9.
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