Hines Ward is of mixed race and is half-Asian on his mother’s side. Ward was reared by his mother, Young He Ward, as a single mother in Georgia. His parents split soon after moving to the United States. The San Antonio Brahmas’ coach has always been open about the bigotry experienced by mixed-race and Asian youngsters.
As a child, he stated he endured a lot of discrimination and bullying, but football helped him find calm. According to the former football player, the game saved his life and opened his eyes to a new world. Hines, a two-time Super Bowl champion, received several honors throughout his playing career. He was named Super Bowl XL MVP, and he retired as one of just eleven players in NFL history to have at least 1000 career catches.
Is Hines Ward of Asian Descent?
Hines Ward is half-Asian and of mixed race. He was born in the United States to a South Korean mother and an African-American father. The former Steelers player has already discussed his ethnicity briefly. Hines has discussed the prejudice he suffered as an Asian athlete in an interview. He recalled being dubbed the “Jackie Chan of Football.” Ward struggled to make friends as a child. Because he was Korean, the black kids wouldn’t hang out with him, and the white and Korean kids wouldn’t become friends with him because he was black.
Ward returned to South Korea for the first time since his birth in 2006. He traveled to South Korea with his mother, Young He Ward, and was recognized by the President of South Korea. The football player-turned-coach even said, “I got more love there than I did in the States.” Following his travel to South Korea, Hines said that he knew how mixed youngsters in South Korea felt, and that there was hypocrisy involved.
Hines told ESPN that racism against Asians is nothing new and that people should be more attentive. Previously, the former NFL star was nominated to the Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders by then-US President Barack Obama in 2010. Ward told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Imagine the President choosing me to be the face of Asian Americans all over the world.” Me? Me?”
Hines also founded the Hines Ward Helping Hands Foundation to help multiracial youngsters who face prejudice. Ward’s organization sends Korean children to stay with American families for a week during the football season. Ward has remained committed to his philosophy of “never be ashamed; embrace the opportunity to be a part of two cultures.”
Hines Ward’s Parents and Wife
Hines Ward, the coach of the San Antonio Brahmas, was born in Seoul, South Korea. Hines Ward Sr. was a soldier who married his mother while stationed in South Korea. The couple subsequently moved to the United States and settled in Atlanta. Their romance, however, did not endure long, and they eventually divorced. Hines was raised by his mother, who spoke little English and did low-wage jobs. Hines told The New York Times in 2009 that his mother still worked in a school cafeteria and that he had minimal touch with his father.
Hines went down the aisle with Lindsey Georgalas Ward, a Houston native. After two years of dating, the pair married in 2014. The pair has a daughter, Londyn Capri Ward, who was born in August 2021. Lindsey has posted a few family photos on her Instagram account. Lolita, their beloved dog, is included in those family photos. The former Jets player was previously married to sideline reporter Simone Ward, with whom he had a kid called Jaden. Ward has another kid from his connection with Melanie Smith, a daughter called Jordyn.
