Steelers’ Hines Ward Tried To Kill Browns Safety Earl Little When He Called Him A "Chinaman ****": "I Could Have Passed Away"

The Pittsburgh Steelers' AFC North rivalries consistently produce some of the fiercest games in football. These matchups have seen some of the biggest hits in the sport's history. One of the most intimidating Steelers of all time was wide receiver Hines Ward. Known for his skills as a pass-catcher, he was equally renowned for his fierce blocking and gritty playing style. Ward is now the coaching the wide receivers at Arizona State.

In a notable play from 2001 against a rival, the Cleveland Browns, Ward delivered a massive hit on Browns strong safety Earl Little. 

The hit was a controversial one, and even Ward admitted it was dirty. His intentions were clear: he wanted to retaliate against Little for a racial slur he had used against him. Ward was speaking to Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette back in 2008. He revealed the real reason behind the hit. 

"I hardly ever allow it to become personal. I can only think of one or two times in my career when I lost my cool and allowed it to be personal… After I hit [Earl] Little in Cleveland [in 2001], I stood over him because he called me a 'Chinaman [bleep]' a few plays earlier. I said to him, 'How do you like that from a Chinaman [bleep]?' I know I shouldn't have done it and I deserved that fine."

The hit left Little lying on the field, knocked out. Ward stood over him, a move that left a bitter taste in the mouths of non-Steelers fans. It was an unfortunate incident, and Ward later admitted he shouldn't have done it. He spoke to ESPN to apologize for the hit.

"My emotions got to me as far as when the guy was down and standing over him and I'm sorry for that -- that's not me," Ward said. "But in the heat of battle, when somebody is talking trash to you, your emotions take over when you get a good hit like that. Two plays before that, he said he was going to kill me."

Ward revealed that Little had threatened to kill him, and he was simply responding to Little's trash talk when he delivered the hit.

"These were my precise words, 'If you're going to sit there and trash talk and say you're going to do this to me, I end up doing this to you,'" Ward said. "I'm sorry for what happened and my reaction afterward, but I'm not sorry I hit him. That's the way we play football, and we've been doing it all year. If he studied any film at all, he's got to see me doing that to guys."

Ward's hit was massive and reckless, reflecting the style of football in 2001. In today's game, such a hit would likely result in a severe suspension. The NFL has become much more strict about hits, as evidenced in 2023 when Damontae Kazee was ejected from a game and suspended for the rest of the regular season for a big hit.

Steelers' Hines Ward Receives Message From Earl Little

Little spoke to the media afterward, blasting Ward and calling him a coward for standing over him. Although he didn't see it at the time due to being knocked out, he was informed about it later.

"I could have passed away. I could have been paralyzed. You don't have to go out there and act like a jerk."

Little was furious after the game because of the hit. The Steelers and Ward were labeled a dirty team and heavily criticized across the league. Ward had somewhat of a reputation as a dirty player, though most of his hits were legitimate football plays. He admitted to a couple of reckless hits and regretted them. However, for the most part, the way Ward played the game was within the rules.

The story of Little's trash talking and racism towards Ward, leading to Ward knocking him out, is a notable part of Steelers history. The Browns-Steelers rivalry was fierce then and remains so today, with the only change being the NFL's new rules on hitting players. Little sought revenge on Ward the following season. Opinions on Ward's playing style and this particular hit vary, but Steelers fans will always remember him as a legend.

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