Hines Ward is half-Asian on his mother’s side and of mixed ancestry. Ward was raised in Georgia by his single mother, Young He Ward. His parents divorced shortly after moving to the United States.
The coach of the San Antonio Brahmas has always been forthright about the racism faced by mixed-race and Asian youth. He noted that as a child, he faced a lot of discrimination and bullying, but football helped him find peace.
The former football player claims that the game rescued his life and opened his eyes to a new universe. Hines, a two-time Super Bowl champion, collected numerous awards during his playing career. He was voted Super Bowl XL MVP and retired as one of only eleven NFL players to have at least 1000 career catches.
Is Hines Ward of Asian Descent?
Hines Ward is half Asian and half white. In the United States, he was born to a South Korean mother and an African-American father. The former Steelers athlete has already spoken briefly about his ethnicity. In an interview, Hines described the prejudice he faced as an Asian athlete.
He described himself as the “Jackie Chan of Football.” Ward struggled as a child to make friends. The black kids wouldn’t hang out with him because he was Korean, and the white and Korean kids wouldn’t become friends with him because he was black. Ward visited South Korea for the first time since his birth there in 2006.
He flew to South Korea with his mother, Young He Ward, and was acknowledged by South Korea’s President. The football player-turned-coach even stated, “I got more love there than I did in the States.” Following his trip to South Korea, Hines stated that he understood how mixed-race youth in South Korea felt and that there was some hypocrisy involved.
Hines told ESPN that racism against Asians is nothing new and that people need to be more vigilant. In 2010, then-US President Barack Obama appointed the former NFL player to the Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Ward said to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Imagine the President choosing me to be the face of Asian Americans all over the world.” Me?”
Hines also established the Hines Ward Helping Hands Foundation to assist multiracial children who encounter racism. During the football season, Ward’s group brings Korean children to visit with American families for a week. Ward has stuck by his concept of “never be ashamed; embrace the opportunity to be a part of two cultures.”
Hines Ward’s Parents and Wife
Hines Ward, the San Antonio Brahmas’ coach, was born in Seoul, South Korea. Hines Ward Sr. was a soldier who married his mother in South Korea while stationed there. The couple then relocated to the United States, settling in Atlanta. Their romance, on the other hand, did not last long, and they finally divorced.
Hines was raised by his mother, who did low-wage jobs and knew little English. In 2009, Hines told The New York Times that his mother still worked in a school cafeteria and that he had little contact with his father. Hines married Lindsey Georgalas Ward, a native of Houston.
In 2014, the couple married after dating for two years. Londyn Capri Ward, the couple’s daughter, was born in August 2021. Lindsey has shared a few family photos on Instagram. Lolita, their beloved dog, appears in the family photos. He was previously married to sideline reporter Simone Ward, with whom he had a son named Jaden. Ward has a daughter named Jordyn from his relationship with Melanie Smith.
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