Former University of Georgia star and Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward and long time radio announcer Phil Schaefer will be inducted into the State of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame Saturday, February 27, at its annual induction ceremonies in Macon.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Ward moved to the Atlanta area at the age of one. An exceptional football and baseball player at Forest Park High School, Ward enrolled at the University of Georgia where he tallied 4,762 total yards and 20 touchdowns in four seasons (1994-97) as a wide receiver, running back, and quarterback for the Bulldogs. Selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1998 NFL Draft, Ward spent fourteen seasons (1998-2011) with the Steelers and accumulated 12,511 all-purpose yards, 1,000 receptions, and 86 total touchdowns. A four-time Pro Bowler, Ward led Pittsburgh to two Super Bowl victories and was named the MVP of Super Bowl XL.

A native of North Augusta, South Carolina, Phil Schaefer began his sports broadcasting career as a student at Ohio State University where he called games for the school’s basketball and baseball teams. After joining Atlanta’s WSB Radio in 1963, Schaefer went on to broadcast sports in Georgia for the next four decades and provided commentary for numerous sporting events including University of Georgia football and basketball games, Atlanta Hawks games, The Masters golf tournament, and the NCAA Basketball Tournament. A three-time Georgia Sportscaster of the Year, Schaefer also served as the public address announcer for the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta Hawks.

Other members of the 2016 Hall of Fame class are basketball player/contributor Michael Glenn, baseball player Chipper Jones, basketball player Patricia Roberts, football player Jimmy Robinson, football coach Luther Welsh, and basketball coach/contributor Glenn Wilkes. The inductees were chosen from a starting pool of 195 nominees that were narrowed through a three-tiered screening process culminating with the Honors Court meeting.