It’s no secret that in a few years, former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is going to be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, capping a tremendous career as one of the best quarterbacks of his generation and one of the best quarterbacks of all-time in the NFL.
He might be joined by two teammates before then, too.
Former Steelers’ wide receiver Hines Ward and outside linebacker James Harrison were named semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024 on Tuesday morning. A longtime teammate of Harrison and Ward, Roethlisberger believes both are worthy of enshrinement in the Hall of Fame.
Appearing on 102.5 WDVE’s Morning Show Tuesday with his Randy Baumann, Roethlisberger made the case for both Harrison and Ward getting into the Hall of Fame due to their impact on the game, even if the overall numbers might not be there.
“It’s one of those things as an offensive player, when I was standing on the sideline watching him, I’ve never, that I can think of like quickly as I’m trying to go, there’s some guys that were really talented that could change a game. And I see T.J. [Watt] doing it now, but that literally at any moment he could change the game,” Roethlisberger said of Harrison, according to audio via the WDVE Morning Show’s podcast. “Like, any third down, any time that that guy dropped back to pass, you are thinking we might get the ball because he’s either making the guy throw it fast, he’s gonna hit the guy so hard that he loses his head or the ball, or he’s gonna get sacked.
“Literally anytime it was third down, you’re like, ‘we might get the ball right here.’ He could change the game, and it was awesome to watch. I’m so thankful he was on my team for all those years. He should get in, no doubt about it. You guys talked about the Super Bowl play. I mean, iconic, just put that picture of him running the ball back right behind his bust and he is in, right?”
Harrison was a game-changer during his time in the league. After bouncing around the NFL with the Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, and spending some time in NFL Europe, Harrison went on to spend 14 seasons with the Steelers. He currently sits second in career sacks with 80.5 in franchise history after Watt broke the record against the Cleveland Browns in Week Two this season. Defensive lineman Cameron Heyward is poised to surpass Harrison this season, too.
In his career which spanned 15 seasons, Harrison recorded 811 tackles, 84.5 sacks, 34 forced fumbles, nine recoveries, eight interceptions and a touchdown. He also has a Defensive Player of the Year award in 2008 on his resume, and was voted first-team All-Pro twice, earning five trips to the Pro Bowl as well.
Additionally, Harrison’s 100-yard interception return for a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII remains a top NFL play of all-time. He retired a two-time Super Bowl champion and played in four Super Bowls.
Not only did he make some incredible plays as a pass rusher, there was an intimidation factor with Harrison, one that Roethlisberger saw with his own two eyes from the sideline weekly.
“Yes. I’ve talked to many quarterbacks that were scared to death of him,” Roethlisberger said. “I was scared to death of him, and he was on my team.”
As for Ward, the stats might not be there for him when compared to other receivers in the history of the NFL, or even in the same Hall of Fame semifinalist class, but his mindset, play style and leadership puts Ward in the Hall of Fame for Roethlisberger.
That mindset was on display anytime Ward got the ball near the end zone, too. As Roethlisberger said, Ward became the most selfish player on the field when he got the ball near the goal line — in a good way.
“The intangible things that he did, the plays he made, the, the effort plays. Not just in blocking, but if he got the ball around the five-yard line, Hines Ward was the most selfish guy on the football field because he was getting in that end zone,” Roethlisberger said, according to audio via WDVE’s Morning Show podcast. “If he sniffed that end zone, he was gonna find a way to get in. And that’s what made him great is the selfishness to get in the end zone to help the team.”
Ward was a third-round pick out of the University of Georgia in the 1998 NFL Draft and played 14 seasons with the Steelers, adding two Lombardi trophies and a Super Bowl MVP to his resume during his career in the Black and Gold. He finished with 1,000 career receptions for 12,083 yards and 85 touchdowns in the 14 seasons and was considered the best blocking wide receiver in the game throughout his career.
Those are strong numbers, but they don’t match up against other receivers from his era. Still, he had the intangibles. Great leadership, tough as nails, the best blocking receiver in football. He was also the reason the league changed the rules on the crackback block because of how violent Ward was. Cincinnati linebacker Keith Rivers found that out the hard way.
As part of the semifinalists for the Class of 2024, a group that was initially trimmed down from 173 nominees in mid-September, Harris and Ward now wait to find out if they are members of the 15 modern-era finalists before the Class of 2024 is unveiled before Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas on Feb. 8, 2024.
