Looking for that magical ingredient in the recipe for success in the NFL?

"It's not brain surgery we're doing here," one AFC coach said last week.

"The way you win in this league, the peripheral players do their part to keep the game close to put your stars in position to win the game. If your stars don't step up in those game-turning moments of a game, you lose. But if you have one or two of those special understated guys who do so much more to help those stars, that makes the recipe a whole lot easier to cook."

Hines Ward says, 'As a blocker, the safeties aren't used to a receiver going after them the way I do.'(Allsport)

The Pittsburgh Steelers might have the best sous-chef in the NFL ... although to this point he has been largely overlooked.

SportsLine.com polled several players, coaches and general managers for the most underrated player in the league and the voting was surprisingly, well, very un-Florida-like. The ballots were overwhelmingly clear and the winning candidate is from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Steelers wideout Hines Ward might not garner the attention of other receivers in the league, or on his team, but he's as big a reason for the Steelers' success this year as anyone.

The underrated, overlooked Ward is one of the league's most anonymous weapons, giving opponents fits as a receiver, blocker, runner, coach and pretty much anything else the salary cap allows.

"I would agree on how underrated he is," said Dolphins vice president of personnel Rick Spielman. "He does the dirty work that people don't recognize -- the blocking, the precise route running, the little things that you need to pay attention to. He's not a flashy, 100-yard touchdown type of receiver but he does so many little things that aren't in the stat column to help the Steelers win."

Ward's importance in Pittsburgh's surprisingly strong start has been overshadowed by the Steelers' Pro Bowl running back Jerome Bettis and a ferocious 3-4 defensive scheme.

However, coach Bill Cowher last week said he believes Ward is the most complete receiver and the best blocking wideout in the game.

Those who have played with him also say Ward might be the best -- and anonymous -- weapon to chip away at a defense's armor.

"Watching him block was one of the best things about watching our game film up there," said former Steelers and current Redskins quarterback Kent Graham, who said he fell in love with Ward's talents.

"He goes out and blows up these strong safeties. He really gets into those guys. He's one of the biggest reasons Jerome is running so well this year. Having Hines is like having another blocking tight end. He's really that good, probably the best I've seen in a long, long time."

It's a hard hat/lunch pail approach that Ward says doesn't garner a lot of attention.

"I'm a wide receiver who does a lot of the little things in a running offense," Ward said. "It's funny, I go out there and as a blocker, the safeties aren't used to a receiver going after them the way I do. It's how I play and it's fun because sometimes a safety gets so frustrated with me. ...

"Usually when I'm blocking someone, I'll smile a lot when I walk away and I'm pretty sure that ticks them off. Then they really forget about Jerome and just focus on getting me.

"It's a big part of my job. As a receiver, especially in our offense, you cannot help the team by only being a pass catcher. You have to do other things, especially when teams put eight or nine guys in the box."

The perfect mental approach for an overly emotional game. Though Ward is a feared blocker, it is just one ingredient to his "secret" recipe.

According to Graham, Ward runs routes nearly as well as he blocks.

"He is great at selling routes," Graham said. "You don't realize the little things that go into that position and running good routes is a big aspect of it. Hines ran unbelievably good routes. But the best thing is that he's starting to rub off on the younger guys."

And that's crucial.

Ward was drafted by Pittsburgh in the third round of the 1998 draft after starting at tailback, quarterback, flanker, split end and returner for the Georgia Bulldogs. But after just one year in the pros, the Steelers embarked on a two-year campaign to shore up the receivers position.

It appeared Ward would never be anything more than a third or fourth receiver as the team used its first-round pick in 1999 to draft Troy Edwards and the eighth pick of the 2000 draft to tab Plaxico Burress.

Not only did he wrestle a starting job from the youngsters the past three years, he has also dedicated himself to tutoring the youngsters who have been slated to send him to the bench.

How many teams can boast they have a young player willing to give his all to teach two other players how to take his job?

"I call him 'Coach,'" Steelers owner Dan Rooney said. "He's like having another coach out there in how he goes about his job. He's very professional and for some reason he isn't given a lot of attention."

Ward might have one of the sharpest bites in the league but fans haven't heard too much barking about him yet.

"I guess what I try to do is lead Plaxico and Troy Edwards in what it's like to be professionals," said Ward. "You have to practice as a pro, sometimes you don't feel like doing it but you have to fight through it. It's the proper approach to the game.

"I understand why I get overshadowed. I'm a receiver on a running team with two first-rounders getting all the attention year in and year out. I just produced and played the position the way you're supposed to, even though I'm still learning."

Ward's learning curve seems to be peaking as he leads the team with an impressive 42 catches for 428 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He might not be a first-rounder, but he has become the Steelers' go-to guy, especially in clutch situations.

Last season, quarterback Kordell Stewart raised his starting record vs. the Ravens to 6-0 when he threw up a jump ball to Ward for the game-winning touchdown.

Ward's work ethic has given Stewart a very comfortable security blanket when he drops back to pass.

"The thing that I believe to be key to the position and helping your quarterback is to understand the coverages," said Ward, who insists that the Steelers' naming their complex Heinz Field is his biggest nightmare because of his strong distaste for a name that caused too much teasing growing up.

"Instead of going out and thinking so much, you need to understand the coverages enough to where you are just reacting. That comes with work. Nowadays teams have so many disguises to their coverages, recognizing it and trying to teach Plaxico how to recognize them are big parts of it."

If he keeps doing all the right things, maybe, just maybe, the secret won't remain so hush-hush.

"I know that's not a name you'd think teams worry about but we definitely take him into very strong consideration when we play them, we need to worry about him because he's involved in so many things offensively," said one executive in the AFC Central.

"The kid comes to play every week. He'll rush, he's their best receiver, their best downfield blocker by far, maybe even the best at that in the league, and he directs the other guys out there. Plus, and this is big, he's injury free. I'd love to have some guys like him."

Catch Jay Glazer's NFL Insider reports on The NFL Today, Sundays on CBS