PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – When you think of some of the battles, some of the hits, some of those smiles. You can understand why former Ravens head coach Brian Billick first told The PM Team on 93.7 The Fan when asked to describe former Steelers receiver Hines Ward.
“Hines Ward was the most loathsome… I hate Hines Ward,” Billick said.
It was the rest of what he told Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller on 93.7 The Fan that showed the respect that has been a big part of the Pittsburgh-Baltimore rivalry.
“I would have given my left arm to have a team full of them. Just because the passion for the game, he brought a physicality to the receiving position. A competitiveness that says I’m in the middle of this. I’m not going to be downfield catching balls. I will be in the middle of whatever we are doing. Phenomenal player that way, totally unique.”
That doesn’t get the same type of love from Pro Football Hall of Fame voters. While not completely ignored, Ward has been stuck in the semi-finals of voting seven straight years. Billick tells 93.7 The Fan you have to look at more than just the typical separators.
“To me he’s a slam dunk Hall of Famer because to me the Hall of Fame should be beyond the numbers, the stats,” Billick told The PM Team. “When someone goes to the Hall of Fame I want to know what did they bring to the game? Did the game change because of them, like a John Lynch?”
Ward is 27th in NFL history in receiving yards with 12.083, the 14h receiver with 1,000 catches, and 17th with 85 touchdowns. As Billick sees it, Hines did something bigger than catches.
“In my mind, Hines Ward changed the game,” Billick told 93.7 The Fan. “Changed the mentality, not that it’s adhered to all the time, that mentality of a receiver being involved, being versatile.”
“I think he belongs in the Hall of Fame.”
Big Ben
Billick saw Ben Roethlisberger’s NFL debut. His defense created it.
“When he first came in, he came in against us because Tommy Maddox got hurt,” Billick remembers. “If we would have known how great a player Ben was going to be, I would have said nobody touch Maddox. We want this guy to stay in the game”
He was 2-3 against Roethlisberger as a starter for the Steelers. Billick said he appreciated Ben’s physicality and had to tell his defense to not get discouraged when they couldn’t wrap him up for sacks.
“I don’t think there has ever been a player in the league that his cut line would be 18-27 for four touchdowns and 350 yards,” Billick told 93.7 The Fan. “What he did with the limited throws he had, given the nature of the way they played. The way he could create plays beyond the design of the offense and physically wear you out by keeping the ball and getting the ball in the last minute. Just a spectacular player.”
Kenny props
The former Ravens coach believes current quarterback Kenny Pickett fits in the Steelers mold. His big question is if the team can surround him with the right talent.
“Impressed that he makes plays in the big moments,” Billick told Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller on 93.7 The Fan. “He’s still improving. This offseason with be an interesting one. It’s where the biggest growth comes from, the first offseason after your rookie year. Now you can really go back into the weeds. You can personalize-this is what I did, this is what happens, here is how I have to change.”
Hall of Fame transportation
“This guy, The Bus, was just that,” Billick said of Jerome Bettis. “He was impossible to bring down. It’s going to take more than one of you, even if it’s Ray Lewis. You are going to need some help and rally around the ball.”
Steelers-Ravens
“To this day, it’s the best rivalry in football.”