Nice guy finishes first | UGA | ajc.com

Steeler Nation, down south juking -- with them junk yard dawgs.

Nice guy finishes first | UGA | ajc.com: "Nice guy finishes first
By Chip Towers, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Really enjoyed watching the Super Bowl this past Sunday. I went in not sure who I was rooting for but it quickly became apparent that I wanted Pittsburgh to win. Why? Mainly because of Hines Ward.
I had the pleasure of covering Ward when he came to Georgia in 1994. I�d like to say I was the first who tabbed greatness for him but that wouldn�t be the truth. His high school coach at Forest Park, Mike Parris, told me while Ward was still being recruited that I�d see him flourish in the NFL some day. Now I�ve known Parris since we both attended Redan High School in the late 1970s but, impressive stats aside, I couldn�t see the type of world-class athleticism in Ward that my friend described, not in this slightly undersized but extremely versatile teenager. But I would get a first-hand look over the next four years as Ward played tailback, quarterback and wide receiver for the Dogs. Parris had said Ward could play virtually any position and, to this day, believes he would have been one of the best safeties in the game. I don�t doubt it now.
But what truly separated Ward was the type of person he was/is."