When 'The Walking Dead' met a Super Bowl champ

Retired NFL All-Pro Hines Ward is a two-time Super Bowl champ, won the Super Bowl MVP award, is an NBC football analyst, played a football player in "The Dark Knight Rises," won the 12th season of "Dancing With the Stars," and is currently competing on the second season of Food Network's "Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off."

And yet, a lot of TV and comic book fans would say none of that compares to his next gig: playing a zombie on "The Walking Dead."

[Related: See more photos of Ward as a zombie]

When the AMC drama returns for the second half of its third season on Feb. 10, one of the flesh-rotting faces we'll see is that of Ward, albeit under a lot of zombified makeup.

"It was an amazing experience," Ward told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "Just being in makeup preparing me for my role was cool. I actually scared myself when I looked in the mirror for the first time after."

[Related: 'The Walking Dead' video preview: Rick vs. the Governor -- it's on!]

The Pittsburgh Steelers alum landed the sweet role as a zombie extra courtesy of IronE Singleton, who played T-Dog (RIP) until his character was killed off earlier this season. Singleton and Ward were college football teammates at the University of Georgia, with both men earning academic and athletic scholarships.

Which begs the question: Is there a ZFL?

"The Walking Dead" Season 3 continues February 10 at 9 PM on AMC.