Hines Ward: State players needn’t go anywhere but UGA
Hines Ward laughs at one of Mike Bobo's shots during Monday's Stadion Classic Celebrity Pro-Am at UGA Golf Course. (Audrey Brees, Jackson-Spalding)
ATHENS — When it comes to preparing yourself for the NFL, there’s no better place to learn the trade than at Georgia.
At least that’s the opinion of Hines Ward, a 14-year NFL veteran, former Super Bowl MVP and UGA grad. Ward was at the UGA Golf Course on Monday to participate in the Celebrity Pro-Am for the Stadion Classic at UGA Nationwide golf tournament.
It’s just one of several trips Ward has made to visit his alma mater since announcing his retirement from professional football in March.
“I always love coming back to Athens and I always want to help the University of Georgia any way I can,” said Ward, who was playing in a group with Mike Bobo and some UGA boosters. “It’s great to play golf here, especially after Bubba [Watson] won The Masters. It’s great to be able to play with guys you played with like Mike Bobo, and it’s always nice see old faces and old coaches and alumni. We’re all Bulldog family.”
Ward, who lives in Sandy Springs, spent a week in Athens this past month shadowing his old teammate Bobo during the Bulldogs’ spring practices. He wanted to see if coaching was something he might like to get into. Ward’s presence created quite a stir among the Bulldog Nation wondering if he was looking to join the staff.
But Ward said Monday he wasn’t looking to unseat any members of the current staff. He just wanted to get an idea of what the college job was like on a daily basis.
“It’s something I’m definitely thinking about,” Ward said of coaching. “I don’t know if I’d be able to make the time commitment, not right now anyway. But it’s definitely something I’d like to do and if was going to do it I’d want to do it at the University of Georgia.”
Ward said he’s recently had some detailed talks with several television networks about a career in broadcasting, which appears to be his most likely next step.
“I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do yet,” he said. “I’ve only been out of football a few months, so there’s plenty of time to figure it out. But I have a lot of options and that’s good.”
Ward credited UGA for setting him up for success. A star quarterback at Forest Park High, he chose Georgia over Nebraska and numerous other major offers, graduated in 3 1/2 years and set several UGA records, including becoming the rushing, passing and receiving for more than 1,000 yards each.
Ward said he saw that the Bulldogs had seven players selected in the NFL draft this past weekend. That’s 64 in the Mark Richt era, which actually raises Ward’s ire.
“It drives me crazy when I see some of the best players in Georgia leave the state to go to Alabama or some other place,” Ward said. “There’s just no need in it. I remember when I was in school and Jacquez Green and some other guys went to Florida and won a bunch of games down there. Georgia has been so close for so long and is going to win a championship soon if these guys just stay at home like I did.”
Ward said Georgia has a strong reputation in pro-football circles for producing NFL ready players. The Bulldogs’ 65 draft selections under Richt are the most of any other SEC program over that time period (2001-12).
“The list goes on and on of great players from Georgia who are still producing on a high level,” Ward said. “And there are a lot of up-and-coming players like A.J. Green and [Matthew] Stafford that are the future in our league. So there’s no question Georgia produces great pro football players helps prepare them to be able to go out there and do things on the next level.”
Helping communicate that message is one of the main reasons Ward said he would consider coaching with the Bulldogs. He has learned that NCAA rules prevent him being able to help them out on his own.
“I don’t really know the ins and outs of NCAA rules, but I know just being on the practice field I was a magnet for families and kids who were out there and wanted to come up and talk to me about it,” Ward said. “But I can’t really talk with them or have a conversation with them because of the rules. I’m a living example of what they want. I grew up in a single-parent home with my mom with working three jobs, came to school here and had a productive career, graduated in 3 1/2 years and played in the NFL for 14 years for one team. But I can’t talk to them because of the rules. That’s crazy.”
UGA IN NFL DRAFT
Year—Number— Highlight
2002—8—DE Charles Grant goes in 1st round with 25th pick
2003—7—DL Johnathan Sullivan and OL George Foster each go in 1st
2004—4—TE Ben Watson selected with last pick of 1st round
2005—6—FS Thomas Davis (14) and DE David Pollack (17) go in 1st
2006—7—CB Tim Jennings is first Bulldog selected in 2nd round
2007—5—Defensive ends Quentin Moses and Charles Johnson go in 3rd
2008—4—DE Marcus Howard drafted in 5th round
2009—6—QB Matthew Stafford first overall; TB Knowshon Moreno goes 12th
2010—5—LB Rennie Curran is first Bulldog selected in 3rd round
2011—6—WR A.J. Green is the No. 4 overall pick
2012—7—OL Cordy Glenn is selected early in the second round
Total—*65—Nine first-rounders
* Includes Paul Oliver, a supplemental draftee in 2007
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280 comments Add your comment
ksleezy
April 30th, 2012
5:30 pm
Amen, Mr. Ward!!!
bham dawg
April 30th, 2012
5:33 pm
how do you claim a championship in a year that you don’t even win the bowl game? Bama does somehow.
bham dawg
April 30th, 2012
5:34 pm
@Dirtiest Player… run in with the law multiple times? explain…
Dawg07
April 30th, 2012
5:41 pm
If a recruit concedes the whole package- football, education and community then UGA is the winner. South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi … fail to compare. If you can’t get to Athens then Ga Tech or FL would be a good alternative.
I know it HURTS
April 30th, 2012
5:41 pm
UGA fan claim 32 championships, after 1980 every Feburary-August
@DawginaTruck
April 30th, 2012
5:52 pm
I posted the Fulmer Cup standings, but agree with you about Patterson. By not giving any meaningful game time suspensions for first failed drug tests, I suspect most coaches are looking the other way.
kingdaddy
April 30th, 2012
5:54 pm
What’s the chance of the University of Ga. putting togeather a commercial with all of the current active Dawgs playing in the NFL? I can see it now “Come to The University of Ga. boys and share in the great tradition between the hedges! Make the great state of Georgia proud to produce championship after football championship. Be a legend in your hometown, and especially in your state, come to the University of Ga.” Give each former Dawg a couple of words, and run them all togeather for a great comercial. I’m sure a lot of Ga. T.V. stations would donate free air time to help bring a Championship back to the Dawgs…
Tide Pride
April 30th, 2012
5:54 pm
Hines is all DAWG – that’s for sure! As documented in may comments – a lot of UGA’s best players were not from the peach state! Al the way back to Frank Sinkwich – from PA.
Agree that Richt will not win a NT at UGA.
Just do not see the game day coaching and the detail needed to make this happen:
1. UGA is too soft and has proven over the last 5 years.
2. UGA is not a great game day stategy team.
Class of '98
April 30th, 2012
5:56 pm
Hines didn’t quite make it to 1,000 yards rushing at UGA. You need to double-check the stats. He ended up with about 990.
He WOULD HAVE BEEN the first D-1 player to do it, but just missed.
bham dawg
April 30th, 2012
5:58 pm
im just glad so many bama fans care so much for our dawgs. i wish the favor could be reciprocated but no one outside the bama bubble can stand them.
Delbert D.
April 30th, 2012
5:58 pm
Nice sales pitch by Hines Ward, but I believe that prospective student-athletes should consider all possibilities. There is a lot more of the world to see than just this state, to which they owe nothing.
UGA national championships
April 30th, 2012
5:59 pm
While UGA has won football NCs by awarded by one or more groups in 1927, 1946, 1966, and 1968, I think the only two legitimate ones were 1980 and 1942. In 1942 six different groups felt UGA was NC.
As far as the above post, I find it interesting that the posters on here referencing 1980 are invariably those who are anti-UGA.
If you want to talk about a great all round sports program, let’s look at the UGA record- almost 40 NCs in multiple sports, backed up by almost 140 SEC titles in multiple sports. Another Bulldog point of pride.
@UGA NC
April 30th, 2012
6:05 pm
I believe you’re correct. UGA claims 5 NCs, but only two are recognized.
kingdaddy
April 30th, 2012
6:06 pm
Dirtiest Player
I’ll go for that if you change your name to Biggest Joke!!!
sheepdawg
April 30th, 2012
6:13 pm
nfl or jail
kingdaddy
April 30th, 2012
6:13 pm
Hines would make a great addition to the Ga. staff. Bring him in and let him coach em up…
sheepdawg
April 30th, 2012
6:13 pm
that’s the options from T uga
sheepdawg
April 30th, 2012
6:15 pm
caleb king is the poster boy for uga football under CMR
Kam Fong as Chen Ho
April 30th, 2012
6:24 pm
Here’s another honor: Ward was also named the dirtiest player in pro football by the other players in the league.
Tim Dawg
April 30th, 2012
6:25 pm
Hines you’re a class act !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jim
April 30th, 2012
6:32 pm
Yep, we need to hire him before Willie Muschamp calls him.
Football Guy
April 30th, 2012
6:36 pm
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
……………………………………………….
……………………………………………..
………………………………………………..
Felecia Myers
April 30th, 2012
6:37 pm
I am so proud of you Hines
CALI bamaboy
April 30th, 2012
6:41 pm
Would he a great OC ! Better than that Bozo!!! Maybe ya’ll could compete with us! LOL
guillotine
April 30th, 2012
6:48 pm
The UGA players stay in the league longer and perform better too than other SEC schools.
that is an incredibly stupid statement..i’m calling bs on that..prove it lexipup…
chavezravinedawg
April 30th, 2012
6:51 pm
2 positive Dogs comments in a row from Kingdiddy!!! Give him the GTBob Award!
guillotine
April 30th, 2012
6:55 pm
here’s some more silly statements that have no basis in fact: this is for you, Lexi my boy…
Uga players are as smart as astronauts and have perfect credit scores…UGa players reportedly have found a cure for the common cold while messing around in lab class…UGa players are working on a perpetual motion machine and are close to marketing t…UGa players are reportedly working on an all-male play based on the novel “Fried Green Tomatoes”…UGA players have come up with a dog food that all but eliminates “puppy breath”…I could do this all night, but you get the point…
Timbo
April 30th, 2012
7:26 pm
What many here are not realizing about Georgia athletes, is that their families are not from here, did not grow up here, and have no ties to Georgia or the South for that matter, therefore they do not have ties to UGA, or some love affair with the Herschel Walker years. The explosion of growth in Georgia came from families looking for work and opportunity from all over the country, that is why UGA continues to lose top in state prospects to other schools. Elite highschool players are not “loyal”. They are mercenaries trying to make it into the NFL. Right now the hot school for having the best opportunity to getting there is playing for Nick Saban at Alabama. A few years ago, it was Pete Carroll at USC and before that it actually was Mark Richt at UGA. I will say this though, I find it troubling that a man 10 years Richt’s senior (Saban) out works, out recruits, and out coaches Richt. These are facts, not opinions either and I don’t believe anyone would dispute this. I’m admittedly biased and a Tide fan, but like Richt and pull for the Dawgs. I actually believe at this point that your defensive coordinator is actually more valuable to the UGA program than Richt. That’s not a shot either. Sorry for being long winded….
wtf
April 30th, 2012
7:32 pm
Hines Ward is nothing but an over-the-hill drunk
So is Joey Hamilton and John Doucheberry
wtf
April 30th, 2012
7:34 pm
sheepdawg You are the poster child for Pro Choice.
Beast from the East
April 30th, 2012
7:39 pm
Let me start by saying that I think Hines Ward is the best all around receiver to ever play in the NFL. Great hands, great blocker and totally fearless.
That said, he looks like an idiot when he spouts off about how the Georgia kids should stay in-state to help UGA win a NC, then goes into how great Stafford (Texas) and Green (SC) are doing in the pros as a selling point. Can’t have it both ways. If you want a team of all Georgia boys, then quit recruiting outside state lines.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
April 30th, 2012
7:39 pm
Georgia has had the most NFL draft picks in the NFL during Richts tenure
and cant win a big game since 2005
and has never beat every SEC east team in the same year; yet Spurrier did it at SC
and has never sniffed a chance to even play in the national championship
and when was the last time we beat a top 10 team minus the joke by the coke
GTBob
April 30th, 2012
7:41 pm
GTBob,
Please re-read my entire last paragraph.
Ok, I read it. Are you saying that you would have preferred that Aaron Murray play in Florida and Lemay play in NC? How about Keith Marshall and John Theus? Were you disappointed that they didn’t choose to play in their home states?
Beast from the East
April 30th, 2012
7:43 pm
GTBob,
They want the best from all other states plus their pick of the kids from Georgia. Don’t ask for much do they?
GTBob
April 30th, 2012
8:00 pm
They want the best from all other states plus their pick of the kids from Georgia. Don’t ask for much do they?
Exactly. They benefit greatly from out of state recruiting and then complain about other teams out of state recruiting. Its a joke. Let kids play where they want to play. There is no such thing as state loyalty to a 17 year old.
neil marlowe
April 30th, 2012
8:15 pm
what an idiot!!!! not every kid wants to get a degree from UGA and pump gas the
rest of his life. Plenty of Tech football players have had good pro careeers.
neil marlowe
April 30th, 2012
8:19 pm
hines ward must be totally embarrassed after making a fool of himself
with his quote. and all he has to show for his life is drinking?? I repeat -
what an idiot!!
neil marlowe
April 30th, 2012
8:24 pm
hines ward, drunk. he’ll be a broke deadbeat in 10 years.
BubbaBustitDawg
April 30th, 2012
8:24 pm
Tell it like it is GT!!!
kerryb
April 30th, 2012
8:28 pm
2012 draft: Georgia State 1 player drafted, Georgia Tech 1 player drafted. Kind of sums it up doesn’t it?
the fiddler
April 30th, 2012
8:30 pm
LMAO..great point kerry
neil marlowe
April 30th, 2012
8:35 pm
ward looks like a gimp leaning on the two putters. okay physically, perhaps,
but mentally dumb as a post. no more opinions from this drunk, please.
3d
April 30th, 2012
8:35 pm
Or you can go to Tech and get mugged on north avenue.
SugarHillDawg
April 30th, 2012
8:38 pm
They wouldn’t leave if UGA had a coach worthy of their talent.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
April 30th, 2012
8:40 pm
Yea just like the Tech football player caught with 100lbs of dope in his car
Another point of pride for the GT program
kerryb
April 30th, 2012
8:43 pm
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
April 30th, 2012
8:40 pm
Yea just like the Tech football player caught with 100lbs of dope in his car
Another point of pride for the GT program
_________________________________________________________________________
Don’t forget the one caught last Summer BUI on Lake Lanier.
kerryb
April 30th, 2012
8:44 pm
GTBob, Want to keep casting stones?
Beast from the East
April 30th, 2012
8:49 pm
“Ward looks like a gimp leaning on the two putters”
One’s a putter and one’s a wedge. Common pose on the course.
kingdaddy
April 30th, 2012
8:50 pm
GTBob
Is Cha-rav-dawg accusing me of not drinking enough koolade??? I’ll take that as a compliment even though he was trying to pass it off as humor. If he wants something to laugh about, he could try looking in the mirror or reading about his life…
Old Dawg
April 30th, 2012
9:00 pm
I guess some recruits would like to go to a school where there is a possibility of a NC or at least a SEC championship. Rather than going to a school with a “mediocre” program.