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XFL San Antonio Brahmas

Know My Name: Hines Ward

February 9, 2023 - XFL (XFL)
San Antonio Brahmas News Release


Hines Ward has lived a life that reads more like a storybook than a biography.

He was a star college player for the Georgia Bulldogs. He then played 14 years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, winning two Super Bowls - including Super Bowl XL MVP - and earning a spot in the team's Hall of Honor. He participated at the 2013 Ironman World Championships. He starred as a football player in 2012 Batman blockbuster, The Dark Knight Rises, a movie that collected over $1 billion at the box office. He also competed on Dancing with the Stars - and won.

But Ward's story is not yet finished.

This month, the world is going to be introduced to a new version of the football legend. Hines Ward, head coach of the XFL's San Antonio Brahmas.

"I label myself as the modern-day version of Forrest Gump," Ward said. "I can't explain all the great things that have happened to me. This is just another great opportunity for me to be a head coach and I'm embracing it."

Ward started his coaching career as an intern with the Steelers, followed that as an assistant coach with the New York Jets and then Florida Atlantic University in addition to spending time as the Alliance of American Football's director of player development.

This is his first head coaching role. The opportunity to lead a group of men in this capacity with such a high potential for growth and development on and off the field was enticing for Ward.

"You can't just show up and say, 'I want to be a champion,'" Ward said. "You have to put in a daily process to do it. You got to make championship decisions. You got to go about having championship practice. You got to do championship note-taking in the classroom. You got to put time into it. That's really what my vision is."

Ward got a lot out of the game of football, from friendships and wisdom to trophies and championships and everything in between.

It's also playing a critical role in how he's approaching his job with the Brahmas. His time with the Steelers in particular is shaping his thought process.

Pittsburgh helped illustrate to Ward what it takes to be a great leader. He played for two head coaches in his professional career: Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin. Cowher is in the Hall of Fame. Tomlin will be when he retires. He won a Super Bowl under each.

But he has also seen how success and culture permeate throughout an organization. It's his job to galvanize everyone from the players to front office staff to buy into what he is preaching.

"It's really about the culture," Ward said. "I want to make sure that everyone in our organization has value."

One of the hallmarks of the Steelers organization is the motto "The Standard is the Standard." It means that no matter who is playing, the team's high expectations do not rise or fall.

That is part of the ethos Ward wants to implement with the Brahmas. It is working.

San Antonio defensive lineman Delontae Scott spent parts of the past two seasons with the Steelers organization. He sees similarities between the two black-and-gold organizations thanks to Ward's leadership.

"When they say, 'The Standard is the Standard,' he was the guy that was setting that standard," Scott said.

That standard could be seen after Tuesday's practice this week at Northwest ISD Stadium in Justin, Texas.

It was a gloomy Texas day. The sky was gray, and rain pelted down from it most of the afternoon. But after practice ended, some players didn't head straight to the locker room. They stayed on the field to do sprints and conditioning.

It made Ward smile. He did the same thing during his football career.

"He was a leader when he played," Houston Roughnecks head coach Wade Phillips said. "You could tell he was an influence on other players on the Steelers when he played there. I expect him to be the same thing with players that play for him."

Ward has three goals he has set for the season: have the best special teams in the league, have 20% of the Brahmas roster in the NFL next season and win the XFL championship.

In addition to those group goals, Ward hopes to be able to impart as much wisdom as he possibly can during the season. He views his purpose in life as being a mentor and leader of men and said he gets more enjoyment helping people than anything else he has done in his life.

There's no better chance to do that than with the XFL, which has the same goal of helping make players' dreams come true.

"He's showing us his real self every day and being a really great leader for us," Scott said. "Someone we can all look up to and aspire to be like in the way he carries himself, the way he leads and sets the standard - no pun intended."

The San Antonio Brahmas open their 2023 campaign at the Alamodome on February 19 against the St. Louis Battlehawks. The game will be broadcast on ABC.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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