Ward says sprained knee won't stop him

Ward says sprained knee won't stop him
January 21
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
"Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward has said a sprained knee won't prevent him from playing in Super Bowl XLIII.

Tight end Heath Miller didn't see anything Monday at the Steelers' South Side facility to convince him otherwise.

"I saw him walking, so I'm pretty sure two weeks from now he'll be playing," Miller said. "I don't think there's any question that (No. 86) will be on the field."

Ward got hurt in the first quarter of Sunday's AFC Championship Game when his right foot was caught in the turf as he was getting tackled. He did not play in the second half of the Steelers' 23-14 win over the Baltimore Ravens and had an MRI taken on the knee yesterday.

Ward, the MVP of Super Bowl XL, said preliminary results of tests taken Sunday did not show any structural damage.

He surpassed the 1,000-yard career receiving mark in postseason play before getting hurt.

McGahee goes home

Willis McGahee was released from UPMC Presbyterian Hospital early yesterday morning, and the Ravens running back is expected to make a full recovery from the head and neck injuries he sustained Sunday, according to a team spokesman.

Both McGahee and Steelers safety Ryan Clark stayed down after a vicious collision near the end of the game.

Clark said he briefly knocked himself out after lowering his shoulder into McGahee, who had caught a pass over the middle.

Clark eventually made his way to the Steelers' sideline, but McGahee had to be taken off the field on a stretcher.

Clark said he wanted to check on McGahee while he was still on the field. Steelers medical personnel, he added, would not let him leave the team's sideline.

"They wouldn't let me get up," Clark said.

McGahee returned to Baltimore yesterday, according to a Ravens spokesman, and he rested comfortably at home.

Clark, meanwhile, said he wasn't suffering from any residual effects of the hit that could draw him a fine from the NFL.

Elite company

Ben Roethlisberger has seven playoff victories, which are the second-most by an NFL quarterback in the first five seasons of his career. He had been tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman before leading the Steelers to a win over the Ravens, and he trails only Tom Brady (nine wins) in that category."

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