From Jason Jordan, USA Today’s High School Sports writer:

Before any athlete can become legendary they have to lay their foundation in the high school ranks.

Each week I’ll chat with a high-profile athlete’s former coach, mentor, family member, etc., and reminisce about their high school playing days; everything from the greatest moment to the wackiest story.

Today I caught up with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s high school coach at Findlay (Findlay, Ohio) Cliff Hite, now a senator in Ohio.


FindlayJason Jordan: What’s your best memory of Ben on the field back in high school?

Cliff Hite: That’s easy, we were playing a school in week six and they scored with 33 seconds left in the game to go up four. We needed a touchdown. They kicked off and we ran it back to about the 30-yard line. We didn’t have any timeouts and he threw two bombs; one got us to their 30, the second one scored and there were 1.8 seconds left on the clock. That helped us get to the playoffs that year.


JJ: What’s your best memory of Ben off the field back then?

CH: Probably watching him in other sports.


JJ: Besides football, what was his best sport?

CH: He was the most incredible point guard that I’ve ever seen; oh my gosh! He was our all-time leading scorer in high school. If a small guy was guarding him he’d take it inside and if a bigger guy was on him he’d go right by him. Basketball was his favorite sport at the time, but in the fall of his senior year, after we got done with 7-on-7, he told me, “I think football might be my ticket outta here.” I said, “Ya think!”


JJ: Could he have played high major Division I hoops?

CH: I think so for sure. I know Miami asked him to, but the football coaches didn’t want him to.


JJ: What’s the craziest story you can remember from his recruitment?

CH: Probably that he got recruited by Duke and got shown around the campus by Grant Hill. When he came back he was all excited about these basketball guys that he met, but he went there on a football visit. I know he really considered Duke, but they were too far away.


JJ: What personality was he on your team?


CH: Oh when they do a movie about him later in life, Will Ferrell should play Ben Roethlisberger! Ben was one of the funniest guys I’ve ever coached. I mean he had a blast playing the game. Great practical joker too!


JJ: What was his best practical joke?

CH: He’d pickpocket me for my practice plans and hide them in his helmet. I’d be looking around all over for my plans and everybody would be laughing and he’d be cracking up. Then I’d pat him down and eventually he’d take off his helmet and hand them to me. He had a lot of fun. When he got to the NFL I told people that he really reminded me of Brett Favre in the way he really had a ball out there playing the game.


JJ: Obviously, he had the MCL injury, are you confident he’ll come back strong?

CH: He’s the kind of person that will come back from that injury and take his team to the Super Bowl. That’s who he is. I’m telling you, he’ll come back before how long they say he’ll be out. It definitely wouldn’t shock me at all if he comes back and they make a run in the playoffs and end up at the Super Bowl.


JJ: When it’s all said and done is Big Ben a Hall of Famer?

CH: Oh sure; I mean anyone that’s been to three Super Bowls, won two, has to be in the consideration. And he’s not done! Then the fact that he’s been tearing up the league with passing yards the last few years. Nobody’s ever thrown six touchdown passes two weeks in a row. I think there will be a lot of things like that that will get him in there.


You can read more from Mr. Jordan here.