NFL legend Hines Ward lists custom-built Atlanta mansion for $5M

A decade ago, with the end of his 14-year NFL playing career on the horizon, Pittsburgh Steelers and Georgia Bulldogs immortal Hines Ward entertained his self-proclaimed HGTV addiction and designed this Sandy Springs mega-house from the ground up. (Alongside architect David Grace and interior designer Ann Davis, that is).

In its style—private European manse meets W Hotel—and scope—more than 12,000 square feet, 13 bathrooms, a pair of three-car garages—Ward’s house is quintessential pro athlete. Situated on prestigious Riverside Drive, between the Perimeter and Chattahoochee River, it’s been the subject of magazine profiles, including a 2016 piece by Architectural Digest.

“The heart and soul of a legend lie within the walls of this amazing home,” reads the latest listing.

Yet Ward has been trying to offload the property for the better part of a decade—with prices as high as $7.5 million in 2012—to no avail.

The latest sales attempt came last month, when the metro Atlanta native’s eight-bedroom palace appeared on the market again for a steeply discounted $5 million.

What’s that buy in the northern reaches of barely OTP?

Beyond dimensions that could woo the wealthy, the property counts a basketball court, heated saltwater pool, outdoor kitchen and bar, cozy candle-lit grotto, and what’s described as “the ultimate man cave”—a jersey-dotted mausoleum to Ward’s playing days with innumerable places to chill out and watch Atlanta’s Super Bowl, or anything else.

Inside, home ceilings rarely get more cathedral than these, and beyond maybe some hard surfaces and light fixtures, not much hints at the home’s 2008 origins.

Ward’s ward last appeared on the market for $5.5 million in 2017, when it was marketed as Atlanta’s No. 1 option in its price bracket, following earlier discounts.

According to city records, the plot itself sold in 2006 for a little over $1 million—and Ward is still the owner.

• 6215 Riverside Drive [Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties]