Ward, who will appear at the Steelers pep rally at Stage AE on Friday night, played 14 seasons for the Steelers, finishing with 1,000 career receptions, 12,083 yards and 85 touchdowns while winning Super Bowl XL MVP honors.

Ward was originally drafted by the Steelers in the third round (92nd overall) of the 1998 NFL Draft out of Georgia.

Ward played in five AFC Championship Games, and was a part of the Steelers winning three. He played in three Super Bowls, registering 14 receptions for 244 yards and two touchdowns. His best performance came in Super Bowl XL, when he won MVP honors in a 21-10 win over the Seattle Seahawks.