Hines Ward Joins NBC Sports Group

Hines Ward, a four-time Pro Bowler who played 14 years for the Pittsburgh Steelers before retiring after the 2011 season, joins NBC Sports Group as an analyst across its NFL, college football and studio programming, it was announced today.

As part of the multi-year agreement, Ward will be a regular contributor to the critically- acclaimed Football Night in America; serve as an analyst every Saturday on NBC’s and NBC Sports Network’s college football studio programming with Liam McHugh and Doug Flutie; and will regularly appear on NBC SportsTalk with Mike Florio and Peter King to preview and recap the week in the NFL.

Ward, who appeared on NBC’s Super Bowl XLVI pre-game show, is a four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver and two-time Super Bowl champion. The Super Bowl XL MVP finished his stellar 14-year career with 1,000 catches for 12,083 yards and 83 touchdowns, all Steelers’ records.

“We think Hines is a perfect match for television because he brings with him a unique combination of charisma and football experience, which he demonstrated on our Super Bowl pre-game show from Indianapolis,” said Sam Flood, executive producer, NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network. “He’s an opinionated personality who can draw upon his 14 years of experience, having excelled at the highest levels of the game. Just don't expect him to dance.”

“I am really excited! It's not everyday that you get the chance to work for a powerhouse like the NBC Sports Group,” said Ward. “It is a big honor for me and I am looking forward to making the most of this great opportunity.”

Ward is represented by Atlanta-based marketing agency CSE (groupcse.com) working in collaboration with his long time personal attorney and business manager Andrew Ree.

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Perhaps the greatest wide receiver in Steelers' history and one of the best blocking wide receivers in NFL history, Ward owns every receiving record in Steelers franchise history: He is a two-time Super Bowl Champion, the MVP of Super Bowl XL, a four-time Pro Bowler, all-time Steleers leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns and he is the only receiver in Steelers history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards for four straight seasons. Ward was named to the Steelers' 75th Season All-Time Team, and on New Years Day 2012, Ward became only the 8th player in NFL history to reach 1,000 career receptions on what would be his last catch ever as a Pittsburgh Steeler.

Off the field, Ward has been equally impressive as a man of character in his community both locally and worldwide. He was named the Steelers' "2008 Walter Payton Man of the Year," was featured as ABC's "Person of the Week," has met and befriended four world leaders (two U.S. Presidents and two Korean Presidents), has founded and drives his Helping Hands Foundations both in the U.S. and Korea, is active with numerous other foundations (The Caring Foundation, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Pearl S. Buck International), and has started his own after school education program for kids in his home state of Georgia.