'Dark Knight Rises' Scene-STEELER Speaks!

By Jeremy Gordon

Even though he won "Dancing with the Stars" with some very impressive moves, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward is not really an actor. Thankfully, his role in "The Dark Knight Rises" required him to do what he does best: take the football and run with it.

In the newly released "Dark Knight" trailer, Ward is seen sprinting for a touchdown while the football field, triggered by a Bane bomb, collapses behind him. A lot of movies would've hired some generic tough guy to play the football player, but Christopher Nolan is no slouch — he asked Ward and several other pro football players to be a part of the scene, if only for authenticity's sake.

"It blew me away," Ward told the Los Angeles Times about his reaction to the trailer. "I mean to be a part of something that will last forever was amazing. I was truly blessed to be a part of it all."

The play in the trailer was actually unfamiliar for Ward, as he's a wide receiver, not a kick returner. "I hadn't run back a kickoff in forever," he told USA Today. "It was a little bizarre. But I scored on the return and any time I score it's a lot of fun.

"But I think that one part is probably all the public wants to see of me," he added. "Batman is the focus. I am just glad I got to be a part of history."

"The Dark Knight Rises" comes out next summer, where you can see Ward completely in action; if not, keep watching his Steelers this season, as they're very good.