Hines Ward joins NBC as NFL, college football analyst

Hines Ward, who played 14 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, was hired by NBC Sports Group Thursday as an NFL and college football analyst. (Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

Hines Ward, the former wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, was hired Thursday by NBC Sports Group to be an analyst for NFL, college football and studio programming, according to a report from Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com.

Florio said that Hines will be a contributor to Football Night in America as well as an analyst for NBC's college football studio programming and occasionally appearing on NBC Sports Network.

According to the report, NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network executive producer Sam Flood said that Hines brings a lot to the table, but viewers shouldn't expect the former Dancing with the Stars winner to dance:

“We think Hines is a perfect match for television because he brings with him a unique combination of charisma and football experience, which he demonstrated on our Super Bowl pre-game show from Indianapolis,” NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network executive producer Sam Flood said.  “He’s an opinionated personality who can draw upon his 14 years of experience, having excelled at the highest levels of the game.  Just don’t expect him to dance.”