203-715: Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2010 season . The Packers defeated the Steelers 31–25. The game was played on February 6, 2011, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas ,
406-422: A gridiron in appearance. Other major rule changes included a reduction of the field size to 110 by 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (100.6 m × 48.8 m) and the adoption of a scoring system that awarded four points for a touchdown, two for a safety and a goal following a touchdown , and five for a goal from the field . Additionally, tackling below the waist was legalized, and a static line of scrimmage
609-403: A halftime period, and the first and third quarters are followed by a short break. Before the game starts, the referee and each team's captain meet at midfield for a coin toss . The visiting team can call either "heads" or "tails"; the winner of the toss chooses whether to receive or kick off the ball or which goal they wish to defend. They can defer their choice until the second half. Unless
812-845: A quarterback and was two-time Clayton County Offensive Player of the Year. He also excelled in baseball and was selected by the Florida Marlins in the 73rd round (1,646th overall) of the 1994 MLB Draft . As a wide receiver for the University of Georgia Bulldogs (1994–1997), Ward's 149 career receptions for 1,965 yards placed him second in team history. He also played tailback and totaled 3,870 all-purpose yards, second only to Herschel Walker in Bulldogs history. In 1995, Ward played some quarterback his sophomore year. He holds Georgia bowl game records for pass attempts, pass completions, and passing yards in
1015-401: A 10-yard-long chain between them, are used to measure for a first down. The chain crew stays on the sidelines during the game, but if requested by the officials they will briefly bring the chains on to the field to measure. A typical chain crew will have at least three people—two members of the chain crew will hold either of the two sticks, while a third will hold the down marker. The down marker,
1218-576: A 27–10 divisional win over the Ravens. The next week, as the Steelers played the New England Patriots , he caught 6 passes for 64 receiving yards in a 17–24 loss to the eventual Super Bowl XXXVI Champions. 2001 marked his first season with 16 starts and over 1,000 receiving yards, as he finished with 94 catches for 1,003 receiving yards and 4 touchdown catches. Along with Jerome Bettis, Kordell Stewart, Alan Faneca , Jason Gildon , and Kendrell Bell , he
1421-478: A 34-yard touchdown in a 20–27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals . During the first quarter of a Week 14 matchup against the Ravens, Ward caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from Jerome Bettis . Ward finished his second season with 61 catches, 638 receiving yards, and 7 touchdowns in 16 games and 14 starts. He began his third season with Pittsburgh, making 2 receptions for 20 yards in the Steelers' home opener against
1624-471: A 37–36 victory over the Green Bay Packers . This was the first time Ward had 5 games with over 100 receiving yards in a single season. Ward finished the 2009 season with 95 receptions for 1,167 yards and six touchdowns as the Steelers finished 9–7. After the Steelers drafted Mike Wallace in 2009 and Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown in 2010 , Ward began to have a decline in his receptions. In
1827-590: A 39–26 loss against the New England Patriots in Week 10 of the 2010 season. A short catch by Ward was knocked loose when he was tackled by safeties Patrick Chung and James Sanders , and was knocked out of the rest of the game; the Patriots challenged the call, and the pass was ruled incomplete on review, ending the streak. On January 15, 2011, the Steelers faced the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional playoffs. Ward finished
2030-516: A 64-yard touchdown during the 29–21 victory. This was Ward's third consecutive game with over 100 receiving yards and a touchdown. The Steelers finished the season 10–5–1 and made the playoffs for the second year in a row. On January 5, 2003, they played the Browns in the AFC Wild-card game. Ward finished the game with 11 catches, 104 receiving yards, and also caught his first career postseason touchdown in
2233-525: A PAT attempt or successful field goal, the scoring team must kick the ball off to the other team. A safety is scored when the ball carrier is tackled in the carrier's own end zone. Safeties are worth two points, which are awarded to the defense. In addition, the team that conceded the safety must kick the ball to the scoring team via a free kick . Football games are played on a rectangular field that measures 120 yards (110 m) long and 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (48.8 m) wide. Lines marked along
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#17328454781852436-475: A Week 6 contest against the Browns, Ward accumulated 8 receptions, 159 receiving yards, and a touchdown. The game marked his third game of the season with over 100 receiving yards. He had his fourth game with over a hundred yards on November 22, as he had a season-high 10 catches for 128 yards and a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs. On December 20, 2009, Ward caught 7 passes for 126 receiving yards in
2639-519: A common draft that would take place each year, and it instituted an annual World Championship game to be played between the champions of each league. This championship game began play at the end of the 1966 season. Once the merger was completed, it was no longer a championship game between two leagues and reverted to the NFL championship game, which came to be known as the Super Bowl . College football maintained
2842-567: A feat the Professional Football Researchers Association compared to "selling refrigerators to Eskimos ". Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Columbia then agreed to intercollegiate play using a form of rugby union rules with a modified scoring system. These schools formed the Intercollegiate Football Association , although Yale did not join until 1879. Yale player Walter Camp , now regarded as
3045-453: A field goal instead. A group of officials, the chain crew, keeps track of both the downs and the distance measurements. On television, a yellow line is electronically superimposed on the field to show the first down line to the viewing audience. There are two categories of kicks in football: scrimmage kicks, which can be executed by the offensive team on any down from behind or on the line of scrimmage, and free kicks. The free kicks are
3248-737: A football analyst, highlighted by his role on the Sunday Night Football pregame show Football Night in America . He opened a restaurant called Table 86 and a wine bar named Vines in Seven Fields with Howard A Shiller from Fort Lauderdale in August 2015. The restaurant closed in March 2019 due to a lawsuit surrounding the partnership dispute for the businesses. Ward joined CNN and HLN in May 2016. He
3451-428: A game between Yale and Princeton, both teams used this strategy to maintain their undefeated records. Each team held the ball, gaining no ground, for an entire half, resulting in a 0–0 tie. This "block game" proved extremely unpopular with both teams' spectators and fans. A rule change was necessary to prevent this strategy from taking hold, and a reversion to the scrum was considered. However, Camp successfully proposed
3654-576: A game for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club . This is the first recorded instance of a player being paid to participate in a game of American football , although many athletic clubs in the 1880s offered indirect benefits, such as helping players attain employment, giving out trophies or watches that players could pawn for money, or paying double in expense money. Despite these extra benefits,
3857-533: A large stick with a dial on it, is flipped after each play to indicate the current down and is typically moved to the approximate spot of the ball. The chain crew system has been used for over 100 years and is considered an accurate measure of distance, rarely subject to criticism from either side. Football is a full-contact sport, and injuries are relatively common. Most injuries occur during training sessions, particularly ones that involve contact between players. To try to prevent injuries, players are required to wear
4060-553: A league-suggested numbering scheme. Although the sport is played almost exclusively by men, women are eligible to play in high school, college, and professional football. No woman has ever played in the NFL, but women have played in high school and college football games. In 2018, 1,100 of the 225,000 players in Pop Warner Little Scholars youth football were girls, and around 11% of the 5.5 million Americans who report playing tackle football are female according to
4263-408: A long circumference of 28 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (71 to 72 cm), and a short circumference of 21 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). In college and high school play the ball has a long axis of 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 to 11 + 7 ⁄ 16 inches (27.6 to 29.1 cm), a long circumference of 27 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (70 to 72 cm), and
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#17328454781854466-447: A malfunctioning boiler, and it was closed for repairs until June of that year. The bar received an insurance settlement of $ 500,000, which subsequently became an issue during a legal dispute between the bar's owners. On September 11, 2007, co-owner Nicholas Lettieri withdrew the entirety of the bar's funds, approximately $ 19,000, from a corporate account, causing it to miss a large number of scheduled payments. The company filed suit for
4669-420: A minimum of 10 feet (3.0 m) on high school fields. Goal posts are padded at the base, and orange ribbons are normally placed at the tip of each upright as indicators of wind strength and direction. The football itself is a prolate spheroid leather ball, similar to the balls used in rugby or Australian rules football . To contain the compressed air within it, a pig's bladder was commonly used before
4872-670: A national champion of college football. The first was the Bowl Coalition , in place from 1992 to 1994. This was replaced in 1995 by the Bowl Alliance , which gave way to the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1997. The BCS arrangement proved to be controversial , and was replaced in 2014 by the College Football Playoff (CFP). A football game is played between two teams of 11 players each. Playing with more on
5075-533: A one-year retreat with three ads for their Pepsi Max drink, which has been named as the official soft drink of the NFL. Pepsi's Frito-Lay brand also advertised Doritos . Both brands had their advertisements created by web users as part of the annual USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter contest, which offers a prize of US $ 5 million. In addition, regular purchasers Anheuser-Busch InBev , GoDaddy.com , Coca-Cola , CareerBuilder.com , and E*TRADE purchased advertisements; InBev advertised Stella Artois imported beer for
5278-428: A pass hits the ground without a player having caught it. A forward pass can be legally attempted only if the passer is behind the line of scrimmage; only one forward pass can be attempted per down. As in rugby, players can also pass the ball backwards at any point during a play. In the NFL, a down also ends immediately if the runner's helmet comes off. The offense is given a series of four plays, known as downs . If
5481-427: A quarter ends, play continues until the down is completed. If certain fouls are committed during play while time has expired, the quarter may be extended through an untimed down . Games last longer than their defined length due to play stoppages—the average NFL game lasts slightly over three hours. Time in a football game is measured by the game clock. An operator is responsible for starting, stopping and operating
5684-414: A round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with the feet, hands, head, or sides, with the objective being to advance it into the opponent's goal. Rutgers won the game 6–4. Collegiate play continued for several years with games played using the rules of the host school. Representatives of Yale, Columbia , Princeton and Rutgers met on October 19, 1873, to create
5887-422: A rule in 1882 that limited each team to three downs , or tackles, to advance the ball 5 yards (4.6 m). Failure to advance the ball the required distance within those three downs would result in control of the ball being forfeited to the other team. This change effectively made American football a separate sport from rugby, and the resulting five-yard lines added to the field to measure distances made it resemble
6090-436: A secondary signal. Women can serve as officials; Sarah Thomas became the NFL's first female official in 2015. The seven officials (of a standard seven-man crew; lower levels of play up to the college level use fewer officials) on the field are each tasked with a different set of responsibilities: Another set of officials, the chain crew , are responsible for moving the chains. The chains, consisting of two large sticks with
6293-555: A set of equipment. At a minimum players must wear a football helmet and a set of shoulder pads , but individual leagues may require additional padding such as thigh pads and guards, knee pads, chest protectors, and mouthguards . Most injuries occur in the lower extremities, particularly in the knee, but a significant number also affect the upper extremities. The most common types of injuries are strains , sprains , bruises , fractures , dislocations , and concussions . Hines Ward Hines Edward Ward Jr. (born March 8, 1976)
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6496-410: A short circumference of 20 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). Football games last for a total of 60 minutes in professional and college play and are divided into two halves of 30 minutes and four quarters of 15 minutes. High school football games are 48 minutes in length with two halves of 24 minutes and four quarters of 12 minutes. The two halves are separated by
6699-452: A standard set of rules for use by all schools. Teams were set at 20 players each, and fields of 400 by 250 feet (122 m × 76 m) were specified. Harvard abstained from the conference, as they favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. After playing McGill University using both American (known as "the Boston game ") for the first game and Canadian (rugby) rules for
6902-585: A statement that would come true). Woodson then broke the Packers meeting with a team cheer of "White House!". On January 26 President Obama visited Green Bay and was greeted by Mayor Jim Schmitt and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker who presented the President with two Green Bay Packers Jerseys. The first had Obama's name on the back with the number 1 and the second was an autographed Charles Woodson jersey with
7105-425: A stylized image of the host stadium shown in the background. It was introduced as part of a new, standardized branding scheme for the NFL's postseason games, which also saw the redesign of the conference championship trophies. The only changes made to the logo for future games, until Super Bowl 50 , was to change the number and the stadium depicted. Super Bowl 50 deviated slightly from the standard design to emphasize
7308-529: A three-time Super Bowl winner as a Dallas Cowboys quarterback, as the color analyst . Mike Pereira joined Buck and Aikman in the broadcast booth to comment on instant replay reviews, while Pam Oliver and Chris Myers served as sideline reporters . The pre-game show featured the Fox NFL Sunday crew of host Curt Menefee and a group of analysts with extensive Super Bowl experiences of their own: Terry Bradshaw (4 time Super Bowl-winning quarterback with
7511-549: A ticket to the next Super Bowl in addition to the refund. It also offered fans the option of a ticket to any future Super Bowl, along with round-trip airfare and hotel accommodations. However, this wasn't enough to mollify several fans, who on February 9 filed a $ 5 million class-action lawsuit against the NFL, the Cowboys and Jones. In addition to Steelers and Packers fans left without seats, the suit includes Cowboys fans who paid $ 100,000 for personal seat licenses , only to have to watch
7714-416: A touchdown as the Steelers lost 14–31. The next week on December 28, 2008, Ward caught his 800th NFL reception, extending his record for receptions by a Steelers receiver. Also in this game, Ward achieved his first 1000-yard season since 2004, finishing with 81 receptions for 1043 yards and 7 touchdowns on the year. The Steelers finished the 2008 regular season with a 12–4 record and made the playoffs. During
7917-488: A touchdown in a 13–30 loss at Baltimore. During the 4th quarter, starting quarterback Tommy Maddox was injured and replaced by rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger . After replacing Maddox, Roethlisberger threw a touchdown pass to Ward, making it the first one of their career together. During a Week 3 contest at the Miami Dolphins , Ward caught 9 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. After replacing Maddox, Roethlisberger led
8120-527: A touchdown in a loss to the Bengals. In 2003, the Steelers voted him their team MVP as he caught a total of 95 receptions for 1,163 yards and 10 touchdowns for the season. He was voted, along with Faneca, to his third consecutive Pro Bowl. After three successful years with Mike Mularkey, Ward began the season under new offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt and new wide receivers coach Bruce Arians . On September 19, 2004, he caught 6 passes for 151 receiving yards and
8323-399: A touchdown. He finished the 2010 season with 59 receptions, 755 receiving yards, and five receiving touchdowns. He had not had a season below 60 catches since 2000. Ward began the 2011 NFL season, making 5 receptions for 67 yards in the Steelers' season opener against the Ravens. On October 9, 2011, he had 7 catches for 54 receiving yards and 2 touchdown receptions. In this game, he caught
Super Bowl XLV - Misplaced Pages Continue
8526-449: A tradition of postseason bowl games . Each bowl game was associated with a particular conference and earning a spot in a bowl game was the reward for winning a conference. This arrangement was profitable, but it tended to prevent the two top-ranked teams from meeting in a true national championship game, as they would normally be committed to the bowl games of their respective conferences. Several systems have been used since 1992 to determine
8729-519: A victory parade at the Magic Kingdom theme park on February 6 along with Emmitt Smith . After 2005, he returned to start in the Steelers' season opener against the Dolphins and caught 5 passes for 53 yards and a touchdown, as they beat Miami, 28–16. On October 22, 2006, Ward caught eight receptions for 171 receiving yards and caught three touchdowns for the first time in his career, as they lost 38–41 to
8932-429: Is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense , the team with possession of the oval-shaped football , attempts to advance down the field by running with the ball or throwing it , while the defense , the team without possession of the ball, aims to stop the offense's advance and to take control of the ball for themselves. The offense must advance
9135-641: Is a current CNN studio analyst. In 2018, he joined the Alliance of American Football as the Player Relations Executive. In 2006, Ward became the first Korean American to win the Super Bowl MVP award. This achievement threw him into the spotlight of media in South Korea . From April 3 through May 30, 2006, Ward returned to his birthplace of Seoul for the first time since his parents moved to
9338-579: Is an American football coach and former player who is the wide receivers coach for Arizona State . He played as a wide receiver in the NFL after being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1998 NFL draft . He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs . Ward played his entire professional career for the Steelers and he became the team's all-time leader in receptions, receiving yardage and touchdown receptions. Ward
9541-425: Is called on the offense. There are two main ways the offense can advance the ball: running and passing . In a typical play, the center passes the ball backwards and between their legs to the quarterback in a process known as the snap . The quarterback then either hands the ball off to a running back, throws the ball, or runs with it. The play ends when the player with the ball is tackled or goes out-of-bounds or
9744-437: Is caught or recovered behind the line of scrimmage. If it is touched or recovered by the kicking team beyond this line, it becomes dead at the spot where it was touched. The kicking team is prohibited from interfering with the receiver's opportunity to catch the ball. The receiving team has the option of signaling for a fair catch , which prohibits the defense from blocking into or tackling the receiver. The play ends as soon as
9947-403: Is known as a two-point conversion . In general, the extra point is almost always successful, while the two-point conversion is a much riskier play with a higher probability of failure; accordingly, extra point attempts are far more common than two-point conversion attempts. A field goal (FG), worth three points, is scored when the ball is place kicked or drop kicked through the uprights and over
10150-500: Is normally known as the "Tom Landry Highway" in honor of former Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry . While past Super Bowl games used their own unique logo designs that changed yearly and featured imagery which reflected the host city, Super Bowl XLV introduced a new standardized, silver-colored emblem, featuring an image of the Vince Lombardi Trophy sitting atop the traditional Roman numerals used to denote each edition, with
10353-407: Is responsible for all kicking plays. The special teams unit of the team in control of the ball tries to execute field goal (FG) attempts, punts , and kickoffs , while the opposing team's unit will aim to block or return them. Three positions are specific to the field goal and PAT (point-after-touchdown) unit: the placekicker (K or PK), holder (H), and long snapper (LS). The long snapper's job
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#173284547818510556-421: Is to block members of the defensive line from tackling the ball carrier on running plays or sacking the quarterback on passing plays. The leader of the offensive line is the center, who is responsible for snapping the ball to the quarterback, blocking, and for making sure that the other linemen do their jobs during the play. On either side of the center are the guards (G), while tackles (T) line up outside
10759-437: Is to snap the football to the holder, who will catch and position it for the placekicker. There is not usually a holder on kickoffs, because the ball is kicked off a tee; however, a holder may be used in certain situations, such as if wind is preventing the ball from remaining upright on the tee. The player on the receiving team who catches the ball is known as the kickoff returner (KR). The positions specific to punt plays are
10962-589: The 1958 NFL Championship game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants , still referred to as the "Greatest Game Ever Played". The game, a 23–17 overtime victory by the Colts, was seen by millions of television viewers and had a major influence on the popularity of the sport. This, along with the innovations introduced by the new American Football League (AFL) in the early 1960s, helped football to become
11165-493: The 1995 Peach Bowl in which he completed 31 of 59 passes for 413 yards. Despite his performance at the quarterback position as a Sophomore, Ward primarily played receiver his final two years of college play only attempting a handful of passes during those seasons. In 1996, Ward had 52 receptions for 900 yards, and also ran 26 times for 170 yards. In 1997, he hauled in 55 passes for 715 yards and scored six touchdowns while, and also ran 30 times for 223 yards, getting All-SEC honors in
11368-474: The Baltimore Ravens , catching a 12-yard pass from Kordell Stewart . During a Week 10 contest against the Green Bay Packers , he caught a season-high 2 passes for 56 yards. Although he appeared in every game during his first season, he finished with only 15 receptions for 246 receiving yards. In 1999, he saw more action after former starting wide receiver Charles Johnson departed for Philadelphia during
11571-399: The Baltimore Ravens . On September 17, 2000, he received his first start of the season at the Browns and had 5 receptions for 75 receiving yards. In a Week 7 win over Cincinnati, he accumulated a season-high 91 receiving yards on 2 catches, while scoring a 77-yard touchdown, his first of the season. On December 10, 2000, he caught a season-high 6 passes for 64 receiving yards in a 10–30 loss at
11774-553: The New York Giants . In his last season under offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride , Ward finished with a total of 48 receptions for 672 yards and 4 touchdowns. On September 8, 2001, Ward was signed to a four-year, $ 9.5 million contract extension. In his first year under new offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey , Ward had his best season of his career to that point. While starting in the season opener at Jacksonville , he made 7 catches for 82 receiving yards. In their second game against
11977-689: The North Texas site on May 22, 2007. It marked the first Super Bowl in the Dallas–Fort Worth area after numerous unsuccessful bids in the 1960s-1970s. The Pittsburgh Steelers finished the 2010 season with a 12–4 record. They earned the AFC North division title, and the second seed in the AFC and advanced to their 8th Super Bowl, tying the Dallas Cowboys ' record of most Super Bowl appearances. After missing
12180-537: The Pittsburgh Steelers , who won Super Bowl XL following the 2005 season. Green Bay also joined the 2005 Steelers as the only teams ever to defeat the top three seeded teams on the road in the playoffs. In order to secure their fifth Super Bowl bid they defeated their longtime rivals, the Chicago Bears , in the NFC Championship Game at Soldier Field . The offense was led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers , who
12383-598: The Rose Bowl ; however the actual attendance of 103,219 fell 766 fans short. League officials had indicated that they would also count spectators watching the game on large television screens from outside the stadium in the tally, which generally is not allowed in official attendance counts. However, Super Bowl XLV was the first Super Bowl game to break the 100,000 threshold in attendance since Super Bowl XXI in 1987. Due to numerous delays, including damage sustained from an ice storm , 1,250 temporary seats weren't ready in time for
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#173284547818512586-645: The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York , seized and shut down several websites that had provided access to pirated Internet television feeds of NFL games. With an average US audience of 111 million viewers, this was the most-watched Super Bowl as well as the most-watched program of any kind in American television history, beating the previous record of 106.5 million viewers for Super Bowl XLIV . However, Super Bowl XVI still holds
12789-411: The kickoff , which starts the first and third quarters and overtime and follows a try attempt or a successful field goal; the safety kick follows a safety. On a kickoff, the ball is placed at the 35-yard line of the kicking team in professional and college play and at the 40-yard line in high school play. The ball may be drop kicked or place kicked. If a place kick is chosen, the ball can be placed on
12992-407: The punter (P), long snapper, upback , and gunner . The long snapper snaps the football directly to the punter, who then drops and kicks it before it hits the ground. Gunners line up split outside the line and race down the field, aiming to tackle the punt returner (PR)—the player who catches the punt. Upbacks line up a short distance behind the line of scrimmage, providing additional protection to
13195-417: The snap , the line of scrimmage , eleven-player teams, and the concept of downs. Later rule changes legalized the forward pass , created the neutral zone , and specified the size and shape of the football. The sport is closely related to Canadian football , which evolved in parallel with and at the same time as the American game, although its rules were developed independently from those of Camp. Most of
13398-478: The "Best of Sirius" package. In addition to the Westwood One and local team broadcasts, Sirius carried the following international feeds: FieldPass , the subscription Internet radio service provided by the league at NFL.com, also carried most of these feeds. Due to contractual restrictions, only Sirius XM and FieldPass were permitted to carry the local team broadcasts along with WTAQ, WIXX, WTMJ, WDVE and WBGG, with
13601-462: The "Father of American Football", secured rule changes in 1880 that reduced the size of each team from 15 to 11 players and instituted the snap to replace the chaotic and inconsistent scrum . While the game between Rutgers and Princeton is commonly considered the first American football game, several years prior in 1862, the Oneida Football Club formed as the oldest known football club in
13804-507: The 2010 home opener against the Falcons, Ward had six receptions for 108 receiving yards as the Steelers won 15–9. In the game against the Atlanta Falcons , Ward became the first player in Steelers history to surpass 11,000 receiving yards. He caught 108 yards worth of passes in that game to pass Hall of Fame Steelers receiver John Stallworth for the most 100-yard receiving games all-time for
14007-556: The 36–33 victory. The following week, the Steelers played at Tennessee in the divisional playoff game. Although they lost 31–34, Ward finished with 7 catches for 82 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. Along with teammate Alan Faneca, Ward was selected to play in his second consecutive Pro Bowl. In the Pro Bowl, he caught 2 passes for 45 yards and scored a 32-yard touchdown. He finished his fifth season with 1,329 receiving yards, 112 receptions, and 12 touchdown receptions, all career-highs. This also
14210-663: The AFC divisional game against the San Diego Chargers, Ward caught 4 passes for 70 yards. The following week in the AFC Championship, he made 3 receptions for 55 yards as they beat the Ravens 23–14 to go on to Super Bowl XLIII . On February 1, 2009, the Steelers played the Arizona Cardinals, led by the Steelers' former offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt. During the game, Ward played a supporting role behind Santonio Holmes , who
14413-557: The AFC in 1970 as a result of the AFL–NFL merger to even out the two conferences. The Steelers advanced to the Super Bowl with two close wins in the playoffs. After a first-round bye, the Steelers defeated their division rival , the number 5 seeded Baltimore Ravens 31–24, with Ben Roethlisberger 's 58-yard completion to Antonio Brown on third down and 19 setting up Rashard Mendenhall 's game winning 2-yard touchdown run with 1:33 left in
14616-531: The AFL New York Jets signed rookie Joe Namath to a then-record $ 437,000 contract (equivalent to $ 4.23 million in 2023). A five-year, $ 40 million NBC television contract followed, which helped to sustain the young league. The bidding war for players ended in 1966 when NFL owners approached the AFL regarding a merger, and the two leagues agreed on one that took full effect in 1970. This agreement provided for
14819-494: The American hip hop group the Black Eyed Peas , with additional performances by Usher and Slash . Prior to Super Bowl LV , it was the last time that a wild-card team made or won the Super Bowl. This is also the most recent time either of the teams have made the Super Bowl, despite appearing in a combined five conference championships since then. Three NFL cities presented bids for the game: NFL owners voted to select
15022-465: The Arizona Cardinals head coach. As the Steelers played the Bengals on October 28, 2007, Ward hauled in 8 passes for 88 yards and 2 touchdowns. On December 2, 2007, he caught a season-high 11 passes for 90 receiving yards and 2 touchdown receptions during the 24–10 victory over the Bengals. The 2 touchdowns against the Bengals made Ward the Steelers' all-time touchdown receptions leader with his 64th touchdown reception. Then on December 20, 2007, Ward became
15225-616: The Atlanta Falcons. During the season, he missed Weeks 13 and 14 and only finished his second season in a row with exactly 975 receiving yards. After the Steelers finished 8–8 and missed the playoffs, Head Coach Bill Cowher announced he was retiring. After eight years under Bill Cowher, Ward had the second coach of his career, as the Steelers organization hired Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin as their new head coach. This also marked his first season under offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, as Ken Whisenhunt left to become
15428-936: The Bears, openly supported the Steelers two years earlier in Super Bowl XLIII after the Rooney family helped with his campaigning work and later appointed Steelers chairman Dan Rooney , an ethnic Irish Catholic , the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland . He did not attend the game; instead, he hosted a 100-person Super Bowl party at the White House. Attendees included his family, elected leaders from Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, DNC member Andres Lopez of Puerto Rico, Buffalo, New York mayor Byron Brown , Buffalo deputy mayor Steve Casey, Newark, New Jersey mayor Cory Booker , Jennifer Lopez and her husband Marc Anthony , both actors/singers, ESPN columnist Michael Wilbon , and Tony Kornheiser . Although
15631-458: The Bengals, Ward hauled in a season-high 9 receptions for 135 receiving yards and 2 touchdown receptions. After finishing the season 11–5, the Steelers played the Bengals for the AFC Wild Card on January 8, 2006. Ward finished the Steelers playoff victory over Cincinnati with only 2 catches for 10 yards, and also scored a 5-yard touchdown. The next week, he caught 3 passes for 68 receiving yards as
15834-411: The Colts chose Jerome Pathon (32nd overall) instead, both wide receivers. Ward was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round (92nd overall) of the 1998 NFL Draft. On July 20, 1998, the Steelers signed him to a three-year, $ 885,000 contract. Ward began his rookie season as the fourth receiver on the Steelers' depth chart. He played in his first career game on September 6, 1998, against
16037-505: The Dallas–Fort Worth area in hard ice and snow the week before the game, threatening to disrupt game preparations. Snow fell from the roof of Cowboys Stadium's East end on February 4, injuring six people. Over 3,000 tickets were sold to watch the game in the stadium's East Plaza, which experienced the falling ice tragedy earlier in the week. However, the snow had melted by game time and fans who paid $ 200 per ticket were allowed to watch
16240-576: The FCS and 85 scholarship players in the FBS, respectively. Individual players in a football game must be designated with a uniform number between 1 and 99, though some teams may "retire" certain numbers , making them unavailable to players. NFL teams are required to number their players by a league-approved numbering system, and any exceptions must be approved by the commissioner . NCAA and NFHS teams are "strongly advised" to number their offensive players according to
16443-514: The Jaguars in Week 10, Ward came away with 9 receptions for 112 yards and scored a 28-yard touchdown in a 20–7 victory. This also marked his first game with over 100 receiving yards in his career. On December 9, 2001, against the New York Jets , Ward accumulated a season-high 10 catches for 124 receiving yards. He played in his first playoff game of his career in 2001, making 3 receptions for 37 yards in
16646-524: The NFC Championship game a few days later on January 23 to Green Bay 21–14. In a post-game locker-room speech, Green Bay Packers corner Charles Woodson poked fun at the President's comment saying "The President don't want to come watch us at the Super Bowl, guess what? We'll go see him" (implying that Green Bay would win the Super Bowl and visit the White House as the winning team usually does each year;
16849-522: The NFL in the matter of breach of contract, and not liable for fraudulent inducement. The Cowboys and Jerry Jones were dismissed as parties to the lawsuit since the plaintiffs' contracts were solely with the NFL. The plaintiffs were awarded between $ 5,600 and $ 22,000 depending on the value of their tickets. American football American football , referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football ,
17052-555: The NFL with 13.5 sacks, while Hawk led the team in combined tackles (111) and intercepted three passes. Three of the Packers starters in the secondary also made the Pro Bowl. Tramon Williams led the team with a career-high 6 interceptions, while adding 326 punt return yards. Other Pro Bowl selections included safety Nick Collins (4 interceptions and 70 combined tackles) and hard hitting 13-year veteran cornerback Charles Woodson , who recorded 92 total tackles and forced five fumbles, while also intercepting two passes. The Packers entered
17255-523: The Patriots. Although they lost to the defending Super Bowl Champions 20–23, this marked Ward's first back-to-back games with 2 touchdown receptions. After starting 88 consecutive games, Ward missed the game against the Jaguars on October 16. On November 13, 2005, Ward became the Steelers' all-time leading receiver with his 538th catch against the Browns on ESPN Sunday Night Football surpassing John Stallworth 's record. The Steelers won 34–21. In Week 13 against
17458-601: The Pittsburgh Steelers), Howie Long (one-time Super Bowl winning defensive end with the then-Los Angeles Raiders), Michael Strahan (one-time Super Bowl winning defensive end with the New York Giants) and Jimmy Johnson (two-time Super Bowl winning head coach with the Dallas Cowboys). They were joined by a variety of other commentators. Five days prior to the game, Immigration and Customs Enforcement , along with
17661-452: The Sports and Fitness Industry Association. The role of the offensive unit is to advance the football down the field with the ultimate goal of scoring a touchdown . The offensive team must line up in a legal formation before they can snap the ball. An offensive formation is considered illegal if there are more than four players in the backfield or fewer than five players numbered 50–79 on
17864-531: The Stars and brief cameos in the 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises and in the television series The Walking Dead . He was a studio analyst for NBC's Football Night in America from 2012 to 2015. Ward joined CNN and HLN in May 2016. He was the player relations executive of the Alliance of American Football . In 2019, Ward began his coaching career as an offensive assistant for the New York Jets , working with wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson. In 2021, Ward
18067-554: The Steelers beat the Indianapolis Colts 21–18. In the 2005 AFC Championship game at the Denver Broncos, he had 59 receiving yards on 5 receptions while also making a touchdown catch, as the Steelers won 34–17. On February 5, 2006, Ward played in his first career Super Bowl. In Super Bowl XL , he accumulated 5 receptions, 123 receiving yards, and caught a 43-yard touchdown reception from wide receiver Antwaan Randle El to seal
18270-406: The Steelers cut their deficit to 28–25 midway through the fourth quarter with wide receiver Mike Wallace 's 25-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and a two-point conversion . But the Packers answered with Mason Crosby 's 23-yard field goal with 2:07 remaining, and then prevented the Steelers from scoring on their final drive of the game. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers
18473-465: The Steelers decision as the home team in Super Bowl XL to wear white jerseys. Both the 2005 Steelers and 2010 Packers were number 6 seeded teams when they reached the Super Bowl, forcing them to play all of their postseason games on the road and wearing their respective white jerseys in those games. The retractable roof at Cowboys Stadium was closed for the game. A severe winter storm blanketed
18676-410: The Steelers have not officially retired Ward's #86, they have not reissued it since his retirement and it is understood that no Steeler will ever wear it again. Ward's versatility, hands, and willingness to block served him well as a professional wide receiver. Since being drafted by the Steelers in the third round of the 1998 NFL draft , he earned three team Most Valuable Player (MVP) selections. He
18879-503: The Steelers to 14 wins in a row. On December 18, 2004, Ward made 9 catches for a season-high 134 yards as Pittsburgh beat the Giants 33–30 for their 13th consecutive victory. After finishing the season 15–1, the Steelers played the Jets for the divisional championship. During the 20–17 win, Ward racked up 10 catches for 105 receiving yards and a touchdown. On January 23, 2005, the Steelers lost 27–41 to
19082-489: The Steelers to hang onto the ball until time expired. Mendenhall finished with 121 rushing yards and a touchdown, along with 2 catches for 32 yards. The Packers started off their postseason with a 21–16 win over the number 3 seeded Philadelphia Eagles after Tramon Williams intercepted a pass from Michael Vick in the end zone with less than a minute left to play. Aaron Rodgers threw for 180 yards and three touchdowns while James Starks , who only rushed for 101 yards during
19285-538: The Steelers with his 26th. His six catches against the Falcons gave him 901 for his career, making him only the 12th NFL player of all time to surpass 900 career receptions. On October 24, 2010, he had a season-high 131 receiving yards on seven receptions and scored a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins. In Week 14 against the Bengals, he hauled in a season-high eight passes for 115 yards. Ward's streak of 186 consecutive games with at least one reception came to an end in
19488-573: The Steelers' 21–10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks . He was named the MVP in Super Bowl XL . This made him the second foreign-born player to earn the accolade. The Steelers also named Ward their co-MVP of the season along with Casey Hampton . Immediately following Super Bowl XL, Ward was videotaped for the "I'm Going to Disney World!" television commercial, adding "...and I'm taking The Bus!" Ward and Steelers teammate Jerome "The Bus" Bettis appeared in
19691-509: The Steelers' all-time receiving yardage leader in a game against the St. Louis Rams . In his first year under Mike Tomlin, the Steelers finished 10–6 and made the playoffs. Although they lost the AFC Wild Card Round matchup 29–31 to Jacksonville, Ward made 10 receptions for 135 receiving yards. Ward finished his ninth season with 71 receptions, 732 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns. During
19894-402: The Steelers' home opener, he had 8 catches for 103 receiving yards. On September 27, 2009, during a game against Cincinnati, Ward's four catches for 82 yards earned him 10,000 career receiving yards and made him the first wide receiver in Steelers' history to achieve that milestone. On third-and-two Ben Roethlisberger hit Ward for a 14-yard gain, giving Ward 10,001 career receiving yards. During
20097-413: The Super Bowl in metal folding chairs without a view of the stadium's giant video replay board. The NFL at first offered $ 2,400 to fans who did not receive a replacement seat, but later offered tickets to a future Super Bowl with airfare and hotels included. Not all of the fans accepted the NFL's settlement offer, so the case went to trial. The outcome of the lawsuit was a finding for the plaintiffs against
20300-461: The Super Bowl never having trailed by more than 7 points at any point during the season—a feat that had never been accomplished during a complete season in the Super Bowl era. The last team to complete a season with this distinction was the Detroit Lions in 1962 . In the Super Bowl game itself, the Packers never trailed. Of note, this was Green Bay's first Super Bowl against an AFC team that
20503-579: The United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. American football evolved from the sports of rugby and soccer . Rugby, like American football, is a sport in which two competing teams vie for control of a ball, which can be kicked through a set of goalposts or run into the opponent's goal area to score points. What is considered to be the first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between Rutgers and Princeton , two college teams. They consisted of 25 players per team and used
20706-513: The United States when he was one year old. Ward used his celebrity status to arrange "hope-sharing" meetings with multiracial Korean children and to encourage social and political reform. At one hope-sharing meeting, he told a group of children, "If the country can accept me for who I am and accept me for being a Korean, I'm pretty sure that this country can change and accept you for who you are." On his final day in Korea, he donated US$ 1 million to create
20909-455: The United States. The team consisted of graduates of Boston's elite preparatory schools and played from 1862 to 1865. The introduction of the snap resulted in an unexpected consequence. Before the snap, the strategy had been to punt if a scrum resulted in bad field position. However, a group of Princeton players realized that, as the snap was uncontested, they could now hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, in
21112-547: The United States: official time was kept on a scoreboard clock rather than on a watch in the referee's pocket, as the NFL did; optional two-point conversions by pass or run after touchdowns; names on the jerseys of players; and several others, including expansion of the role of minority players, actively recruited by the league in contrast to the NFL. The AFL also signed several star college players who had also been drafted by NFL teams. Competition for players heated up in 1965, when
21315-460: The advent of artificial rubber inside the leather outer shell to sustain crushing forces . At all levels of play, the football is inflated to 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 13 + 1 ⁄ 2 psi (86 to 93 kPa), or just under one atmosphere, and weighs 14 to 15 ounces (400 to 430 g); beyond that, the exact dimensions vary slightly. In professional play the ball has a long axis of 11 to 11 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (28 to 29 cm),
21518-410: The ball at least ten yards in four downs or plays; if they fail, they turn over the football to the defense, but if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs to continue the drive . Points are scored primarily by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal . The team with the most points at
21721-435: The ball is caught, and the ball may not be advanced. Officials are responsible for enforcing game rules and monitoring the clock. All officials carry a whistle and wear black-and-white striped shirts and black hats except for the referee, whose hat is white. Each carries a weighted yellow flag that is thrown to the ground to signal that a foul has been called. An official who spots multiple fouls will throw their hat as
21924-478: The ball off, throws it, or runs with it. The primary role of the halfback, also known as the running back or tailback, is to carry the ball on running plays. Halfbacks may also serve as receivers. Fullbacks tend to be larger than halfbacks and function primarily as blockers, but they are sometimes used as runners in short-yardage or goal-line situations. They are seldom used as receivers. The offensive line (OL) consists of several players whose primary function
22127-465: The chance to watch the game on monitors in the North Field Club behind the Steelers bench, but would still get the triple refund. Some of these fans were still upset, since they had spent thousands on airfare and hotels. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said that when the league decided to relocate the 850 fans, it lost any shot of setting the attendance record. The NFL subsequently offered affected fans
22330-541: The contest with 3 receptions for 25 yards and a touchdown, as the Steelers won 31–24. The next week in the AFC Championship, he had 2 catches for 14 yards as the Steelers beat the New York Jets 24–19 to advance to Super Bowl XLV . On February 6, 2011, Ward appeared in his third Super Bowl with the Steelers against the Green Bay Packers. In his first career Super Bowl loss, he caught 7 passes for 78 receiving yards and
22533-413: The crossbars of the defense's goalposts. In practice, almost all field goal attempts are done via place kick. While drop kicks were common in the early days of the sport, the shape of modern footballs makes it difficult to reliably drop kick the ball. The last successful scoring play by drop kick in the NFL was accomplished in 2006; prior to that, the last successful drop kick had been made in 1941. After
22736-399: The defense is to prevent the offense from scoring by tackling the ball carrier or by forcing turnovers . Turnovers include interceptions (a defender catching a forward pass intended for the offense) and forced fumbles (taking possession of the ball from the ball-carrier). The defensive line (DL) consists of defensive ends (DE) and defensive tackles (DT). Defensive ends line up on
22939-430: The defensive backfield. They are divided into two types: middle linebackers (MLB) and outside linebackers (OLB). Linebackers tend to serve as the defensive leaders and call the defensive plays, given their vantage point of the offensive backfield. Their roles include defending the run, pressuring the quarterback, and tackling backs, wide receivers, and tight ends in the passing game. The defensive backfield , often called
23142-419: The end of the game wins. American football evolved in the United States, originating from the sports of soccer and rugby . The first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between two college teams, Rutgers and Princeton , using rules based on the rules of soccer at the time. A set of rule changes drawn up from 1880 onward by Walter Camp , the "Father of American Football", established
23345-472: The ends and sides of the field are known as the end lines and sidelines . Goal lines are marked 10 yards (9.1 m) inward from each end line. Weighted pylons are placed the sidelines on the inside corner of the intersections with the goal lines and end lines. White markings on the field identify the distance from the end zone. Inbound lines, or hash marks , are short parallel lines that mark off 1-yard (0.91 m) increments. Yard lines , which can run
23548-404: The ends of the line, while defensive tackles line up inside, between the defensive ends. The primary responsibilities of defensive ends and defensive tackles are to stop running plays on the outside and inside, respectively, to pressure the quarterback on passing plays, and to occupy the line so that the linebackers can break through. Linebackers line up behind the defensive line but in front of
23751-560: The eventual Super Bowl XXXIX Champions, the New England Patriots. In the AFC Championship game, Ward pulled in 5 catches for 109 yards and a touchdown. For the fourth year in a row, he was voted to the Pro Bowl along with Alan Faneca. In the game, he had 63 receiving yards on 3 receptions and scored a touchdown. He finished the season having caught 80 passes for 1,004 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns. This also marked his fourth year with over 1,000 receiving yards. In 2005, Ward missed
23954-556: The features that distinguish American football from rugby and soccer are also present in Canadian football. The two sports are considered the primary variants of gridiron football . American football is the most popular sport in the United States in terms of broadcast viewership audience. The most popular forms of the game are professional and college football , with the other major levels being high-school and youth football. As of 2022 , nearly 1.04 million high-school athletes play
24157-468: The field is punishable by a penalty. Teams may substitute any number of their players between downs; this "platoon" system replaced the original system, which featured limited substitution rules, and has resulted in teams utilizing specialized offensive, defensive and special teams units. The number of players allowed on an active roster varies by league; the NFL has a 53-man roster, while NCAA Division I allows teams to have 63 scholarship players in
24360-454: The field was shortened to 100 yards (91 m) long, two 10-yard-long (9.1 m) end zones were created, and teams were given four downs instead of three to advance the ball 10 yards (9.1 m). The roughing the passer penalty was implemented in 1914, and eligible players were first allowed to catch the ball anywhere on the field in 1918. On November 12, 1892, Pudge Heffelfinger was paid $ 500 (equivalent to $ 16,956 in 2023) to play
24563-468: The first 6-seed team in the NFC to compete in the Super Bowl, after posting a 10–6 regular season record. The Steelers finished the regular season with a 12–4 record, and advanced to an, at the time, league-tying 8th Super Bowl appearance. Super Bowl XLV was initially dominated by Green Bay, jumping to a 21–3 lead before Pittsburgh cut it down to 21–10 just before halftime. Then after the teams exchanged touchdowns,
24766-427: The first four games of the year on suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy (during which the Steelers went 3–1), quarterback Ben Roethlisberger returned for his seventh season as the Steelers starting quarterback, finishing the season with 3,200 yards and 17 touchdowns, with just five interceptions, for a 97 passer rating. He also rushed for 176 yards and two touchdowns. The team's top receiver
24969-532: The first time in the Super Bowl in addition to its usual Budweiser and Bud Light advertisements. Hyundai , Mercedes-Benz , Volkswagen and Audi also advertised, as did General Motors , who returned for the first time since their bankruptcy with advertisements for the Chevrolet Cruze , Camaro , Silverado and Volt . Chrysler purchased a 2-minute-long advertisement for its Chrysler 200 featuring Eminem . Advertisements for 15 films were shown during
25172-454: The first time the Super Bowl was played in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. Unlike most other Super Bowls, this game featured two title-abundant franchises: coming into the game, the Packers held the most NFL championships with 12 (9 league championships prior to the Super Bowl era and 3 Super Bowl championships), while the Steelers held the most Super Bowl championships with 6. The Packers entered their fifth Super Bowl in team history, and became
25375-442: The first two weeks of training camp in a holdout for a contract extension that would increase his salary. Ward had considered holding out before camp in 2004, but had been persuaded after meeting with the Steelers' owner Dan Rooney and Jerome Bettis. He was told they could work out an extension during the year and he'd be paid fairly. With a great relationship with Dan Rooney, he conceded and eventually showed up on August 15, 2005, on
25578-599: The formation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States, later renamed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The legal forward pass was introduced in 1906, although its effect was initially minimal due to the restrictions placed on its use. The idea of a 40-yard-wider field was opposed by Harvard due to the size of the new Harvard Stadium . Other rule changes introduced that year included
25781-452: The game and intercepted three passes, one of which was returned 18 yards for a touchdown by B. J. Raji . The other two were made by rookie Sam Shields , who recorded his second interception near his own end zone with 37 seconds left to put the game away. Both teams are known to have sizable fanbases that often travel to away games, largely due to season tickets for home games having decades-long waiting lists. In August 2008, ESPN.com ranked
25984-419: The game clock based on the direction of the appropriate official . A separate play clock is used to show the amount of time within which the offense must initiate a play. The play clock is set to 25 seconds after certain administrative stoppages in play and to 40 seconds when play is proceeding without such stoppages. If the offense fails to start a play before the play clock reads "00", a delay of game foul
26187-409: The game had a strict sense of amateurism at the time, and direct payment to players was frowned upon, if not prohibited outright. Over time, professional play became increasingly common, and with it came rising salaries and unpredictable player movement, as well as the illegal payment of college players who were still in school. The National Football League (NFL), a group of professional teams that
26390-407: The game outside Cowboys Stadium, in the open air, as the weather turned from sleet to sun. Since the Steelers and Packers were two of the six teams that did not have cheerleaders during the 2010 NFL season (the others being the Chicago Bears , Detroit Lions , Cleveland Browns , and New York Giants ), this marked the first Super Bowl without cheerleaders. Packers lineman, Bryan Bulaga , became
26593-495: The game's "golden anniversary", featuring the number "50" in large gold numbering on each side of the trophy rather than below it in Roman numerals. This modified layout, but with Roman numerals, no stadium, and different accent colors or, later, designs within the numerals, has been used for subsequent Super Bowl games. Fox televised the game in the United States, with Joe Buck as the play-by-play announcer and Troy Aikman , himself
26796-421: The game. According to a police officer standing near the affected area, the seats hadn't been installed in time for the fire marshal to inspect them. The NFL scrambled almost until kickoff to find replacement seats. Eventually, 850 fans in four sections were relocated, while 400 fans in two sections were given a refund equivalent to three times the face value of their ticket. The latter set of fans were later offered
26999-553: The game. He appeared in his last game with the Steelers on January 8, 2012, as the Steelers lost 23–29 to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Wild Card Round. He finished his last season with a total of 46 receptions, 381 receiving yards, and two touchdowns in 15 games and nine starts. On March 7, 2012, the Steelers announced their intention to cut and release Ward, which they did two days later. On March 20, 2012, Ward announced his retirement from professional football stating, "Without
27202-522: The game. Roethlisberger finished with 226 passing yards and two touchdowns, while the defense forced three turnovers and sacked Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco five times, three by James Harrison . Then the Steelers defeated the number 6 seeded New York Jets 24–19 in the AFC Championship Game . The Steelers seemed to be in complete control at first, taking a 24–0 lead in the first half. Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez rallied his team back, cutting
27405-443: The ground or a tee; a holder may be used in either case. On a safety kick, the kicking team kicks the ball from their own 20-yard line. They can punt, drop kick or place kick the ball, but a tee may not be used in professional play. Any member of the receiving team may catch or advance the ball. The ball may be recovered by the kicking team once it has gone at least ten yards and has touched the ground or has been touched by any member of
27608-434: The guards. The principal receivers are the wide receivers (WR) and the tight ends (TE). Wide receivers line up on or near the line of scrimmage, split outside the line. The main goal of the wide receiver is to catch passes thrown by the quarterback, but they may also function as decoys or as blockers during running plays. Tight ends line up outside the tackles and function both as receivers and as blockers. The role of
27811-544: The host market of Dallas–Fort Worth ( KDFW ), the game drew a 53.7 rating. Fox's lead-out program was an episode of Glee titled " The Sue Sylvester Shuffle ". At the conclusion of Glee' s airing, Fox became the first media network in U.S. television history to garner a single-night primetime average of at least 100 million viewers. By September 15, 2010, Fox had sold 90 percent of all available slots; all slots were completely sold out by October. The price of an advertisement began at US$ 3 million. Pepsi-Cola returned after
28014-518: The last touchdown of his career on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger in the second quarter. On December 4, 2011, in a 35–7 home victory against the Cincinnati Bengals , Ward became the 19th player in NFL history to reach 12,000 receiving yards. On January 1, 2012, in a game against the Cleveland Browns , Ward caught his 1,000th reception, becoming the eighth player in NFL history to do so. He also caught his last career reception during
28217-458: The matter currently is before the court. The Locker Room reopened under the name South Side 86 (because of Ward's jersey number), and is owned entirely by Ward, who bought out his co-owners. Ward hosted the Hines Ward Show on Pittsburgh CBS O&O KDKA-TV from 2006 to 2012. In 2012, shortly after announcing his retirement, it was announced that Ward had signed on with NBC Sports to be
28420-407: The message "See you at the White House. Go Packers!" written on the back by Woodson. On August 12, 2011, Woodson's promise came true and the Packers visited the White House and met with President Obama. Their visit was delayed because of the NFL lockout and took place a day before the Packers first preseason game against the Cleveland Browns . President Obama was presented with a Packers jersey with
28623-503: The most popular sport in the United States by the mid-1960s. The rival AFL arose in 1960 and challenged the NFL's dominance. The AFL began in relative obscurity but eventually thrived, with an initial television contract with the ABC television network. The AFL's existence forced the conservative NFL to expand to Dallas and Minnesota in an attempt to destroy the new league. Meanwhile, the AFL introduced many new features to professional football in
28826-521: The network) and color analyst Boomer Esiason . Univision Radio carried a Spanish language feed for its stations throughout the US. The flagship stations for each team also carried the game with their respective local announcers: In the United Kingdom, BBC Radio 5 Live carried radio coverage with Darren Fletcher and Greg Brady announcing. Sirius XM Satellite Radio carried 14 feeds in ten languages to Sirius subscribers, as well as to XM subscribers with
29029-407: The number 1 and the words Commander-In-Chief on the back. He was also presented with a stock share of the Packers organization, thus making him a part owner of the Packers. When Obama jokingly asked if this meant he could trade Aaron Rodgers to the Bears, Woodson responded that Obama was just "a minority owner". Obama, who is also a Steelers fan and considers the team to be his second-favorite after
29232-438: The number 2 Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship Game , defeating them 21–14. This time Rodgers had a rougher day than his previous two games, throwing no touchdown passes and being intercepted twice. But he still threw for 244 yards and scored a 1-yard touchdown run, while Starks added 74 rushing yards, including a touchdown run in the second quarter. Meanwhile, the Packers' defense knocked Bears quarterback Jay Cutler out of
29435-440: The off-season. He began the season as the starting wide receiver in the season opener against the Cleveland Browns . Ward caught his first career touchdown from Mike Tomczak and finished the game with a total of 3 catches for 51 yards. On October 10, 1999, he had 6 receptions for 67 receiving yards, and caught a touchdown from Kordell Stewart. In Week 12, he accounted for a season-high 7 receptions and 89 receiving yards, and caught
29638-429: The offense advances ten or more yards in the four downs, they are awarded a new set of four downs. If they fail to advance ten yards, possession of the football is turned over to the defense. In most situations, if the offense reaches their fourth down they will punt the ball to the other team, which forces them to begin their drive from farther down the field; if they are in field goal range , they might attempt to score
29841-429: The offensive line. Players can line up temporarily in a position whose eligibility is different from what their number permits as long as they report the change immediately to the referee, who then informs the defensive team of the change. Neither team's players, except the center (C), are allowed to line up in or cross the neutral zone until the ball is snapped. Interior offensive linemen are not allowed to move until
30044-445: The plane of the two end lines. The crossbar of these posts is 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground, with vertical uprights at the end of the crossbar 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) apart for professional and collegiate play, and 23 feet 4 inches (7.11 m) apart for high school play. The uprights extend vertically 35 feet (11 m) on professional fields, a minimum of 10 yards (9.1 m) on college fields, and
30247-448: The point(s)-after-touchdown (PAT) or conversion, which is a single scoring opportunity. This is generally attempted from the two- or three-yard line, depending on the level of play. If the PAT is scored by a place kick or drop kick through the goal posts, it is worth one point, typically called the extra point. If the PAT is scored by what would normally be a touchdown, it is worth two points; this
30450-407: The post AFL-NFL merger (1970s: 1975, 1976, and 1979; 1980s: 1980; 1990s: 1996; 2000s: 2006 and 2009; 2010s: 2011). The Green Bay Packers finished the season with a 10–6 record and became the first sixth-seeded team in the NFC to compete in the Super Bowl. They are only the second sixth-seeded team to reach the Super Bowl, with the only other number 6 seed to accomplish this feat, coincidentally, being
30653-516: The pregame show, the game itself, and the postgame. NFL International provided television coverage for viewers outside of North America, with Bob Papa and Joe Theismann calling the English language feed. The game was shown live on the following channels: Westwood One broadcast Super Bowl XLV across the United States and Canada, with play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan (calling his first Super Bowl for
30856-457: The process. When he came out of college, it was discovered that Ward was missing an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee, which he lost during a bicycle accident during childhood. According to a Yahoo! Sports article, Ward broke his kneecap in the fourth grade and the doctors never accounted for the ligament. Coming out of the University of Georgia, Ward was regarded as one of
31059-472: The public, during this time, Ward Sr. did not support Ward with child support or visit him regularly. Ward has stated that he talks with his father about once every two years. Ward has stated that he has yet to reconcile with his father who left Hines Jr. when he was two years old. Under the guidance of coach Mike Parris at Forest Park High School in Forest Park, Georgia , Ward showcased his athletic skills as
31262-422: The punter. In football, the winner is the team that has scored more points at the end of the game. There are multiple ways to score in a football game. The touchdown (TD), worth six points, is the most valuable scoring play in American football. A touchdown is scored when a live ball is advanced into, caught, or recovered in the opposing team's end zone. The scoring team then attempts a try, more commonly known as
31465-401: The receiving team. The three types of scrimmage kicks are place kicks, drop kicks, and punts. Only place kicks and drop kicks can score points. The place kick is the standard method used to score points, because the pointy shape of the football makes it difficult to reliably drop kick. Once the ball has been kicked from a scrimmage kick, it can be advanced by the kicking team only if it
31668-483: The record for the highest rated Super Bowl in history with a 49.1 national rating and a 73 share. An estimated 162.9 million total viewers watched all or part of the game. The game drew a national household Nielsen rating of 46.0 and a 69 share. It drew a 59.7 local rating in both Milwaukee ( WITI ) and Pittsburgh ( WPGH ), the second-highest local rating for a Super Bowl after the 63.0 that Super Bowl XX drew in Chicago. In
31871-439: The reduction of playing time from 70 to 60 minutes and an increase of the distance required for a first down from 5 to 10 yards (4.6 to 9.1 m). To reduce infighting and dirty play between teams, the neutral zone was created along the width of the football before the snap. Scoring was also adjusted: points awarded for field goals were reduced to three in 1909 and points for touchdowns were raised to six in 1912. Also in 1912,
32074-431: The remainder of the 2008 season. Ward was not penalized for this block, nor was he fined by the league as the hit was deemed legal. The league, however, later passed a new rule banning such hits. The so-called "Hines Ward Rule" made a blindside block illegal if the block came from the blocker's helmet, forearm or shoulder and lands to the head or neck area of a defender. In a Sports Illustrated poll of NFL players in 2009, he
32277-421: The return of the money, and Lettieri subsequently justified his actions by claiming that the money was owed to him, also voicing the belief that the other co-owners, Ward and Kimberly Pitts, as well as Pitts' husband, Korry Pitts, had falsified invoices and diverted company funds to their own bank accounts. Company attorney Thomas Castello dismissed Lettieri's allegations as "baseless, ridiculous and unfounded", and
32480-534: The rulebook for the 1876 college football season , when the sport first shifted from soccer-style rules to rugby-style rules. Although it could easily have been called "rugby" at this point, Harvard, one of the primary proponents of the rugby-style game, compromised and did not request the name of the sport be changed to "rugby". The terms " gridiron " or "American football" are favored in English-speaking countries where other types of football are popular, such as
32683-432: The score to 24–10 going into the fourth quarter. The Jets then drove to the Steelers 2-yard line on a 17-play drive, but the Steelers defense made a key stand, keeping them out of the end zone on four consecutive plays near the goal-line to force a turnover. The Jets subsequently forced a safety and scored a touchdown with just over three minutes left, but Roethlisberger's 14-yard completions to Brown and Heath Miller allowed
32886-605: The season, he missed Weeks 4, 5, and 17, making it the most games he missed in a single season. Ward began the 2008 NFL season with two touchdown catches in a 38–16 victory over the Houston Texans. On November 16, 2008, he caught a season-high 11 passes for 124 yards against the San Diego Chargers . During a Week 16 contest at the Tennessee Titans, Ward racked up a total of 7 receptions for 109 receiving yards and scored
33089-495: The season, making a season-high 11 receptions, 139 receiving yards, and a touchdown during a 34–34 tie with the Atlanta Falcons . The following week, he caught 10 passes for a season-high 168 receiving yards and caught 2 touchdowns in a 23–31 loss to the Titans. It was his third game of the season with 2 touchdown receptions. He continued to dominate the next game against the Bengals, as he had 125 yards on 10 receptions, while also scoring
33292-419: The season, rushed for 123 yards in the game. The Packers then went to Atlanta, where the top-seeded 13–3 Atlanta Falcons were waiting. Although the Falcons took advantage of an early turnover and a kick return touchdown to build a 14–7 lead, the Packers quickly buried the Falcons with 35 straight points. By the end of the first half, the Packers held a 28–14 lead, and went on to win comfortably, 48–21. Rodgers
33495-452: The second one, the Harvard players preferred the Canadian style of having only 11 men on the field, running the ball without having to be chased by an opponent, the forward pass, tackling, and using an oblong instead of a round ball. An 1875 Harvard–Yale game played under rugby-style rules was observed by two Princeton athletes who were impressed by it. They introduced the sport to Princeton,
33698-503: The secondary, consists of cornerbacks (CB) and safeties (S). Safeties are themselves divided into free safeties (FS) and strong safeties (SS). Cornerbacks line up outside the defensive formation, typically opposite a receiver to be able to cover them. Safeties line up between the cornerbacks but farther back in the secondary. Safeties tend to be viewed as "the last line of defense" and are responsible for stopping deep passing plays as well as breakout running plays. The special teams unit
33901-636: The sidelines for Pittsburgh's first preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles . That night, though, he did not play in that game. On September 5, 2005, the Steelers announced that they had reached an agreement on a four-year contract extension worth $ 25.83 million with Ward. On September 18, 2005, he caught 6 passes for 84 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns in a 27–7 victory over the Texans. The next week, Ward had 4 catches for 110 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns, including an 85-yard touchdown reception, against
34104-505: The sitting president did not attend the game, former president and former Texas governor George W. Bush was present, along with his wife Laura and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice . From June 15, 2010, through February 6, 2011, the 30-mile section of Interstate 30 between Dallas and Fort Worth along which Cowboys Stadium is situated had been temporarily designated as the "Tom Landry Super Bowl Highway" in commemoration of Super Bowl XLV. The former Dallas–Fort Worth Turnpike
34307-411: The snap of the ball. The main backfield positions are the quarterback (QB), halfback/tailback (HB/TB), and fullback (FB). The quarterback is the leader of the offense. Either the quarterback or a coach calls the plays. Quarterbacks typically inform the rest of the offense of the play in the huddle before the team lines up. The quarterback lines up behind the center to take the snap and then hands
34510-523: The sport in the U.S., with another 81,000 college athletes in the NCAA and the NAIA . The National Football League (NFL) has the highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the world . Its championship game, the Super Bowl , ranks among the most-watched club sporting events globally. In 2022, the league had an annual revenue of around $ 18.6 billion, making it the most valuable sports league in
34713-408: The support over the past 14 years this game wouldn't be the same to me. It wouldn't be as fun for me. You guys meant the world to me. The city and this organization means the world to me. So today as sadly as it feels for me right now, I hope it will be a good day for everyone here." Ward accumulated 76 receptions, 1,064 yards, and eight receiving touchdowns in 14 post-season appearances. Although
34916-429: The teams' other network radio affiliates instead airing the Westwood One feed. Cowboys Stadium installed 15,000 temporary seats and utilized its standing room to increase its capacity to over 105,000 fans. If the stadium had been filled to capacity (its record for an NFL game is 105,121 spectators), it would have set a record for Super Bowl attendance, breaking the previous record of 103,985 fans for Super Bowl XIV in
35119-491: The time was played at the collegiate level . The upstart NFL received a boost to its legitimacy in 1925, however, when an NFL team, the Pottsville Maroons , defeated a team of Notre Dame all-stars in an exhibition game . A greater emphasis on the passing game helped professional football to distinguish itself further from the college game during the late 1930s. Football, in general, became increasingly popular following
35322-512: The top five receivers in the 1998 NFL draft , along with Kevin Dyson and Randy Moss . He was projected to be selected at the end of the first round or beginning of the second. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts expressed major interest in him, visiting him multiple times to meet with him. After it was discovered Ward did not have an ACL in one of his legs, his value dropped. The Buccaneers chose to draft Jacquez Green (34th overall) and
35525-428: The two teams tied as having the best fans in the NFL. ESPN 's own John Clayton , a Pittsburgh native, broke the tie in favor of the Steelers. As the Packers were the designated home team in the annual rotation between AFC and NFC teams, the team elected to wear their green jerseys. Although both teams are known to wear their colored jerseys at home and have rarely worn white at home, the Packers decision contrasted with
35728-411: The width of the field, are marked every 5 yards (4.6 m). A one-yard-wide line is placed at each end of the field; this line is marked at the center of the two-yard line in professional play and at the three-yard line in college play. Numerals that display the distance from the closest goal line in yards are placed on both sides of the field every ten yards. Goalposts are located at the center of
35931-408: The winning team decides to defer, the losing team chooses the option the winning team did not select—to receive, kick, or select a goal to defend to begin the second half. Most teams choose to receive or defer, because choosing to kick the ball to start the game allows the other team to choose which goal to defend. Teams switch goals following the first and third quarters. If a down is in progress when
36134-402: The world. Other professional and amateur leagues exist worldwide, but the sport does not have the international popularity of other American sports like baseball or basketball ; the sport maintains a growing following in the rest of North America, Europe, Brazil, and Japan. In the United States, American football is referred to as "football". The term "football" was officially established in
36337-479: The youngest player to start in a Super Bowl, at the age of 21 years and 322 days old. Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey would have been the youngest player (21 years, 197 days), but he could not play because of a high ankle sprain. During a press conference on January 19, 2011, President Barack Obama (a longtime Chicago Bears fan) said he would attend Super Bowl XLV if Chicago defeated Green Bay , saying "If Chicago wins, I'm going no doubt". Chicago ended up losing
36540-496: Was Mike Wallace who caught 60 passes for 1,257 yards and 10 touchdowns, giving him a 21 yards per catch average. Other reliable options included 13-year veteran Hines Ward (59 receptions for 755 yards and 5 touchdowns), the Steelers all-time leading receiver, and tight end Heath Miller who caught 42 passes for 512 yards. Halfback Rashard Mendenhall was the team's leading rusher, gaining 1,273 yards and 13 touchdowns while also catching 23 passes. The line
36743-589: Was Pro Bowl receiver Greg Jennings , who caught 76 passes for 1,265 yards and 12 touchdowns, giving him a 16.6 yards per catch average while also ranking him fourth in the NFL in yards and second in touchdown catches. Other reliable targets included receivers James Jones (50 receptions, 676 yards, 5 touchdowns), Donald Driver (51 receptions, 565 yards, 4 touchdowns), and Jordy Nelson (45 receptions, 582 yards, 496 kick return yards). The Packers lost star tight end Jermichael Finley (21 receptions 301 yards, 1 touchdown) to injury in week five who
36946-405: Was also a four-time NFL Pro Bowl selection (2001–2004). Ward also had a streak of 4 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. The streak was broken in the 2005 NFL season during which he missed a game due to injury. In 2002, he set a Steelers franchise record for receptions (112) and touchdowns (12) (both since broken by Antonio Brown) and was named to his first of two consecutive All-NFL teams. Although he
37149-483: Was anchored by Pro Bowl end Brett Keisel . The Steelers also had four excellent linebackers: LaMarr Woodley , James Harrison , James Farrior , and Lawrence Timmons . For the third consecutive year, Woodley and Harrison each recorded at least 10 sacks. Woodley also forced three fumbles and Harrison forced six. Farrior had 109 total tackles and six sacks. Timmons led the team with 135 total tackles, while also recording three sacks and two interceptions. The secondary
37352-402: Was anchored by pro bowl tackle Chad Clifton , an 11-year veteran. The Packers defense ranked second in the league in fewest points allowed per game (15). The line was led by Cullen Jenkins , who recorded seven sacks in just eleven games, and 338-pound defensive tackle B. J. Raji , who had 6.5. The linebackers were led by Pro Bowler Clay Matthews and A. J. Hawk . Matthews ranked fourth in
37555-843: Was announced to be the next wide receivers coach for the Arizona State Sun Devils . Ward resides in Sandy Springs, Georgia , with his wife Lindsey Georgalas-Ward. They have one daughter. Ward also has a son from a previous relationship. On his upper right arm he has a tattoo of Mickey Mouse in the Heisman pose, just below a tattoo of his name in Korean. Ward co-owned a bar in Pittsburgh's South Side called The Locker Room. The bar sustained serious water damage in February 2007, due to flooding from
37758-403: Was considered one of the best blocking receivers in the NFL, Ward often faced criticism for his style of blocking, particularly for his propensity to hit defenders on their blind side. During a game on October 19, 2008, Ward put a vicious downfield blindside block on rookie Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers . The impact of the block left Rivers with a broken jaw, and caused him to miss
37961-635: Was hired by Florida Atlantic as special assistant to the head coach. Born in Seoul , South Korea to a Korean mother and African-American father, Ward grew up in the Atlanta area. He has become an advocate for the social acceptance of foreigners in Korea , especially blended or mixed race youth. Ward was born in Seoul , South Korea to a Korean mother, Kim Young-hee ( Korean : 김영희 ) and African-American father, Hines Ward Sr. His family moved to Atlanta and East Point, Georgia , when Hines Jr.
38164-466: Was his only season with over 100 receptions. After having the best season of his career, Ward returned in 2003 to make 9 catches for 91 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns in the season-opening win over the Ravens. The following game, he caught another 9 passes for 146 yards in a 20–41 loss at the Kansas City Chiefs . On November 30, 2003, Ward caught a career-high 13 passes for 149 receiving yards and
38367-420: Was in his third year as a starter after taking over for the team's all-time leading passer Brett Favre . Rodgers finished the season completing 65.7% of his passes for 3,922 yards and 28 touchdowns, with only eleven interceptions, giving him his second consecutive season with a triple digit passer rating (101.2). He was also a good rusher, adding 356 yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground. His top target
38570-513: Was instituted. Despite these new rules, football remained a violent sport. Dangerous mass-formations like the flying wedge resulted in serious injuries and deaths. A 1905 peak of 19 fatalities nationwide resulted in a threat by President Theodore Roosevelt to abolish the game unless major changes were made. In response, 62 colleges and universities met in New York City to discuss rule changes on December 28, 1905. These proceedings resulted in
38773-567: Was later promoted to the position of wide receivers coach. In June 2021, Ward was announced as one of the eight XFL Head Coaches. He was announced as Head Coach of the San Antonio Brahmas in July 2022 when Team Locations were revealed. On December 28, 2023, Ward resigned from the Brahmas after finishing with a 3–7 record in 2023, in response to a change in contract structure. In April 2024, Ward
38976-579: Was led by Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu , who won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award , tying his career-best seven interceptions and returning them for 101 yards and a touchdown. Coach Mike Tomlin , already the youngest coach to ever win a Super Bowl, became the youngest coach ever to make it to the Super Bowl twice at age 38. The Steelers also continued their streak of reaching the Super Bowl in five different decades, and in every decade since
39179-408: Was led by rookie center Maurkice Pouncey , the Steelers only Pro Bowl selection on offense. However, Pouncey was injured in the AFC championship game and would be inactive for Super Bowl XLV. The Steelers had one of the league's top defenses, leading the NFL in sacks (48), and fewest points (14.5) and rushing yards (62.8) allowed per game, while ranking second in fewest total yards (276.8). The line
39382-553: Was named Super Bowl MVP , completing 24 of 39 passes for 304 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. The broadcast of Super Bowl XLV on Fox averaged about 111 million viewers, breaking the record for the most-watched program in American television history. The game's attendance was 103,219, just short of the Super Bowl record 103,985 set in Super Bowl XIV at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California . The halftime show featured
39585-468: Was nearly perfect, completing 31 of 36 passes for 366 yards and three touchdowns, while adding another score on the ground. Jordy Nelson and James Jones both had touchdown catches, while John Kuhn added scores by air and ground and Tramon Williams returned one of his two interceptions 70 yards for a touchdown. The Packers' special teams unit never had to punt the ball, while Mason Crosby contributed two field goals. The Packers next faced their rival ,
39788-536: Was not one of the "Original 8" American Football League franchises. The Packers had played Kansas City, Oakland, New England, and Denver in their four previous Super Bowl match-ups, defeating the Chiefs, Raiders and Patriots, and losing to the Broncos. The Steelers, like the Packers, predated the AFL's launch, having begun play in 1933 (12 years after the Packers joined the NFL after two years as an independent team), and moved to
39991-413: Was one year old and Hines Sr. went to West Germany to serve a tour of duty . The next year, Ward's parents divorced, with Ward living with his mother and then with his paternal grandmother after Hines Sr. pleaded in family court that Kim could not easily raise Hines Jr. independently, as she did not speak English sufficiently. At the age of 7, Ward was reunited with his mother. For reasons not disclosed to
40194-519: Was originally established in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, aimed to solve these problems. This new league's stated goals included an end to bidding wars over players, prevention of the use of college players, and abolition of the practice of paying players to leave another team. By 1922, the NFL had established itself as America's premier professional football league. The dominant form of football at
40397-402: Was the game's MVP, but made 2 receptions for 43 yards, as the Steelers won 27–23 on a last-minute touchdown reception by Holmes. He played the game with a sprained right MCL. Ward completed the season with 81 receptions, 1,043 receiving yards, and seven touchdown receptions. On April 25, 2009, the Steelers signed Ward to a four-year, $ 22 million extension with a signing bonus of $ 3 million. In
40600-420: Was their leading receiver at the time. The Packers ground game was crippled by injuries, especially the Week 1 loss of Ryan Grant , who had rushed for over 1,200 yards in each of the last two seasons. In his absence, the team relied prominently on Brandon Jackson , who rushed for 703 yards and caught 43 passes for 342, and fullback John Kuhn , who added 281 yards on the ground. The team's offensive line
40803-424: Was voted MVP of Super Bowl XL and upon retirement was one of eleven NFL players to have at least 1,000 career receptions . Ward is often regarded as one of the best wide receivers of the 2000s, as well as one of key figures for the Steelers' success during the 2000s. Aside from his career in the NFL, Ward has appeared in various forms of film and television media, including the reality TV series Dancing with
41006-529: Was voted the "dirtiest player in the NFL." In August 2017, Ward served as an offensive intern with the Pittsburgh Steelers , working with their wide receivers. In September 2019, Ward began his coaching career and was hired by the New York Jets as a full-time offensive assistant. In 2021, the Florida Atlantic University Owls hired Ward as special assistant to the head coach. He also worked alongside wide receivers coach Joey Thomas. He
41209-651: Was voted to the 2001 Pro Bowl, making it the first of his career. During the 2002 season opener, he had eight catches for 90 yards and a touchdown, in an AFC Championship rematch against the Patriots. The next game, he caught 7 passes for 92 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns in a 17–30 loss to the Oakland Raiders . It was his first game with more than a single touchdown in his career. During a Week 5 matchup at New Orleans , Ward made 5 receptions for 45 yards and caught his first touchdown reception from new quarterback Tommy Maddox . On November 10, 2002, Ward had his best game of
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