Hines Ward plans to return for another Super Bowl run

ARLINGTON, Texas -- In defeat, even after the Pittsburgh Steelers' late furious rally failed, Hines Ward was a model of class and composure.

With the Steelers trailing throughout in Super Bowl XLV Sunday night, the Forest Park High and Georgia graduate didn't wonder why the most important pass of the season didn't come his way.

Down by six points and trying to mount a last drive, Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sailed the Steelers' key fourth-down pass in the general vicinity of wide receiver Mike Wallace.

When the ball hit the turf at Cowboys Stadium, the Green Bay Packers started celebrating their 31-25 victory and quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the game's most valuable player, commenced packing his bags for Disney World.

If the Steelers had pulled off the victory, there was some thought that Ward might retire.

"I'll be back," said Ward, who turns 35 next month. "I'm not going anywhere."

With the season completed, the NFL's focus will shift to the ongoing labor negotiations. A protracted dispute and possible lockout could affect Ward's future.

"If that happens, we are not even allowed to come into the facilities," said Ward, who has played all of his 13 seasons with the Steelers after being selected in the third round of the 1998 NFL draft. "The young guys need that extra time. To be honest, I don't really have a clue about how it's going to unfold."

Against the Packers, Ward was targeted nine times and caught seven passes for 78 yards.

With the Steelers trailing 21-3 late in the first half and on the verge of being blown out, Roethlisberger leaned heavily on Ward. On a 77-yard drive, he completed passes of 14 and 17 yards to Ward before finding him in the end zone for a 8-yard touchdown catch with under a minute left.

The touchdown, which cut the lead to 21-10, was critical because Green Bay was to receive the ball to start the second half. Despite three turnovers that the Packers cashed in for 21 points, the Steelers went off on a 22-7 run that brought them to within 28-25 midway through the fourth quarter.

After the Packers added a late field goal for a six-point lead, Roethlisberger had 2:07 to conduct one final drive. He went to Ward for a quick five-yard pass to the Steelers 28 but never targeting him again on his last three incompletions.

"It's time to get away," Ward said later. "It's been a long year. I'm sure when we reflect back on the year, the feeling that we had out there, watching them celebrate, hopefully, we'll never have that feeling again."

Ward won the most valuable player award in Super Bowl XL, a Steelers' victory over Seattle.

He was quick to defend Roethlisberger, who threw two interceptions and had a passer rating of 77.4.

"He's a warrior," Ward said. "He stayed in there. I think somebody went at his knees, twisted his knee. His ankle was already [injured], but he's always going to be a competitor to the end."

Ward expected the Steelers to pull out the victory, just as they had against Arizona with a last-ditch touchdown drive in Super Bowl XLIII two years ago.