ShareThisHours after winning "Dancing With the Stars" with partner Kym Johnson Tuesday night, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward began a parade of television appearances, starting with jokes on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in Hollywood.
He and Johnson caught a Disney-owned jet to New York City overnight, where they and the other finalists -- actress Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy as well as Disney Channel star Chelsea Kane and Mark Ballas -- did the "Good Morning America " version of an after party.
The "party" got started shortly after 8 Wednesday morning.
A temporary parquet dance floor was set up outside GMA's Times Square studio for displays of fancy footwork and there were interviews with hosts Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos. GMA's Lara Spencer modeled, then presented Ward with a customized No 86 Steelers jersey that read "DWTS CHAMP" on the back.
MVP of Super Bowl XL back in 2006, Ward made his own fashion statement this day in jeans and a black hoodie that read "HAPPY" on the front. His cheerful personality was as much a part of the dance package as footwork on this season's shows and judges praised his sense of joy on the dance floor.
Fielding fan and email questions, Ward was asked if ballroom dancing was comparable to life on the football field. "Well, we all lost weight, training eight hours a day," he said, adding that he's in great shape and ready for training camp, if and when the NFL lockout ends.
Eventually, of course, everyone danced.
(Contact Maria Sciullo at msciullo(at)post-gazette.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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