As far as the game goes, I already know that part. I wanted to. No, he can't. But I was excited at the same time. As part of the Sunday Night crew, I have to fly to each Sunday night venue where Bob and I do the pregame and half time shows. You are known as one of the best blocking receivers in the NFL during your time playing in the league — an intangible that isn’t readily picked up by those unfamiliar with your career. I didn’t even go to my own high school prom because I was afraid of dancing. This whole "Amerasian Immigration" act thing is BS. And in my offseasons, I am busy going back and forth to Pittsburgh as I prepare myself for the upcoming football seasons. 9 Answers. Hines Ward has always been one of my favorite players, although I’m not a Steelers fan per se, and now I am even more of a fan after reading this article. I think the biggest thing that hit home for me in his letter was he didn't ask to come into this world as a biracial kid and feeling the way he felt and how he was being treated. That was something I was yearning for. No, he can't. Everyone from little kids to the mayor of Seoul to the president of the country came out to thank me. Through one of his charities, Helping Hands Korea Foundation, Ward not only raises awareness of biracial discrimination in South Korea, he also spends time mentoring the children who are victims by sharing his story. For years, the NFL has given a lot back to our communities and has built a solid reputation. My mom didn’t play. It was at that time that I knew I needed to retire a Pittsburgh Steeler. It means "multicultural child. My last name is WARD also! That being said, I think that we as a league will survive all of this. And this has motivated me to reach out to biracial kids all over the world and let them know it’s OK to be the way you are. And that affected me too. Maybe that is the confusion? I knew the trip to Pittsburgh was great for them. Mr. Ward's mother (Kim Young-hee) is Korean and his father (Hines Ward, Sr.) is African-American. It was crazy. I am most thankful to her for the way she raised me. (CNN)Born in Seoul to a South Korean mother and an African-American father, Hines Ward's childhood was filled with resentment. So I knew that my technique at route-running, that ability to get open, was critical to my success at the wide receiver position. Ninja. Whether its fair or not in the past the biracial people in Korea ended up paying for the sins of their foreign fathers. We (steeler nation) love you Hines! After turning one, Ward and his mother left South Korea to escape some of the xenophobic tendencies that existed in the country at the time. I will teach him the importance of self-sacrifice. Ward scored a 43-yard touchdown in the 4th quarter, thrown by teammate Antwaan Randle El. I have my 86 jersey and was also in the same scene as Mr. Ward was in The Dark Knight Rises. Love you Hines Ward! what about the emerging biracials of children born in rural Korea? Looking back on your life at this point, what are you most thankful for? I hated to see you retire and wished that you could have played a few more years, but even so you left the game with so much class and style. Even with all the accomplishments, fame and respect Ward has earned over the years, he is still a humble man. How have you been enjoying your new role as a sports commentator? After playing as a highly capable quarterback in high school, what was it like transitioning to wide receiver? I couldn’t do that to Steeler Nation or the organization. I felt bad for my mom because she had to do everything by herself. Great STEELER, analyst, and person. My favorite part of the Korean culture? I had already gotten everything I wanted out of football: four Pro Bowls, three Super Bowls, two Super Bowl Championships, Super Bowl MVP, Steelers’ All-Time Leading Receiver…I am satisfied. (Yonhap). Excited to see the kids. Pingback: Hines Ward: The Legend Goes On - InWayShoes. 5 on Billboard singles chart, BTS wins fourth Top Social Artist prize at Billboard Music Awards, Hines Ward: The Legend Goes On - InWayShoes, The Walking Dead 86 Cbr English | Best Tv Shows Ever, The Walking Dead 86 Cbr English | Schedule - Best TV shows ever, Tottenham’s Son Heung-min extends scoring streak to 3 at Europa League, Biden says will meet N.K. To finally see Michael again, 10 years later, and to see how his whole personality, his whole attitude, perspective on life has changed, it was tears of joy, because I never knew where it all was headed. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar). I have had a few offers but have turned them down for now. I can’t explain how or why I got to do all the things I have done in my short life. LOL.. that's a polite translation of "yangnom!". I’m not going to second-guess his actions and the steps he is taking toward resolving these issues. In 2010, Ward was selected as a member of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Is it where we want it to be? I can say that I am very grateful for it all though. I thank Korea for giving me my mom and I thank Koreans everywhere for their continued support and encouragement to me even now as I am retired. Hines Edward Ward Jr. (born March 8, 1976) is an American-South Korean football coach and former wide receiver who is an offensive assistant for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). And I began to start feeling pride in my Korean side. and I don't know how that relates to what I was talking about. It took me back to a place where it all started -- the way the country treated my mom, where she felt so bad that she basically had to risk everything in Korea and move to give me a better life. Thank you for posting. Although he faced barriers while coming to grips with his identity, he eventually learned to fully embrace it. The entirety of Korea, including then-President Lee Myung-bak, embraced Hines Ward after he won the Super Bowl MVP trophy. (CNN)Born in Seoul to a South Korean mother and an African-American father, Hines Ward's childhood was filled with resentment. Mr. Ward's versatility has served him well as an NFL wide receiver. After winning two Super Bowl Championships, a Super Bowl MVP and claiming the Pittsburgh Steelers’ All-Time Leading Receiver title for receptions, receiving touchdowns and yards, the 38-year-old former NFL star wide receiver keeps on looking for new challenges to conquer. I have been a Pittsburgh fan all my life and Hines you are my all time favorite Steeler. I guess you could say I will teach my son the “Korean” way when it comes to discipline and education. So glad you will ALWAYS be a Steeler!! It really hurt her and so it really hurt me. He looks at his past fondly but looks towards the future with a willingness to learn and conquer the task ahead of him. I knew the trip to Pittsburgh was great for them. He was voted MVP of Super Bowl XL for his outstanding performance. My heart was telling me that somehow, I wouldn’t feel the same passion or desire for the game if I played it in a different uniform. I remember the documentary that aired when he went to visit Korea, and that touched me. Then I was told something by a high-ranking member of Kia Motors during a private dinner that brought it all together for me: He told me that the entire country of Korea was very proud of me, as a Korean, for the way I accepted the Super Bowl MVP trophy. But I also saw lots of my friends do a lot of bad things and wondered what their parents thought. Right after you won Dancing with the Stsrs (which I was pulling for you all the way) , I passed you coming into Target as I was going out and I was thrilled to see you in person. It is an ethnic group comprised of several races (mostly European, African & Native peoples). Nowadays it is so disappointing to be a fan and find out that athlete is not the person you thought they were. 1 decade ago. I was kind of hoping to let them open up after the media got away, so I rented out. Keep up the good work!!! You’ve reached your maximum number of speakers for this list. He said that I brought the entire nation back to the days when kids would show complete respect and honor to their parents. Thanks to all their support, I am very proud of my Korean heritage. "Some people still use the term "hone-hyul" meaning mixed blood but it's practically the same as the English term "mixed" but it has been used for a while. Is it where we want it to be? So my philosophy on parenting is similar to what my mom taught me. Most recently, I did the “2013 World Ironman Championships” in Kona, Hawaii. She was my dad, my mom, my teacher…she was everything to me. So the only parent I had was my mom. My daughter's dad is Korean. I have always loved Korean food because that’s what my mom always fed me growing up. Yes, and he grills dog well also. AsianCausasianLatinoAfricanNative Indigenious peoplesYou can say international children, which is what Koreans usually care about (nationality and not race), but interracial children is different from international. In 2010, Ward was selected as a member of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. And then, he was introduced to American football. ? But the Steelers decided that my time with the organization was up for reasons only they can answer. My dad was really never in the picture. I was nervous when I went back to South Korea with my mom and wife. I look at my life as a modern Forrest Gump. Even my teammates on the Steelers, Jerome Bettis and Troy Polamalu, love my mom’s Korean cooking. I am also thankful to the country of Korea and all Korean people. What a class act you are!! I'm not sure about in the Korean language. This is a similar lesson Ward tries to instill when he’s pursuing philanthropic endeavors. Koreans tend to look at the world from the position of us vs them. Favorite Answer. I will always bleed black and gold.”. I love Korean food and I go eat Korean barbecue at least once a week with my wife and son. And to be a part that, knowing that I helped the movement, I'm excited and honored just to be a part of those kids' lives and knowing that I helped impact change in their lives. Ward played his entire professional career for the Steelers and he … Fortunately, my coaches felt that I was blessed with enough pure athleticism and that I was capable of playing all three positions when necessary. When will we start importing all global half-breeds just because white man likes the brown and yellow woman? What are some things you want to accomplish in the next year? It gave me a greater appreciation of what my mom had to endure, the sacrifices that she made for me and to understand more about my Korean heritage. She left everything that she knew, that she called “home” in South Korea to come to a foreign country where she didn’t even speak the language to give me a better life. She taught me the value of hard work, sacrifice and perseverance. Mr. Ward plans to return to South Korea each year through his Hines Ward Helping Hands Korea foundation in partnership with the Pearl Buck Foundation to help mixed race children there. Mr. Ward completed the trip of a lifetime in April 2006, spending 11 days in South Korea for the first time since his birth there 30 years ago. He said when I dedicated it and all I had accomplished to my mom, the entire country of South Korea cheered because of the humility and gratitude I gave to my mom, the parent who raised me.