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
guillotine
May 1st, 2012
9:54 am
Joseph Addai played three years for Saban at LSU..Pro Bowl selection 2007..shut up lextard..
guillotine
May 1st, 2012
9:56 am
Hairy Dawg, your consistent stupidity never fails to amaze..
philSC
May 1st, 2012
9:56 am
Ward is no hall of famer. He was nothing but a dirty blocker who couldnt really run. I used to love seeing Rodney Harrison crunch him in the middle of the field. UGA will never win a national Title. They havent beaten SC in 3 years LOL.
A-Ville Ranger
May 1st, 2012
9:56 am
Don’t we have an opening for a recruiter coordinator ? Who would be better than a Bulldog’s Bulldog like Mr Ward ?
Mike Bobo 17 INT
May 1st, 2012
9:58 am
Hines Ward is a class act, and a professional to the core.
philSC
May 1st, 2012
9:59 am
Go to UGA and be like CALEB KING or go to USC like Lattimore and never lose to the mutts!
DawginLex
May 1st, 2012
9:59 am
Try shutting me up guillotine moron
Your posts are full of moronic idiotic statements that only your mother would love.
Everyone else on here agrees with me
So you shutup
bucket
May 1st, 2012
10:00 am
Hines Ward played for UGA and then had a very productive NFL career. From his experience, what do all of you folks with “UGA Obession Disorder” want him to say? UGA was good to him and he is trying to give back!!! Be proud of your own school and stop trying to constantly tear down someone else!
DawginLex
May 1st, 2012
10:01 am
go to SC and stay at the Whitney for $14 a night and have an idiotic administrator who thought it was OK!!!!!
philSC
May 1st, 2012
10:02 am
Heard Spurrier has a waterboy position open if Hines is interested lol
bucket
May 1st, 2012
10:04 am
Lattimore is a good player and may even be great one day, but bringing him up in a conversation that started with Hines Ward is a bit premature. Ward has a Super Bowl ring and All Pro Selections on his resume.
philSC
May 1st, 2012
10:04 am
hey dawginLEX———I know its tough to believe but Spurrier just scored on you again!
DawginLex
May 1st, 2012
10:06 am
Spurrier is 3-4 versus Richt while at SC and expect him to go 3-5 after this year and he will retire
guillotine
May 1st, 2012
10:06 am
prove my posts wrong lexiloser..you my friend are a blog bully..a big mouth punk who needs to be taken down a notch..try working on your “shut up” skills..boy
Mike Bobo 17 INT
May 1st, 2012
10:07 am
Hines is doing a solid job or marketing the program, which is what ex-players should be doing. However, the reason that top-tier players join other programs is based on the fact that there are so many other SEC programs within a short driving distance, which just increases the level of recruiting competition.
Keep in mind that top-tier players are always concerned how long a coach is going to remain in that position if they choose that school, and CMR is on the bubble. Bottom line is 9-3 or 8-4 will most likely get him fired this year, which gives uncertainty to incoming freshmen.
Saban, Spurrier, Muschamp, Fischer and Cheese Nip are not going anywhere soon, so recruits are taking that into account.
DawginLex
May 1st, 2012
10:08 am
guillotine
you need a life lesson
Too bad you are too stupid to be taught
Mike Bobo 17 INT
May 1st, 2012
10:08 am
Unfortunately chances are that Spurrier will bag another win this year, and the main reason he chose USC as opposed to a team out of the SEC West. He knew what school to choose, because he wanted to be sure Athens was on his schedule.
1eyedJack
May 1st, 2012
10:09 am
Lot’s of yellow maggots riding on the backs of our REAL rivals.
Hairy Dawg
May 1st, 2012
10:09 am
Gullotine got his head chopper off and reinstalled in his backside. That why he doesn’t thinking so good.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
May 1st, 2012
10:09 am
Be careful attacking the Alabama bloggers, they may hit you with their crystal trophies and 14 national titles. Alabama is in a class of their own.
DawginLex
May 1st, 2012
10:10 am
Yeah cheese nip hired willie martinez so we are real afraid of that. Without a one hit wonder hired gun for a QB and his OC now in Arkansas, expect a return to his Iowa state numbers
Is this where you tell me how great Brian Van Gorder is now that he is no longer in Athens?
philSC
May 1st, 2012
10:11 am
Hey DawginLEX—You UGA fans act like your school has a bunch of tradition. I know USC has no tradition but UGA has never done anything either except win a championship over 30 years ago and outbid Clemson for Hershel Walker. You ppl need to realize that nobody other than Ga Tech really fears yall.
embarrassing
May 1st, 2012
10:12 am
Join the club! UGA known for its unheralded arrest records
DawginLex
May 1st, 2012
10:13 am
Alabama is good now. Do you honestly think you had anything to do with it? Do you think we are not aware what Saban has done?
Do you think he is coming to Athens?
philSC
May 1st, 2012
10:14 am
I heard Stafford and MEGATRON are best friends and workout together all the time. Is this true?
bucket
May 1st, 2012
10:15 am
@ philSC – you guys may not fear UGA, but you are apparently obsessed with UGA! Check the title at the top of the freaking blog! If you don’t want to be engaged by DAWGINLEX – stay off the freaking UGA Blog!!!! Does SCU not have a blog? I wouldn’t know because I don’t go to rival teams blogs to stir up stink.
DawginLex
May 1st, 2012
10:15 am
SC throws a parade for an 11 win season and no division title
We consider it underachieving
No SEc titles in columbia at all
that’s why we laugh at SC
DawginLex
May 1st, 2012
10:18 am
I have high expectations for UGA this year
I’m talking 14-0 or 13-1 SEC champion expectations
I’m sick of the excuses
Richt needs to win now
He has a bunch of NFL guys on defense and a guy who knows how to coach them
Snatch a knot in Murray if he thinks about throwing a pick or fumbling
winning will make the TROLLS disappear
bucket
May 1st, 2012
10:18 am
@ guillotine – I am sure Saban the defensive wizard would prefer to have more to hang his hat on as far as NFL success than 1 offensive Pro Bowler.
a man of honor
May 1st, 2012
10:19 am
if the internet could make a slapping sound, you would have heard it after my friend guillotine’s comments towards lex. wow.
ARdawg
May 1st, 2012
10:19 am
Oh wow, over a hundred years of trial and error in football, spent untold millions of dollars. Why didn’t someone think of it sooner? All UGA had to do to win championships was consult The Tide is Rolling for all the answers. I wonder why such genius is blogging and not coaching?
DawginLex
May 1st, 2012
10:20 am
a man of honor
did your mommy give you that blog title?
The slapping sound is your backdoor on your doublewide flapping in the wind
tim
May 1st, 2012
10:21 am
He didn’t retire……..no NFL team would employ him,
Maybe with all the free time he now has he can report to his probation officer in person.
ARdawg
May 1st, 2012
10:23 am
DawginLex
I disagree, winning does not make the trolls disappear. They’re like the gnats that keep buzzing around one’s ears. They’re hatred and jealousy of UGA runs too deep.
DawginLex
May 1st, 2012
10:23 am
tim
I’m sure your career stats are better than Hines Ward’s????????
He hangs around Athens a lot now and lives close to Atlanta. Why don’t you go ask him about his career and his probation officer?
a man of honor
May 1st, 2012
10:24 am
don’t be mad at me. Guillotine is the one kicking your behind. Finally someone has begun the process of shutting your big mouth. I applaud him for that.
DawginLex
May 1st, 2012
10:26 am
a man of honor
No one will shut me up
You TROLLS continue to bash me and UGA, I will continue to defend same
You started it. You and the other TROLLS. Stop the crap and I won’t respond.
You have never posted ANYTHING that wasn’t a slap at UGA or me so give the high and mighty crap a rest.
UGAHZ
May 1st, 2012
10:28 am
Some of the players that it takes to win at UGA become stupid, drinkers (or smokers), near criminal and sexual deviants…or their egos are so bloated that they jump into the draft too soon.. In the programs and cities of other SEC Teams, their officials and local authorities don’t seem to catch them in the act…Hmmm?
lol
Those are college states with not many major cities, Pro teams, or transplants..as GA.
If you have a Nick Saban screaming at you…Maybe that makes a difference too..
Despite all of that…UGA = best pro, and it is proven…, but that fact is hurting them…like it’s hurt Tech – basketball players leaving dominant teams before they could win The NCAA Basketball Championship.
Next season..UGA will produce another crop of NFL prospects..
bucket
May 1st, 2012
10:29 am
@ man of honor, guillotine, tim, etc – if you guys don’t wan to be offended by DAWGINLEX, then do us all a favor and stay off the UGA Blog! You guys come on here showing off your “UGA Obsession Disorder” and expect the real Dawg fans on the UGA Blog to just let you disrespect our university without responding? Good grief! Enough is enough, get a freaking life!
DawginLex
May 1st, 2012
10:30 am
The name of this blog is:
UGA SPORTS
Not
TROLL UNIVERSE
DawginLex
May 1st, 2012
10:35 am
THANKS BUCKET
It sickens me that we can’t even come to a “UGA SPORTS BLOG” and discuss UGA sports without being attacked and thena ccused of being bullies for defending ourselves.
I had to go to the Tech blog yesterday just to discuss football in a rational way
ARdawg
May 1st, 2012
10:41 am
philSC
You dude really shouldn’t come on here talking your trash. Does 46-16-2 mean anything to you? Yeah your team has had a modicum of success in the last 2 years against UGA but, history tells us it won’t last
bucket
May 1st, 2012
10:42 am
I agree DawginLex. I haven’t taken the drastic measure of going to the Tech blog, although GTBob and I did find common ground on recruiting eigth graders yesterday!
For what it’s worth I am with you about next year. If UGA doesn’t win the SEC, or sneak into the MNC w/o winning the conference, then I am open to wholesale changes in the football program. I don’t say that lightly because I believe there are a lot of good people on staff over in Athens. But if you are part of a conference and the conference has a championship, then the goal of the program should be to try and win it every year. And that goal shouldn’t be a hollow goal, it should be attainable @ UGA. I got my tickets on the way and I will be in Section 120 cheering when the season starts! Let’s hope it’s one to remember!
1eyedJack
May 1st, 2012
10:45 am
“I disagree, winning does not make the trolls disappear. They’re like the gnats that keep buzzing around one’s ears.”
More like blowflies around a steaming turd.
grillkicker
May 1st, 2012
10:48 am
man, I wish I could go to a blog where all they talk about is how great UGA is. They do exist. But they are filled with delusional homers who say the same things over and over again. No one wants to hear that bulls***.
ARdawg
May 1st, 2012
10:49 am
bucket
Actually, there are a number of Tech fans on the Tech blogs that are seemingly good guys. They love football discussion and are annoyed at the misrepresentation by their idiot fans here. GT Bob a number of years ago was one of them. I think he’s on some stupid medication and overdoses regularly
6IML
May 1st, 2012
10:50 am
Contrary to popular belief, Saban is not “stealing” all of Georgia’s top recruits. He only signs a few each year. There is more than enough talent left in Georgia to win NC’s. If the state of Alabama had the same population (and, accordingly, top recruits) as the state of Georgia, Saban would win three NC’s every 5 years until he retired.
Bottomline: UGA’s problems have nothing to do with BAMA and Saban.
philSC
May 1st, 2012
10:50 am
ARdawg—thats all you UGY fans talk about is history!!! You dont even have history!!!!Who cares that you won a championship half a century ago? History tells us you will have another top 5 class and lose 2 or 3 games! LOSERS talk about history! All that matters is NOW!!!!! Cant wait to whip yall again! I aleady smell dawg Sh*t!!!!! LOL
ARdawg
May 1st, 2012
10:50 am
1eyedjack
Hello there old friend.
Mine was the G rated version
ARdawg
May 1st, 2012
10:53 am
phil you are sounding more and more like a Tech grad. Are you sure you went to SC? We can easily tell because trolls like you will disappear after the SC game and reappear with another moniker