Steelers' Antonio Brown Believed Starting Role Was His To Take From Hines Ward: 'I Had To Move Him Outta The Way'

The Pittsburgh Steelers' former receiver, Hines Ward, holds a special place in the hearts of fans because of his blue-collar approach to the game. Never the biggest or fastest, Ward outworked everyone and kept that signature smile on his face the entire time. Antonio Brown knows a little something about having to prove yourself to get a shot. Brown didn't want to wait very long to step into a larger role with the Steelers, believing the spot was his to take.

Steelers' Brown Wanted To Take The Torch From Ward

Even though there wasn't a lot of crossover between the careers of Ward and Brown, the duo had two seasons on the Steelers as teammates (2010 and 2011). After the Steelers drafted Brown in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft, he wanted to hit the ground running. While Brown only tallied 167 receiving yards in his rookie season, he broke into the league with a 97-yard kickoff return against the Tennessee Titans.

According to Brown, he knew that in order to achieve the success he imagined, he had to get past Ward first. Brown did an interview with VladTV where he revealed that Ward told him that he was almost ready to retire, which would mean Brown would follow in his footsteps. It all happened in meetings where Brown and Ward would sit beside each other, but a young Brown never once worried about whether he was ready or not; he was.

"Yeah, I had to move him outta the way. You know, Hines is a good player, but, you know, good players move on! And I used to sit right next to him in the meetings, too, he was like, 'I still gotta sit next to you and watch everything, ya dig?' and he kinda used to tell me, 'Hey man, I'm gonna get these last few catches and get outta your way!' "

That is confidence on another level, considering that Brown was just starting to get his feet wet in the league while Ward was completing a brilliant, franchise-leading career. Whether it was finding that open space whenever his quarterback needed it or leveling a defender with a devastating block, Ward did it all. For Brown to immediately believe that the starting spot was there for the taking, especially from Ward, is certainly saying something about his belief in himself.

Ward finished his career with several Super Bowl trips and two championships, while Brown's only Super Bowl experience was the loss against the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV. The two receivers have very similar stat lines, just done in two very different styles. Ward had his lunch pail and went to work each day, and Brown devoured the spotlight and lived for highlights. Only Ward will ever know if he is satisfied with how the torch was carried on from his career, but at the very least, Brown was always entertaining.

Steelers Want To Make Up For Missed Chances

When the Steelers fielded the dynamic group of Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Brown, the expectation was that the Steelers would be Super Bowl contenders for years to come. However, between injuries and off-the-field issues, that never came to fruition. With that much talent on the offensive side of the football, never achieving their ultimate goal has been seen as a huge missed opportunity.

Approaching the 2024 season, they don't have the Killer B's trio, but there are players whose careers could be considered wasted without getting a shot at a Super Bowl. TJ Watt is seen as a sure-fire future Hall of Fame player, but he has never won a single playoff game. Cameron Heyward came onto the Steelers in 2011, one year after their last Super Bowl appearance (2010). Heyward has seen a playoff loss end a season seven times in his career, not one of them coming in a Super Bowl.

For players of that caliber to never even get to the Super Bowl is tragic and something the Steelers desperately want to remedy. Art Rooney II put out a desire to up the bar in Pittsburgh, and doing so could get both defenders a real shot at a championship. 

The reality is that if Heyward and Watt finish their careers without even getting the chance to hoist a Lombardi Trophy, it would be considered a disappointment on many levels. Considering that Steelers' fans still can't figure out how the Killer B's never made it to the top, Pittsburgh knows they need to get it right this time around.

Will the Steelers win a Super Bowl in the next five years? How long will it take them to win another one?