Leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft, Steelers.com is revisiting the memories of key figures from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Super Bowl X and XL teams. This time, Hall of Honor member Hines Ward shares his experience of being drafted by the Steelers in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft.
Ward recounts the anticipation leading into the draft, expecting to be selected in the second round. “I was at home with just my mother. It was a long day. Your agent tells you where you are going to get picked, what teams are interested in you. But it seems like it never works out that way unless you are a top five or 10 pick. If you are in the latter part of the rounds, you don’t know,” Ward explained.
His agent had suggested a late first or early second-round pick, and Ward believed it might be with Tampa Bay or Indianapolis. “The two teams I was expecting to select me were Tampa Bay and Indianapolis. I visited with the Buccaneers three times and the Colts twice. Those were the teams I thought were interested in selecting me. They had the first two picks in the second round. Tampa picked Jacquez Green and the Colts picked Jerome Pathon,” Ward said.
Despite anticipation, both Tampa Bay and Indianapolis passed on Ward, leaving him uncertain about his future. “The other teams had both called. The guy from Tampa told me it was down to the two of us, same with the Colts. Then I saw their names go across the screen and didn’t hear anything from the teams,” said Ward.
The Pittsburgh Steelers then called, a team with whom Ward had no prior contact. “Next thing I know, they said we selected you,” Ward revealed. Eventually, his agent informed him the previous teams had reservations due to a lack of an ACL. “But then, fortunately enough I was drafted by Pittsburgh,” Ward recalled.
Ward expressed some disappointment about being overlooked by Tampa Bay, Indianapolis, and even Atlanta, but ultimately, he valued his time in Pittsburgh. “Every time I played against those teams I remembered it. I wanted to prove to them they should have picked me. But being in Pittsburgh was great,” he said.
Reflecting on the experience, Ward shared advice for future draftees: “If I had to give advice to guys this year, I would tell them don’t get mad no matter where you are drafted. Not everybody was drafted in the first round.”
Ward’s journey underscores the unpredictability of the NFL Draft, even when expectations are high. However, his career with the Steelers proved to be both successful and fulfilling.
