Hines Ward retiring

To honor his Korean heritage, Hines Ward decorated his face
and his uniform with the Han•gŭl characters ㄴ, ㄱ, and ㅇ.

We got word last month that the Pittsburgh Steelers were letting go of Korean-American (and Black American) football sensation Hines Ward. Now we're getting news that, rather than playing football on another team besides the Steelers, Mr Ward has decided to leave the NFL entirely.

From ESPN:

Hines Ward believes he can still play football. The longtime Pittsburgh wide receiver known for his high-wattage smile and his bone-crunching blocks just couldn't stomach the thought of doing it in some strange uniform on some strange field with nary a Terrible Towel in sight.

Hines Ward could have chased another ring or paycheck in another uniform but it wouldn't have been for the Steelers and that just wouldn't be right, Jamison Hensley writes. Blog

"I just wouldn't feel right," Ward said.

So rather than play for a 15th season -- and his first outside the Steel City -- a tearful Ward opted to retire on Tuesday and secure a legacy unmatched in the franchise's long history.

"I can say I'm a Steeler for life and that's the bottom line, that's all I've really ever wanted," Ward said.

Ward holds every significant franchise receiving record, including receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns. His 1,000 career catches rank eighth all-time and he is one of two players with at least 1,000 receptions and two Super Bowl rings.

Good on him for such loyalty. Now I hope he can head to Korea and work on some of the inclusion projects with which he'd previously been involved. Here are some suggestions.

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