Tim Benz: Preparing for XFL coaching debut, Hines Ward embraces Steelers 'standards' from Mike Tomlin, Bill Cowher

Former Pittsburgh Steeler Hines Ward is doing that thing you do when you get older.

That thing where you catch yourself saying something to your kids, and you realize you sound just like your mother or father.

Except in Ward’s case, he’s not a parent educating a child. He’s a head coach teaching his players with the XFL’s San Antonio Brahmas.

“I’ve seen success, I’ve lived it,” Ward said during a Zoom conversation Tuesday. “That standard is the standard.”

Gee, who does that sound like?

“I’ve been blessed to have those two great coaches — (Mike) Tomlin and Coach (Bill) Cowher,” Ward said. “So, I do find myself speaking a lot like them. Using the same analogies. Some of the same sayings. And, I was like, ‘Dang, Cowher just said that?’”

Ward’s head coaching debut with San Antonio in the latest reboot of the XFL takes place Sunday at the Alamodome against the St. Louis Battlehawks (3 p.m., ABC). What he has absorbed in terms of coaching communication as a player in Pittsburgh is being regurgitated now that he is the man with the whistle.

“That’s who I am. I mean, it’s hard to play for a great organization for 14 years and (not) understand what the standard is. So that’s kind of been our mantra down here,” Ward said of adopting Tomlin’s famous “standard” catchphrase. “My standards and my expectations of how we practice each and every day — going out there with a purpose, a plan to get better working on our craft.”

After nine years in Black and Gold under Cowher and five under Tomlin, Ward isn’t shy about admitting that he’s pulling from his experiences as a player for those Super Bowl winners.

In fact, he’s embracing it.

“Just implementing that (background) into our team and to our culture has worked wonders,” Ward said. “I mean, that’s the only thing that I really know. It resonates within me — all the things that I’ve learned as a player.”

Ward isn’t the only XFL coach with local ties. West Virginia alum Anthony Becht will be on the other sideline Sunday opposite Ward leading the Battlehawks. Steelers Hall of Famer Rod Woodson is coaching the Vegas Vipers. Former Steelers defensive coordinator Jim Haslett (Avalon High School, IUP) is leading the Seattle Sea Dragons.

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Also, Ward’s former Steelers teammate Joey Porter is the linebackers coach on his staff in San Antonio.

“I’m blessed and fortunate to have him on our staff and working together,” Ward said. “We talk about our glory days. But at the same time, the culture that we had in Pittsburgh, we lived it, so he understands it better than anyone on my staff. I wanted him to really share in the moment of trying to create that culture and that environment.”

So, from a roster standpoint, is Ward looking to build his team in the Steelers image as well? A big back like Jerome Bettis? A 3-4 defense with attacking outside linebackers and a Casey Hampton-type in the middle? A pulling center like Dermontti Dawson and hard-blocking wide receivers like himself?

“I would love to have all that, but those guys are in the NFL,” Ward said with a laugh. “If they’re down here, there are some big problems going on. But, all in all, we have to cater our team to our personnel. I think great coaches, they do that.”

Ward just gave us his version of “if you have red paint, you paint the barn red” with that quote, didn’t he?

“We were just drafting guys based on what we saw on tape in their previous past, where they played before,” Ward explained. “I didn’t really get a chance to sit down and have a long interview to really get to know the players. Having to cram all that, that’s been some of the adversity, I think, for all coaches. Getting to know their team. Getting to know their strengths. Getting to know their weaknesses — establishing what they do well and trying to put a playbook around our personnel. That’s what’s been so fun and creative because it’s almost like we’re building our playbook as we go.”

As Ward is getting to know his roster, he said the biggest reminder he gives himself is not to overwhelm them with information.

“The one thing I told all the coordinators and all the coaches, let’s keep this thing as simple as possible so our guys can play fast,” Ward said. “I refer to our players as being a one-gig computer, and we can’t give them five gigs. Or that little circle of death kinda starts spinning.”

Not bad, Hines. Who knows? Tomlin might be borrowing some of your sayings during his Tuesday press conferences before you know it.

Listen: Hines Ward talks about XFL’s relaunch with San Antonio Brahmas