
July 30, 2010 - Evening update
Ben arrives at training camp...
Ben arrived at St. Vincent College this afternoon and spoke briefly to reporters in the parking lot before heading in to the dorm, loaded down with his bags.
"It feels like we were just here," he said.
When asked about his expectations for this season's camp, Ben told reporters, "It's good to be back. It's all about football right now and focusing on that. It's good to be able to put a lot of things in the offseason behind you and move on, and that's what this stuff is all about, It's about doing that and getting ready to play football."
He also said that football was his "No. 1 focus and winning the Championship. That's what this year is all about."
Chris Kemoeatu also stopped briefly to talk to reporters...about his quarterback.
"Ben is like a brother. He's like family," said Chris. "So we need him around. It's always good to have Ben around. He motivates you. He's one of our inspirations, and he's one of our brothers, so it's good to have him. We're glad that he drove up here with us. It's always good to see him in the mix with us."
You can watch the video from KDKA here.
Of course, you can find a few photos here.
This Evening:
Excerpts from an interview with Ben by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette -
As he drove toward Saint Vincent College today in a MINI Cooper, Ben Roethlisberger suddenly felt frightened. It wasn't the car, it wasn't the specter of the media horde awaiting him on campus, and it wasn't the impending arrival of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell next week.
"Driving up here today I was talking to my dad, and for the first time it hit me about what is about to happen and - who knows? I got scared. I really did," Mr. Roethlisberger told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette during a 25-minute interview this afternoon in a campus dorm room.
"He said it is OK to be scared and afraid of those things, and to just be yourself and be human; and that is what hit me coming up here. I don't know what is going to happen, and I am scared."
"Never, ever, never in a million years did I think I would have to miss a game for anything, even injuries. But to do something that the commissioner feels like he needed to discipline me over, I never thought the day would happen, and it is very painful for me to not be out there with my guys .... It is going to be so hard, and it is going to drive me to be the best that I have ever been. I have already been doing that this off-season. I am in the best shape that I have ever been in, and I know that I have four more weeks, five more weeks, who knows how long, but I am going to keep training and do whatever I can."
To read the entire interview, click here.
July 29-30, 2010 - Updated
Big Ben in a MINI Cooper?
Max Starks asked Ben and his fellow O-linemen if they would drive MINI Coopers to training camp, and of course they said "yes!"
...as long as they could fit behind the wheel AND get the door shut!
Read the story at WPXI here, and check out their slideshow here.
You can see video from KDKA here. (check their video library on the right if feature video changes!)
Check out Ben's comments in a video from WPXI here.
And you can check out more video of his O-linemen here.
*Thank you to Travis L. for the KDKA video link!
July 28, 2010
A message from Ben's agent this evening...
Ben positively does not have Facebook or MySpace pages, nor a Twitter account!
Any such postings are imposters and should be disregarded.
Once again, we are actively working to end this problem with those companies.
Ryan Tollner, Rep 1 Sports
July 25, 2010
Ben & the Steelers on NFL Network...
This week's schedule -
2005 PITTSBURGH STEELERS
11:00 PM - Sunday, July 25th
3:00 AM; 3:00 PM - Monday, July 26th
Under head coach Bill Cowher, the Steelers finished the regular season 11-5. Led to the playoffs by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and veteran running back Jerome Bettis, the Steelers defeated the Bengals (31-17), the Colts (21-18) and the Broncos (34-17) on their way to Super Bowl XL.
GAME OF THE WEEK: 2004 AFC Championship - New England vs. Pittsburgh
2:00 PM - Tuesday, July 27th
(okay, so it wasn't a happy ending, but it does make the very next season that much sweeter to remember!)
New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (1/23/05) - The Patriots defense forced three interceptions by Steelers rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger en route to a 41-27 victory and their third Super Bowl appearance in four years.
TOP 10 CONTROVERSIAL CALLS
11:00 AM - Sunday, August 1st
NFL's Top 10 counts down the most controversial calls of all time, including "The Music City Miracle," "The Immaculate Reception" and many others.
NFL WEEKLY COUNTDOWN: 2009 SEASON
1:30 PM - Sunday, August 1st
NFL Weekly Countdown looks at the most exciting moments from the 2009 season.
TOP TEN TEAM NICKNAMES
11:00 PM - Sunday, August 1st
3:00 AM - Monday, August 2nd
The "Purple People Eaters," "America's Team" and the "Steel Curtain" - A look at the best team nicknames of all-time.
You can check the full NFLN schedule here.
Also Today:
With training camp just around the corner, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette offers a helpful list of hints and rules for fans who plan on attending....
Some of his more humorous tips...
Those things that are banned (or at least frowned upon) -
"Alcohol, drugs, whistles, nudity (unless tastefully done), video cameras (taking video on cell phones is discouraged but hard to stop), profanity, stalkers, graffiti, pets, pests, Baltimore Ravens scouts, hovering helicopters and hot-air balloons, Santonio Holmes and Bob Ligashesky."
Wise words for autograph/photo seekers -
"Players and coaches normally are cooperative, but at times they have bad days or were just chewed out by a coach and don't want to be bothered, so be a little understanding. And it helps if you know the name of the player you ask for an autograph."
You can read all of Mr. Bouchette's "Do's and Don't's" for fans here.
If you do attend training camp and would like to share your photos/stories, please email me!
June 29, 2010
2010 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL: Police and Fire Departments K-9 Units
The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation, founded by Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, welcomes grant inquiries for foundation support in 2010. The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation will disperse grants to police and fire departments' canine units throughout the US.
Previous Grants: This is the fourth grant cycle for The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation.
Eligibility: Police and fire departments’ canine units in Pittsburgh, PA and in the city of each regular season away opponent for the Steelers in 2010 are eligible. The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation can only distribute grants to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations. Although police and fire Departments are tax-exempt organizations, they may not have a 501(c)(3) designation.
If your department does not have an associated 501(c)(3) organization, we recommend contacting your community foundation to see if they will sponsor the grant for you.
The majority of the grants we distribute help canine units to purchase dogs and dog safety vests, but other types of needs are considered.
Eligible Cities | Deadline for Application | Grant Announcement Date |
Nashville, TN | Aug 1, 2010 | Sep 19, 2010 |
Tampa Bay, FL | Aug 1, 2010 | Sep 26, 2010 |
Miami, FL | Aug 1, 2010 | Oct 24, 2010 |
New Orleans, LA | Aug 1, 2010 | Oct 31, 2010 |
Cincinnati, OH | Aug 1, 2010 | Nov 8, 2010 |
Buffalo, NY | Aug 1, 2010 | Nov 28, 2010 |
Baltimore, MD | Aug 1, 2010 | Dec 5, 2010 |
Cleveland, OH | Aug 1, 2010 | Jan 2, 2011 |
Pittsburgh, PA | Aug 1, 2010 | After Super Bowl 2011 |
Deadline is FIRM. All required application materials must be received by the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation by August 1st for your application to be considered.
Application Process: Potential grant applicants should provide a letter of inquiry as an initial application. Inquiries should include:
* Department name, address, name of department chief, and contact person.
* Telephone number, fax number and email address.
* Amount requested.
* Department budget.
* Copy of sponsoring organization’s (501)(c)(3) determination letter.
* How the Department has previously been funded.
* How the Department will continue to support itself in future years.
* A brief background on the Department and summarize needs for K-9 Support.
* Previous grants received from The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation.
Contact:
The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation
at The Giving Back Fund
6033 West Century Blvd., Suite 350
Los Angeles, CA 90045
Phone: 310-649-5222
Fax: 310-649-5070
"My Dad instilled in me a love and respect for animals. This is a good way to combine that passion with a desire to support the police and fire departments, which deserve all the appropriate resources needed to protect our cities and neighborhoods, and allow these brave men and women to arrive home safely." -- Ben Roethlisberger.
About the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation:
The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation seeks to support police and fire departments throughout the US with a particular emphasis on support for service dogs and to enhance the quality of life for residents of Findlay, OH and Pittsburgh, PA.
Plans for the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation also include grantmaking to nonprofit organizations assisting children in need in cities where Ben has lived and played football. In commenting on why establishing a charitable foundation is important to him, Roethlisberger said, "I have been blessed with opportunities throughout my life to pursue my goals and achieve some success, all under the guidance of a loving family and supportive communities. I was raised to appreciate my blessings and always try to help others who may not be as fortunate. I feel honored to be able to do so."
June 29, 2010
Golf outing for a good cause...
From Mike Bires at the Beaver County Times this morning:
To help perpetuate John Challis' message of living life to its fullest, Ben Roethlisberger played golf.
The Steelers' quarterback, who had befriended Challis during his battle with cancer, was among 99 participants at the third annual John Challis Courage for Life Foundation Golf Outing .
I'm here for John and his family and the good things they’re doing through their foundation," Roethlisberger said between swings at Chartiers Country Club.
Challis, who attended Freedom High School and was a member of the Bulldogs' football and baseball teams, died in August of 2008, just two months after he graduated. But his memory lives on.
Monday’s golf outing may raise as much as $20,000 for the cause.
"It was great to have Ben here today," said Jodi Jaworowski, Challis' aunt and the president of the Courage for Life Foundation. "Ben brought a lot of positive energy. He was very kind, very friendly and very interested in our mission."
Not only did Roethlisberger pay $600 for a foursome that included former Steelers’ running back Merrill Hoge, he also brought with him two of his autographed jerseys for the post-golf auction and raffle.
"I'm glad that I got to know John. He was really a great kid," Roethlisberger said. "I got to spend time with him a couple times when he came to training camp. And he was up with us in Mario Lemieux’s booth for one of the Penguins’ playoff games two years ago.
"I jumped at the idea to play today because it's for a good cause."
You can read the entire article here.
You can learn more about the John Challis Courage for Life Foundation here.
June 28, 2010
Arians: We're going to stand behind Ben
From an interview with Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians that appeared in The Birmingham News this morning:
Arians was in town over the weekend for the Arians Pro Football Academy Camp at Hoover High School.
The camp, run by his son, Jake, a former kicker at UAB and in the NFL, also featured former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis.
The subject of Roethlisberger came up quickly when the elder Arians met with the media on Friday.
"I think all of us in our organization know who Ben is and we're going to stand behind him.
"He's not my son but (I'm) like an uncle that you like," said Arians, who coached under Paul "Bear" Bryant at Alabama in 1981-82 and was the offensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide in 1997.
"I guess I'm that guy. We play a lot of golf together, spend a lot of time together. It's hard, really hard. I'll go to the grave defending him. I've always been brought up that way. Coach Bryant said 'You never turn your back on one of yours.'"
Arians' task now is getting Byron Leftwich, Dennis Dixon and Charlie Batch ready to handle the quarterback duties while also giving Roethlisberger some work. Roethlisberger's suspension doesn't keep him out of training camp. Once the season begins, however, he is not allowed to take part in any of the Steelers' activities.
Arians said he's confident that each of the other three quarterbacks can help the Steelers win games but none of them can do the things Roethlisberger does.
"It's the improvisation that he brings to the game," Arians said. "His skill level, I don't think there's any better in the National Football League than him after a play breaks down or when he starts creating a play."
You can read the entire interview/article here.
June 27, 2010
New fan photos added...
From an email sent by Anita Doddroe yesterday, who was on hand (luckily with a camera) for Ben's surprise visit to the kids football camp last Wednesday:
"Hi Erin, I thought I'd send you a few of my pictures of Ben at the Old Spice Mike Tomlin Football Camp.
"I just can't say enough how great Ben was with the kids. We had Heath Miller, Brett Keisel & Chris Hoke come and work with the kids and they were great, too.
"However, when Ben showed up, it was absolutely electric!! The kids were ecstatic and regardless of how the media portrays it, as far as I could tell most, if not all, of the parents were happy to see him, too. I didn't hear a single negative reaction."
You can see Anita's action photos here.
*Anita, thank you so much!
June 25, 2010
Ben ranked #4 on FOX Sports' 2010 Top 100 Players List
From MSN/FOX Sports.com this afternoon:
1. Peyton Manning, QB, Colts
2. Drew Brees, QB, Saints
3. Tom Brady, QB, Patriots
4. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers - Say what you want, Big Ben's gotten it done and brought two Lombardi Trophies to the Steel City in six years as a pro. In '09, with the Steelers' run game all but nonexistent, the D in shambles and the O-line woeful, Big Ben threw for a career-high 4,328 yards and 26 TD passes. He was 9-6 as a starter...If you ask me who I want leading my team down the field down four with two minutes left? You better believe I'm taking No. 7. Hell, in that situation? I might even take him over the three guys listed above him.
Other Steelers on the list include Troy Polamalu at #14, James Harrison at #41, LaMarr Woodley at #59, and Hines Ward at #94.
You can check out the entire list of 100 here.
The Steelers were rated #1 in FOX Sports' QB Power Rankings List. You can check out that list here.
June 23, 2010
Ben surprises kids at football camp today
From KDKA this afternoon:
Youngsters attending Coach Mike Tomlin's youth football camp at Mars Area High School got a surprise visit from Steelers Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger today.
Roethlisberger stopped by the campus this morning to spend time with the kids on the final day of the camp.
"I love coming out here and participating with these guys and having fun, seeing the smile on their face," Roethlisberger told KDKA's John Shumway.
While campers like Erick Taylor of Garfield have been enjoying their time with Coach Tomlin, some youngsters who attended the camp in previous years said they missed having Roethlisberger around.
"Ben used to play with us more," Bethany Carcaise of Illinois told KDKA on Monday. "He acted like a kid!"
Carcaise was thrilled by the quarterback's surprise appearance today. "I was really excited 'cause I wanted to see him!"
She wasn't alone.
"It was fun playing with Ben and it was pretty cool that I got to meet Ben this year," Noah Willard of Darlinton said.
Roethlisberger said he enjoyed his time at the camp today -- making it clear that it's his intention to be back next year as well.
"I'm having a blast... I'm sweating more than most of these kids, running around, and I'm dying out here; but if they have fun, I'm having fun!"
You can see video of Ben at camp here.
You can check out other videos of Ben from today's surprise visit at KDKA's video library here.
June 19, 2010
Don't Quit
The words from Coach Hep's favorite poem, "Don't Quit" were not recited just to motivate his players before a game - they were a way of life for him.
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out:
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but do not quit.
Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.
Sadly, Ben's beloved coach, friend and mentor passed away three years ago on June 19, 2007 - after a hard-fought battle with brain cancer. But his memory lives on...
You can donate to the Coach Hep Scholarship Fund here.
And you can donate to the Coach Hep Cancer Fund here.
June 15, 2010
Mr. Rooney: "I think Ben came back with a bit of a new attitude"
From USA Today's "The Huddle":
Steelers team president Art Rooney II said he's been pleased with Ben Roethlisberger's performance and attitude since commissioner Roger Goodell cleared the QB to return to team activities on June 1.
Rooney, in an interview with Steelers.com, said Roethlisberger still has a long way to go to earn back the trust of fans and others, but he believes he has a good head start on rebuilding his life.
"I think Ben came back with a bit of a new attitude," Rooney said of Roethlisberger's return to the team on June 1, "and certainly you could start to see some changes in him. So I was pleased with the way the first week back went."
Goodell stressed when he issued the suspension that part of the goal was to change Roethlisberger's behavior, and Rooney said he thinks the QB got the message.
"I think Ben's response to it has been good. He's gone through the evaluation. He's committed to doing the things that the commissioner has asked him to do. We've got a way to go. It's up to Ben now to make sure he does what's right. And I think he truly wants to do what is necessary to earn back the fans' trust and respect. But I think that he knows that he's not going to do that in one or two interviews. He's only going to do that by his actions over the next weeks and months."
You can read the full blog at "The Huddle" here.
You can see video of Mr. Rooney's interview here.
Also Today:
Jerome Bettis was a guest on ESPN's First Take this afternoon and was asked about his relationship with Ben -
When asked about any "change" he observed in Ben from when he first met him:
"I saw a big change in him just from a young man to a man - especially on the football field. But off the field, I didn't get a chance to see that much because I wasn't there long enough. After my two years with them, I left and moved down to Atlanta.
"I didn't see this 'Superman' person. I saw more of the real Ben Roethlisberger. I think part of it is because I had a personal relationship with him."
When asked if he had been in contact with Ben recently:
Bettis said he texted Ben "a couple of times" just to let him know that, "I'm a friend and regardless of what you're going through, I'm going to be there for you. I'm not going to be a person who judges you by any stretch of the imagination. I'm going to be your friend."
You can watch the video here.
And:
The Steelers training camp schedule is out -
Steelers players report to training camp on Friday, July 30th.
The first open practice is on Saturday, July 31.
You can see the full schedule here and in the column on your right under "2010 Schedule".
*Thanks Trish!
June 9-11, 2010 - Updated Friday
Ben's interviews...
Ben sat down this week for two separate one-on-one interviews with WTAE news reporter Sally Wiggin, and KDKA sports anchor Bob Pompeani.
The WTAE-Channel 4 interview will air Wednesday night at 11pm, on Thursday during their 5am-7am newscast, and again during their 12 noon newscast.
The KDKA-Channel 2 interview will air during their regular newscasts at 6pm, 6:30pm, and 11pm Thursday, and at 5pm and 6pm on Friday.
Wednesday on WTAE:
-- To see video of the full, uncut interview, click here.
Thursday on KDKA:
-- To read Part I of Bob Pompeani's report and transcribed interview, click here.
-- To read Part II, click here.
-- To see video of the full interview, click here.
Friday on KDKA:
-- To read Part I of the transcribed interview, click here.
-- To read Part II, click here.
-- To see video of the full interview, click here.
(Check the right side of KDKA's video library page if you have difficulty finding the video links)
Softball Game Update:
Hines Ward's charity softball game scheduled for Wednesday evening has been cancelled because of the weather and will not be rescheduled.
Photos from this week's workouts are here.
Note: If you are a fan of Heath-Miller.com and have been wondering why there have been no updates in the past couple of weeks - it is because the site is experiencing technical difficulties. Hopefully, the issues will be repaired soon and the site will be back in business!
*Thank you to Trish and Jackie!
June 8, 2010
Ben goes bowling...
Bowling was the order of the day from Coach Tomlin as Ben and his teammates took to the lanes this morning.
"These guys have worked extremely hard," said Tomlin. "It's just the opportunity to have a little fun together and fellowship. We have some horrible bowlers, but they're still competitive."
Dennis Dixon is not one of the horrible bowlers. He told a reporter that he plays at least twice a week, and according to Hines Ward, has even earned the title of the Best Bowler or perhaps the Team Kingpin. A title previously held by Jerome Bettis.
However, some teammates are not so sure!
"Double D says he can bowl, but he said he could play baseball and struck out three times in softball last year," said Ben as he wrapped an arm around his laughing fellow quarterback.
You can see the video at the Steelers official site here.
June 5, 2010
Third Annual Hines Ward Pittsburgh Celebrity Softball Game
June 9th Update: *Event has been cancelled due to inclement weather. It will not be rescheduled.
The Third Annual Hines Ward Pittsburgh Celebrity Softball Game will take place on Wednesday, June 9th at 6:00 pm at the Duquesne Baseball Field in Green Tree.
Steelers players expected to participate include Ben, Brett Keisel, Antwaan Randle El, Charlie Batch, Mike Wallace, Heath Miller, Max Starks, Willie Colon, James Farrior, LaMarr Woodley, Casey Hampton, Bryant McFadden, Larry Foote, William Gay and Joe Burnett.
Attendance is open and free to the public, but bleacher seating is limited. Spectators are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and/or blankets.
Those in attendance can purchase raffle tickets for the chance to win autographed items.
All proceeds to benefit Hines Ward's Helping Hands Foundation.
For more information contact the HWCSG at 412-244-4563.
You can check out Hines' official site here.
You can see photos from last year's softball game here.
If you attend the game and would like to share your photos, just send me an email!
June 3, 2010
Ben addressed the media today
His statement:
"I know you guys have been waiting to talk to me, and I have to you. I just want to let you guys know how good it is to be back on the field. It's been a long time away. It's been hard, but I’ve been putting in a lot of time and effort, and working hard, both on and off the field, while I've been gone. It's not the same. I love football to death, but I think it's meant more to be out here with my teammates, my brothers, my family, if you will, so that's what has been really neat about being back out here.
"I've put a lot of thought into my life, decisions I've made in the past that I've been sitting at home thinking about things, and working closely with the Commissioner on ways to make changes, corrections. I'm looking forward to the second chance and the second opportunity, not just in football – because I think everybody knows what you’re going to get in football – but in life. I think that's what is more important. I'm happy to be out here, and even kind of happy to see you guys again.
"Like I said I'm happy to be back out here, even kind of happy to see you guys again. So, maybe I'll take a question or two."
He took two questions from the media:
Q: You got a lot of public support from your teammates; do you see this as a new beginning?
Ben: "Yeah, it's been great to read and hear from those guys, not just text messages and calls they send to me but to read the things in the media they said. So I say it's great to be out here with my brothers because they really are family to me. Like I said, I spent a lot of time evaluating and looking at my life both on and off the field. I think this is time for me to kind of close the chapter of the last couple years of my life and move on to a new one, kind of a new start. I'm kind of really excited about it."
Q: What kind of changes are you talking about that you want to make?
Ben: "A lot of them are personal things, you know, which is just something that I need to do. But it's been neat being able to really re-evaluate my life and spend time with my family and kind of re-evaluate and re-figure what's important in my life. That's me ... evaluating what I need to do and be smarter when it comes to certain things. Like I said it's a new chapter and I'm looking forward to it and it starts with football. I'm glad to be back here. I'll be talking to you guys a lot more."
You can see video of Ben's talk with the media at the Steelers official site here.
June 1, 2010
Ben back at practice
According to several news sources today...
Ben took part in week four of the Steelers' five weeks of voluntary practices. He practiced with the first-team offense this morning.
And while he did take the field with his teammates, he will not talk to the media, according to a Steelers spokesman.
Ben and Charlie Batch were seen throwing warm-up passes to one another before drills started and later, he was running the first unit in 11-on-11 drills.
Teammate and close friend Brett Keisel told reporters that it wasn't just another workout for Ben.
"He said he had butterflies this morning," the defensive end said. "He was excited to get back to work and get back around the guys and start working towards another championship.
"I think it's good for him to be around us and be working and come and do what everyone else is doing. So I'm happy that he's back."
The team has five more OTA workouts scheduled - Wednesday and Thursday of this week and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of next week.
"Big 7's back!" said Antwaan Randle El. "It's good having him back to play calling and getting everything caught up. It's good to have him here. Just a matter of continuing to work with him...for me, I haven't been here. He's back so I can get more work with him, not just now, but as the weeks go on."
"We've all been through different things, we've all made different mistakes," Randle El continued. "When you make those mistakes, as a player, as a friend, as anybody, you've got to have forgiveness in your heart. To be able to forget and move on, that's the kind of thing you have to do and expect. Not just from players but from friends and family, and even everybody that was involved. Everybody makes mistakes, but you can't hold onto it for life."
Ben is expected to participate in all five, and will be permitted to go to training camp when the players report on July 30th.
"It always feels good to have one of the best in the game back with you," Mike Wallace said after practice. "He's a man and everybody makes mistakes. I just feel like he's the leader of our team. Any time he comes back we accept him for who he is."
You can see a few photos here.
And the several news sources? ESPN, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, USA Today, NFL Network, Beaver County Times, and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Whew! I think that's everybody!
You can also check out a good article with more quotes from teammates in the San Francisco Chronicle here.
May 28, 2010
Update: Little Maddox meets Big Ben
The meeting took place Friday, April 23, 2010 and was posted here on April 29th. After Maddox's meeting, he wanted to send Ben a photo of the two of them with his autograph (in crayon). Ben said he would do an even exchange - an autographed photo of him for an autographed photo of Maddox, but he sent much more!
Maddox's parents sent me an update this afternoon:
Hey Erin,
We received the pictures today! Maddox was so pumped! Now he thinks Ben is his biggest fan because that is what he wrote to Maddox!
If you can, tell Ben we couldn't say thanks enough to him! He has just made Maddox so happy!
Today we got a package mailed directly from Ben's parents (Ken and Brenda) and it had more autographed items in it than we expected.
So the tally for one simple meeting turned into 2 autographed authentic NFL action photos and 3 autographed cards as well as a personal photo taken with my son. The autographed photos of Ben scoring the first TD of Super Bowl 40 and Ben making "the tackle" against Indy are just awesome.
If people are going to tell every negative story, I'm going to continue to tell the positive ones too. It's only fair.
Once Again...
*Thank you so much to both of Maddox's parents, Colin and Nicole, for sharing their story and the update with us!
*Thank you also to Becky and Trish!
*And of course, thank you to Ben!
To see a larger version of the photo, click here.
May 27, 2010
Ben cleared to return to team activities
From MSNBC this evening:
The NFL has advised Ben Roethlisberger that he is cleared to return to team activities next week.
Commissioner Roger Goodell said that no decision has been made yet on modifying Roethlisberger's six-game suspension. He will review Big Ben's progress prior to the first regular season game, and then decide whether to reduce the suspension to four games. So far, Roethlisberger appears to be on the right track.
And:
According to League spokesman Greg Aiello via Twitter, the Commissioner's decision was based on reports and recommendations of medical experts working with Ben. Mr. Aiello said that the "Commish will continue to monitor his progress."
The Steelers' next offseason workout is Tuesday, the first of three next week. They have three the following week, then are off until training camp starts on July 30th.
Ben was already cleared to join them in camp and can play in preseason games.
Steelers President, Art Rooney II issued a statement on Steelers.com saying, "We look forward to having Ben re-join his teammates on the practice field."
May 27, 2010
Ben's Foundation - Still "Giving Back"
From Scott Brown, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review this morning:
Ben Roethlisberger will continue helping police and fire departments in Pittsburgh and across the country.
Working in conjunction with The Giving Back Fund, the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation will distribute grants in Pittsburgh as well as the eight cities where the Steelers play road games in 2010. It is the fourth grant "cycle" in which Roethlisberger's foundation will participate.
You can read the rest here.
You can learn more about Ben's Foundation here.
May 25, 2010
The latest on Ben's return...
Commissioner Roger Goodell had a brief press conference this evening that was shown on NFL Network:
After his initial comments about a variety of topics discussed at the Spring Owners Meeting in Dallas, he was asked by a member of the media about his decision on Ben's return. He would only say that he is "expecting to review the evaluation" when he returns to New York and that he and his staff "will determine the next step." He said a decision will be made "in a week or so."
Also Today:
From Ed Bouchette's chat at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Q: Can you give us your take on a scale of 1-10 how close the Steelers came to trading Ben? And has a decision been made to keep Ben...?
Ed: There was never any serious trade talk, despite what you might hear elsewhere. Yes, their intent is to keep him.
You can read Mr. Bouchette's chat transcript here.
May 17, 2010
Golfing in the rain for a good cause
From KDKA - Channel 2 this afternoon:
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger played golf today to help raise money for charity.
He joined his teammates Hines Ward and Max Starks, as well as former Steeler, Merril Hoge for the 16th Annual Celebrity Golf Classic for Children today.
The tournament at Southpointe Golf Club is to support grieving children through the Highmark Caring Place.
And according to WTAE-Channel 4:
Roethlisberger seemed in good spirits, smiling as he drove a cart through the grounds and posed for pictures with his golf foursome. He did not comment to the media.
"Ben has always been here, always supported us," former Steelers running back Merril Hoge said. "I think, in visiting with him in the last week or two, I see a different energy about Ben. It is kind of a platform for him to, you know, reconcile with the fans and show them he has changed and he wants to be not just a better player, but a person."
You can read more at KDKA here.
You can see a slideshow and video from the event at WTAE here.
Also Today:
ESPN's John Clayton: No Quarterback Controversy
Question: Which would be worse/harder for the Steelers -- a 1-3 or 2-2 start or a 4-0 start and potential QB controversy? What if Dennis Dixon or Byron Leftwich plays at a high level?
John Clayton: There will be no quarterback controversy in Pittsburgh, even though the franchise quarterback has filled the city with his personal controversies. The Steelers would take the 4-0 start and then let Ben Roethlisberger take back the starting job. Leftwich understands that. So does Dixon. To go 4-0 or 3-1 with Leftwich or Dixon, the Steelers will have to go back to the running game that they abandoned last year. Once they get Roethlisberger back, they can expand the offense and become more of a passing team, but I would expect them to be more balanced this year. Without Santonio Holmes, they lack explosiveness and youth at wide receiver. Roethlisberger gives the Steelers the ability to be a playoff or possible Super Bowl team. His problems off the field haven't changed that.
To read the rest of Mr. Clayton's Column and Mailbag, click here.
May 17, 2010
Golfing in the rain for a good cause
From KDKA - Channel 2 this afternoon:
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger played golf today to help raise money for charity.
He joined his teammates Hines Ward and Max Starks, as well as former Steeler, Merril Hoge for the 16th Annual Celebrity Golf Classic for Children today.
The tournament at Southpointe Golf Club is to support grieving children through the Highmark Caring Place.
And according to WTAE-Channel 4:
Roethlisberger seemed in good spirits, smiling as he drove a cart through the grounds and posed for pictures with his golf foursome. He did not comment to the media.
"Ben has always been here, always supported us," former Steelers running back Merril Hoge said. "I think, in visiting with him in the last week or two, I see a different energy about Ben. It is kind of a platform for him to, you know, reconcile with the fans and show them he has changed and he wants to be not just a better player, but a person."
You can read more at KDKA here.
You can see a slideshow and video from the event at WTAE here.
Also Today:
ESPN's John Clayton: No Quarterback Controversy
Question: Which would be worse/harder for the Steelers -- a 1-3 or 2-2 start or a 4-0 start and potential QB controversy? What if Dennis Dixon or Byron Leftwich plays at a high level?
John Clayton: There will be no quarterback controversy in Pittsburgh, even though the franchise quarterback has filled the city with his personal controversies. The Steelers would take the 4-0 start and then let Ben Roethlisberger take back the starting job. Leftwich understands that. So does Dixon. To go 4-0 or 3-1 with Leftwich or Dixon, the Steelers will have to go back to the running game that they abandoned last year. Once they get Roethlisberger back, they can expand the offense and become more of a passing team, but I would expect them to be more balanced this year. Without Santonio Holmes, they lack explosiveness and youth at wide receiver. Roethlisberger gives the Steelers the ability to be a playoff or possible Super Bowl team. His problems off the field haven't changed that.
To read the rest of Mr. Clayton's Column and Mailbag, click here.
May 11, 2010
Big Ben is eager to return...
From Ed Bouchette this afternoon at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Ben Roethlisberger has completed his behavioral evaluations and awaits word on when he can return to full participation in training with the Steelers, a source told the Post-Gazette today.
Roethlisberger's camp is optimistic he will be able to return to the team soon, but club officials are not sure of the timetable. The quarterback has been working out privately and is said to be in good shape and eager to mount a comeback in many ways and to meet the challenges ahead of him.
To read the rest, click here.
May 3, 2010
Two local charities stay with Big Ben
From an article this afternoon by FOX Sports senior writer Alex Marvez:
Executives with Make-a-Wish and Ronald McDonald House told FOXSports.com that Roethlisberger is welcome to continue participating in their activities.
Roethlisberger is one of the most frequently requested Make-a-Wish athletes among children with life-threatening illnesses.
"Our relationship with Ben is exactly as it has always been. Nothing has changed," [Judith Stone, the president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Make-A-Wish branch] said. "It's the child's wish. Of all the wishes in the whole world, if they want to meet Big Ben, that's the wish."
Stone said Roethlisberger has hosted Make-A-Wish children for four years at Steelers home games. She described him as being “wonderful with our special-needs kids."
"He's met with kids from all over country, not just our chapter," Stone said. "He's a hot commodity."
Roethlisberger also is the honorary local chairman of Ronald McDonald House Charities, which help provide financial assistance to in-need children with medical problems. Roethlisberger’s foundation has donated $15,000 to the group. He also has provided expensive dinners for families staying inside the house.
"He is so good with our kids," Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pittsburgh executive director Barbara Reed Martin said. "When he talks to them, he makes them feel as if they were the only person in the room. When a kid isn’t feeling good, he knows exactly what they need to hear to feel better."
You can read the entire article here.
You can learn more about the Make-A-Wish chapter in Pittsburgh here.
You can learn more about the Ronald McDonald House chapter in Pittsburgh here.
A special "Thank You" to Mr. Marvez!
*If you haven't yet, check out the new "Ben in the Community" section in the column to your right!
May 1, 2010
"Teammates stand behind Ben"
Quotes from an article written by Scott Brown in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review this morning:
Hines Ward:
"We'll welcome him with open arms. He's still our quarterback, and he doesn't have to win over anybody."
Casey Hampton:
"The same fans who are saying cut him will be the same fans cheering for him if he wins another Super Bowl. That's the way I look at it. I know Ben isn't a bad guy. He made some mistakes, but at the end of the day the guy hasn't been convicted of (anything). If the cops say he didn't do it, in my mind he didn't do it. He's only got to answer to one person, and that's God."
Troy Polamalu:
"I think there's a lot of great examples of guys that are just really good guys, like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. But there also are examples of what Ben is going to be able to do, to show how much he can turn his life around. He's going through a tough time by not being here, but it's going to even be a better example of how he comes back, and I hope people appreciate that process."
You can read the actual article here.
April 29, 2010
New Fan Story: Little Maddox meets Big Ben
The meeting took place Friday, April 23, 2010 and is told by his father, Colin:
I need to share a positive story that happened to my family today regarding Ben.
I have been hypocritical of Ben, doubting him at times. People make mistakes. I have made a ton of them and always seemed to get another chance, so why can't we do the same with Ben?
Ben and his father were golfing today. My son Maddox who is 5-years old, is a huge 'Ben fan'. My son patiently waited for Ben to finish up at the ninth hole. He had his 'Ben' jersey on and a rookie card in hand.
Well before my son could even ask him a question, Ben took the initiative and asked my son, "What do you got there buddy, you want me to sign something?".
So he signed a card for my son and took a picture with him. They then saw him a few minutes later getting a hot dog and he called my son "buddy" again.
I don't know if Ben has to win his fans back or not, but I just wanted to thank him and share a positive story with you.
He put a smile on my family's face today and I'm pretty sure my son will never forget it. If he does, he’s always got a nice picture and autograph to remind him.
I should have never prejudged the guy like so many others. I’m going to share this story with as many as I can.
Story Update:
Colin advised that his son "has been talking about the experience for the last couple days. We printed up some pictures for the golf course and our parents. Now he wants to autograph one and send it back to Ben."
Ben says "even exchange"!
Ben is happy to accept Maddox's autographed photo, and will send Maddox an autographed photo from him in exchange!
*Thank you so much to both of Maddox's parents, Colin and Nicole, for sharing their story with us!
*Thank you also to Becky and Trish for their assistance!
*And of course, thank you to Ben!
To see a larger version of the photo, click here.
April 26, 2010
Ben's Statement
Issued through the Steelers organization today:
"The Commissioner's decision to suspend me speaks clearly that more is expected of me. I am accountable for the consequences of my actions. Though I have committed no crime, I regret that I have fallen short of the values instilled in me by my family. I will not appeal the suspension and will comply with what is asked of me - and more.
"Missing games will be devastating for me. I am sorry to let down my teammates and the entire Steelers fan base. I am disappointed that I have reached this point and will not put myself in this situation again.
"I appreciate the opportunities that I have been given in my life and will make the necessary improvements."
April 24, 2010
2004 Draft Day memories...
Excerpts from articles on Ben's path to the NFL Draft and the Big Day - April 24, 2004:
Scouting Report on Ben Roethlisberger - It's remarkable how far he has come in such a short time. Until his senior year in high school, he was a receiver. Yet, he was talented enough to take the Mid-American Conference by storm. That might not seem like a ringing endorsement on the surface, but remember that the last two MAC quarterbacks to do that were Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich, both of whom appear to have bright NFL futures. Roethlisberger, who declared himself eligible for the NFL draft after his junior year, has a good pro arm, is more athletic than Eli Manning and Philip Rivers and sees the field well. Scouts generally believe he has the highest upside of this year's QB crop, but also represents the greatest risk because of his limited experience.
From the Cincinnati Enquirer, March 26, 2004 - "QB Ben packs 'em in for pro workout" :
Not since the funeral of hall-of-fame coach Weeb Ewbank in 1998 has Miami University been the center of the NFL universe. It was on Thursday.
The pro-day workout of former RedHawks quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was the attraction, and a half-dozen draft-eligible ex-teammates tried to catch some of the refracted attention.
Scouts or assistant coaches from nearly all 32 NFL teams made their way to Oxford. Two head coaches, Green Bay's Mike Sherman and the
Giants' Tom Coughlin - along with Giants' general manager Ernie Accorsi and three of the club's scouts - were there, too.
Charting each of the players' moves with stopwatches and clipboards, scouts watched them lift weights, jump, sprint and run agility drills before congregating in Yager Stadium for the main event: Ben throws.Roethlisberger ran 4.76 seconds in the 40-yard dash. And he clocked an 11.8 - considered fast for a quarterback - on a three-cone agility drill.
The Packers have the 25th pick in the first round and a quarterback named Brett Favre, but that didn't stop Sherman from making the trip.
"He's probably going be gone before we pick, but I always want to cover our bases in case something happens - he falls or we move up," Sherman said. "I thought he had an excellent workout. He did everything here he does on tape. You have to watch the game tape to really appreciate what kind of quarterback he is and what kind of leadership skills he has."
To read the entire article, click here.
From the Cincinnati Enquirer, April 25, 2004 - "A Day in the life of Ben":
From this point forward, Ben Roethlisberger will be in the middle of the madness. But Saturday, he didn't know the half of it.
"This places holds about 4,000 people and over 1,000 of them are media, and we're told there are 10,000 people out on the street," said a Madison Square representative who was handing out press credentials. "There's going to be some disappointed people out there."
Roethlisberger was back in "the green room" - waiting for his name to be called -- with his mother, father, sister, agent Steinberg, Miami coach Terry Hoeppner and Hoeppner's wife.
If this was the eye of the storm, it was only because of the quiet.
At 11:20 a.m., Roethlisberger and four other collegians -- Robert Gallery, Eli Manning, Roy Williams and Kellen Winslow Jr. -- were introduced to the crowd.
Green-room waiting -
• 12:25 p.m.: [NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue] announces that San Diego chooses Eli Manning with the No. 1 pick. Eli emerges from stage right and is greeted by an "Eli Sucks" chant by the fans. Also, "Eli, you're coming to New York!"
• 12:58 p.m.: [NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue] announces that the Giants choose NC State QB Philip Rivers with the No. 4 pick, and soon thereafter the trade with San Diego is announced.
• 1:57 p.m.: Pittsburgh is on the clock. "We see Ben Roethlisberger on the phone," ESPN announces on TV. Sure enough, it's Steelers coach Bill Cowher calling to tell Ben the Steelers are going to choose him with the No. 11 pick.
• 2 p.m.: [NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue] announces that Roethlisberger is indeed headed for Pittsburgh. Roethlisberger emerges and dons a Steelers ballcap and holds up a Steelers jersey.
• 2:01 p.m.: The Steelers fans in the crowd begin to chant, "Ben, Ben, Ben...."
• 2:02 p.m.: Just off stage, Roethlisberger does a press conference for TV reporters and then disappears from the public room, to do some individual TV spots with the Pittsburgh media.
• 2:43 p.m.: Roethlisberger emerges in the players' party room where a press conference with print media is set up. "Call from (Steelers owner) Mr. Rooney," an ESPN media rep announces. Ben takes the call, opens by saying, "Yes, sir, Mr. Rooney..."
• 2:48 p.m.: Roethlisberger does the media conference, then a series of one-on-ones, and by 3:20 p.m., he wraps it up and heads out the door, Steelers jersey still slung over his left shoulder.
The above article is no longer available online, but you can read it here on the site.
You can check out Draft Day photos here.
Please take note:
Monday, April 26th -
According to Ben's agent, Mr. Ryan Tollner, Ben will address the four-to-six game suspension he received last week from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in a written statement on Monday.
Mr. Tollner advised that Ben wanted to wait until after the NFL draft before making a statement.
April 19, 2010
2010 OTA's - Day One
The Steelers held the first of 14 voluntary offseason sessions today at their South Side facility.
To see video of Ben on Day One, click here.
To see a few photos click here.
Check back later for more photos!
April 16, 2010
Eli wishes best for Big Ben...
From NewsDay.com and the New York Post:
Manning and Roethlisberger entered the NFL in 2004 and between them have won three Super Bowls.
"I've been keeping up a little bit with what's going on," Manning said today after a Giants workout. "I kind of feel all quarterbacks are a little fraternity, you root for each other, especially Ben, we came out the same year, same draft class. I was hoping for the best in the situation. Wishing him all the best in everything that's going on."
Manning continued, "You hope everything works out and he'll be able to come back and play at a high level. He's a tremendous talent. I'll be watching and supporting him in everything that's going to happen."
You can see a larger version of the photo here.
April 14, 2010
Ben at Steelers workout today...
Ben worked out with teammates this morning at the Steelers training facility.
According to Steelers spokesman Dave Lockett, Ben was inside the Steelers facility lifting weights, running and throwing.
Ben is expected to participate at Coach Tomlin's organized team activities (OTA's) on April 19th and 20th.
To see video of Ben at the workout, click here.
*Thank you to Becky for the heads-up on the video!
*And thank you to all of the fans for the supportive emails sent over the past month! They were very much appreciated!
March 3-4, 2010
Grant from Ben's Foundation helps Castle Shannon Police Department
The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation awarded a grant of $4,465 to the Castle Shannon Police Department for their K-9 program on Tuesday.
The Department will use the majority of the grant to outfit a new K-9 vehicle with an automatic door release and a protection device to aid with overheating. The Department's two K9 officers and their dogs have been sharing one vehicle.
The rest of the grant will be used to pay for mandatory re-training as well as health insurance for both dogs.
Cub Scout Pack 350 helped to obtain the grant for the Police Department.
And:
On Wednesday, the Carnegie Police Department received an $8,000 from Ben Roethlisberger Foundation to help with the continued funding of their K-9 program.
According to Carnegie Police Chief Jeffrey Harbin, "This money will ensure that our K-9 program, which has been a tremendous asset to our police department in both crime-fighting and public relations, will be adequately funded in the future".
The Carnegie Community Development Corp. was the grant's nonprofit sponsor.
(the above is from a story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that appeared on Wednesday morning).
For more information on Ben's Foundation, click here.
March 2, 2010 - CONTEST UPDATE (See Below)
Happy Birthday Ben!
Today is Ben's 28th birthday and one lucky fan will receive a gift!
In honor of his birthday...
My 28th emailer will receive a Ben Roethlisberger autographed Super Bowl XL football from Fans Edge, complete with a COA from Mounted Memories - a $445.00 value.
However, before you email, please follow the two rules below:
1. Emails for the contest WILL NOT be accepted until 12 NOON ET and after (this gives fans in different time zones a chance to participate).
2. Please, one email per email address only (subsequent emails from the same address will be discounted).
*The winner will be notified later this afternoon and their name will be posted in an UPDATE.
Send emails to: bigbennewssite@yahoo.com
Good Luck!
*UPDATE:
I had a winner at 12:03 p.m.
Congratulations to Jaime Popik of Virginia, my 28th emailer!
Thank you to everyone who participated - I received 123 emails by 12:25 p.m., and they continued to come in until well after 2:00 p.m.
February 17, 2010
Not about Ben...
...but a fun way to spend a weekend if you are a Steelers fan or an NFL fan in general that lives in the Washington D.C. area:
Collectors Showcase of America will hold their annual Spring show on the weekend of March 26th-28th at the Dulles Expo Center located in Chantilly, Virginia near Dulles International Airport.
The Show at Chantilly is not only packed with reputable sports vendors selling everything from autographed items to sports cards, but they have an incredible line-up of sports stars this Spring who will be on hand to autograph your personal collectibles or a collectible you purchase at the Show.
Featured Steelers players from the past include Hall of Famers Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, and Jack Ham, as well as Rocky Bleier, Jerome Bettis, Dermontti Dawson, Mike Merriweather and Johnny Lattner.
Present Steelers players who will be in attendance include Rashard Mendenhall, Daniel Sepulveda and Stefan Logan.
But that's not all...
Others on the guest list include several members from the 1972 Dolphins: Don Shula, Bob Griese, Jake Scott, Jim Langer, Bob Kuechenberg, and Mercury Morris.
Mike Ditka, Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett, Herschel Walker, Doug Flutie, DeMarcus Ware, Larry Brown and Brian Orakpo have also signed up to appear.
Major League Baseball will also be represented with former players like the Yankees Jim Coates and Bobby Richardson; Orlando Cepeda; as well as members of the Negro League.
Pricing and fees...
If you just want to check out the merchandise -- single day tickets can be purchased for $5.00 per person, or weekend passes for $9.00 per person -- and both can be purchased online or at the door.
Of course, autograph tickets must be purchased for each player. There are separate fees for larger items to be autographed, as well as inscriptions and/or personal messages, but that varies with each player.
Enjoy...
For the last several years, we have attended both the Spring and the Fall shows and always have a great time, whether we are seeking autographs or just wandering the vendor areas. Bring your camera - we haven't seen a player yet who wouldn't pose for a photograph with a fan at the signing tables as long as you ask first.
For more information on the Show, pricing, and to purchase tickets, click here.
If you decide to visit the area for the weekend, you can click here for hotel accomodations in the area.
For more information on the Dulles Expo Center, click here.
About Ben...
Ben did a phone interview this afternoon with Mark Madden from 105.9 the X.
To listen to the interview, click here.
And:
Check out the updated NFL-Network February schedule under my January 31st news (below) for programs highlighting Ben and the Steelers.
You can also see the schedule under the heading "Television Alert" in the column on your right.
*Thank you to Molly for the new show information!
February 9, 2010
"All things being equal, give me No. 7"
Excerpts from John Harris' column today in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
In the NFL's biggest game, on its grandest stage, I'll take Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger over Indianapolis Colts' wunderkind Peyton Manning to win a Super Bowl.
The Colts' 31-17 loss to New Orleans in Super Bowl XLIV, in which Manning was statistically brilliant but flawed in the clutch, highlighted critical differences between two iconic players who are successful despite wildly contrasting styles.
Manning is 1-1 in Super Bowls.
Roethlisberger is 2-0 in Super Bowls.
Roethlisberger did as much to help the Steelers win Super Bowl XLIII as Manning did to help the Colts win Super Bowl XLI, but only Manning was named MVP.
Manning, known for his pinpoint accuracy, never threw a better pass under pressure than the one Roethlisberger completed to Holmes in the closing minute of Super Bowl XLIII. Roethlisberger's innate ability to execute comfortably under duress is what makes him special in big games.
To Roethlisberger, playing football is all in the backyard. It's a game he plays exceedingly well — sometimes, by his own rules.
Unlike Manning, Roethlisberger rarely gives up on a play.
Roethlisberger, who's 8-2 in the postseason, saved his best for the last drive against Arizona in the Super Bowl. Before that drive, his performance had been average.
Manning, whose career playoff record is only 9-9, failed once again to shake his nagging reputation for being a sensational regular-season quarterback who's mediocre at best in the postseason.
To read Mr. Harris' complete column, click here.
February 7, 2010
Ben: PPG's "Steelers Player of the Decade"
Excerpts from the story written by Ed Bouchette this morning in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Imagine what might have occurred in the past decade had the Steelers drafted offensive lineman Shawn Andrews in the first round in 2004 instead of Ben Roethlisberger.
That was their intention, until Dan Rooney stepped in.
Rooney, in his 2007 autobiography, wrote that as the countdown to the 11th pick of the '04 draft continued "our people seemed to have focused on Shawn Andrews, a big offensive tackle from Arkansas as our likely number-one pick.
"But when our turn came, I couldn't bear the thought of passing on another great quarterback prospect the way we had passed on Dan Marino in 1983, so I steered the conversation around to Roethlisberger. After some more talk, we came to a consensus and picked Roethlisberger."
Roethlisberger merely put the Steelers over the top and helped deliver two Super Bowl victories. As he approaches his 28th birthday March 2, he should keep the position in good hands for the Steelers well into this next decade.
For those reasons and more, Ben Roethlisberger earns our Steelers player of the decade with a chance to earn the next one as well 10 years from now.
To read the article, click here.
Also, check out the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's "Top Plays of the Decade" list here.
February 5, 2010
"Locking in" that Super Bowl moment...
ESPN's David Fleming looks backs on a conversation he had with Ben in 2006 in his recent column on favorite Super Bowl games:
"It wasn't until the following summer, while traveling in Switzerland with Steelers QB (and fellow Miami University product) Ben Roethlisberger, that I got a good gauge on what the game means to the players. We were on a nearly vertical tram heading up to the top of the Swiss Alps when Roethlisberger confided to me that the main advice he got from older players in the league was to pick a specific moment of the Super Bowl and pause for just a split second and lock it into his brain for safe keeping. They told him to do this because the whole event is so huge and bizarre that when you're on the inside, it can go by in a blink without your noticing.
"So as the ball was kicked off and Ford Field sparkled with flashbulbs, Roethlisberger closed his eyes and took a moment to soak it all in. And that day in the Alps (now there's a beginning of a sentence you don't see too often), Roethlisberger closed his eyes and said he could still see, in his mind's eye, the kaleidoscope of flashing lights from the start of his Super Bowl."
To read the rest of his column, click here.
To read his story about the trip to Switzerland with the Roethlisberger family, click here.
Also Today:
ESPN's James Walker ranks Ben #2 in his AFC North "Fab 40" list -
2009 stats: 4,328 yards, 26 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 100.5 passer rating
Analysis: There is a lot of debate on where Roethlisberger ranks among the elite quarterbacks in the NFL, but he is undoubtedly one of the top players in the AFC North. Roethlisberger, 27, already has two Super Bowl rings and has yet to experience a losing season in the NFL. "Big Ben" can make all the throws, has good mobility in the pocket and put up career numbers in 2009. His backyard style is unconventional. Roethlisberger takes a lot of sacks. But he still doesn't get enough credit for his ability to shrug off would-be defenders while making big plays downfield.
You can check out Mr. Walker's entire list and analysis on each player here (P.S. Troy Polamalu was ranked #1!).
*Thank you to Trish!
February 3, 2010
"Ben Roethlisberger: Gifted and Giving Football Star"
From author Tom Robinson, a new book for young readers:
A 128-page biography entitled, "Ben Roethlisberger: Gifted and Giving Football Star" is the new release from his "Sports Stars Who Give Back" series.
After opening with his first Super Bowl victory in Chapter 1, the book, published by Enslow Publishers, Inc., moves chronologically through Ben's life, from childhood in Chapter 2 to the second Super Bowl victory in Chapter 10. It also chronicles his work in the community and his charities. The book is great reading for kids from 5th grade through the 8th grade.
From the author:
"Erin, the idea of the "Sports Stars Who Give Back" series is to inform young readers about successful and famous athletes who have also made positive contributions off the playing field."
From the publisher:
"Ben Roethlisberger followed up his record-setting college career by leading the Pittsburgh Steelers to two Super Bowl titles in his first five years in the NFL. Along the way, he has aided communities through a variety of charitable efforts."
Mr. Robinson has authored seventeen books that are in print. Another three are in the production stage and he's currently working on two more. His other "Sports Stars" books include the NBA's Shaquille O'Neil, MLB's Derek Jeter and Andruw Jones, NASCAR's Mark Martin and Kevin Harvick, soccer star David Beckham, and the NFL's Donovan McNabb. He is a resident of Clark's Summit, Pennsylvania and spent 18 years working at daily newspapers, including occasional coverage of the National Football League. The last five years of his newspaper career were spent as the sports editor of the Scranton Times-Tribune.
You can purchase his new book on Ben at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Borders.com.
*Thank you so much to Mr. Robinson and to the editors at Enslow Publishers, Inc.!
And speaking of giving back to the community...
Ben in Miami this weekend for The Giving Back Fundraiser event -
The Giving Back Fund and producer/director Michael Bay will host approximately 300 celebrities, athletes, and business leaders in an invitation-only cocktail and dinner fundraiser at the director's home on Saturday, February 6th, 2010.
The event will raise money for The Giving Back Fund's philanthropic programs.
Guests include Ben, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Taylor, Adam Sandler, Jay Cutler, Jennifer Lopez, Chace Crawford, Matthew Morrison, Eli Manning, Kristin Cavallari, Aaron Rogers, and Jerry Bruckheimer.
For more information on the event, click here.
*Thank you to Jan!
January 31, 2010
Ben & the Steelers on NFL Network...
Check out the schedule for the month of February -
Today at 3pm:
Super Bowl XL, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Seattle Seahawks - Hines Ward propels the Steelers to victory over the Seahawks in Super Bowl XL February 5, 2006 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.
Today at 4:30pm (and again Feb. 6th at 9:30pm; Feb. 13th at 1:00 pm; Feb. 15th at 9:00 am & 3:30 pm):
Super Bowl XLIII, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals - Ben Roethlisberger leads the Steelers to a dramatic come-from-behind victory in a wild back-and-forth game that set 12 Super Bowl records; Pittsburgh secured its record 6th Super Bowl with the win.
Friday, Feb. 5th at 8:30pm; Feb. 9th at 8:00pm; Feb. 10th at 2:00pm:
Best of the Decade: The 2000s - The most memorable moments, plays, and players from the past ten years come to life through the images and sound of NFL Films, which names its Player, Coach, Team and Play of the Decade.
Monday, Feb. 8th at 6:00am; Feb. 9th at 4:30pm; Feb. 15th at 9:00pm; Feb. 16th at 12:00 am, 2:00pm & 6:00pm; Feb 20th at 12:00 pm,
America's Game: 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers - Re-live the story of the 2008 Steelers through the eyes of Mike Tomlin, Ben Roethlisberger and Troy Polamalu. Narrated by Jon Hamm.
Friday, Feb. 12th at 6:30pm:
Weekly Countdown - 2009 Season: NFL Weekly Countdown looks at the most exciting moments from the 2009 NFL season.
Thursday, February 18th at 9:30 pm; February 19th at 2:30 pm & 6:30 pm; February 20th at 4:00 pm:
NFL Films Presents - Renegade: Learn why the Styx song, Renegade, is the battle cry of the Steelers (includes a short interview with Ben).
Thursday, Feb. 25th at 12:30 pm:
Hey Rookie - Welcome to the NFL - 2004: Through NFL Films exclusive access, the one-hour special tracks the transformation of Kevin Jones (Lions), Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers) and Dunta Robinson (Texans) as they go from college superstars to rookies trying to make their way in the NFL.
Thursday, February 25th at 8:00 pm & 11:00 pm; February 26th at 2:00 am:
Top 10 Rookie Seasons: Fast-paced series providing an irreverent look at some of the most intriguing subjects in the NFL, Top 10 delves deep into the subject matter using interviews and imagery to put them in context and answer the "why" of the order.
To check NFL Network's full schedule, click here.
And as fan Molly Mellot reminded me: Sometimes what NFL Network has on their online schedule and what service providers (like cable networks and especially DISH networks) have can be "flip-flopped". So if you don't see the show in the time slot stated above, check out the next time slot - you just might see it playing an hour later than scheduled!
January 27, 2010
Ben makes the 2010 Sports Power 100 list
From Bloomberg Business Week today:
In today’s sports world, power is about more than speed and strength. It’s also about how to sell.
What is power? In athletics, it is usually thought of as bulging muscles and dominating performance. But in sports today, power has a different meaning as well: the earning potential of athletes, owners, agents, communities and brands, ranging from breakfast cereal to beer.
Because so much money is at stake, the question for general managers and brand managers alike is, "Which athlete?"
To determine who the 100 most powerful athletes are on and off the field, Bloomberg BusinessWeek teamed with CSE, formerly known as Career Sports & Entertainment, an integrated sports and entertainment company that connects brands with fans, and Bloomberg BusinessWeek columnist Rick Horrow of Horrow Sports Ventures and host of "The Sports Take with Sports Professor Rick Horrow," to create the 2010 version of the Power 100.
Unlike previous Power 100s, this year’s would focus only on athletes -- not owners, agents, commissioners or coaches. On- field metrics included athletes who scored the best on the field (or the rink, greens or court) over a two-year period. The more popular the sport, the more weight those achievements garnered.
Ben, who came in 54th in power ranking, shares the list with other superstar athletes such as Tiger Woods (1st), LeBron James (2nd), Albert Pujols (4th), Peyton (5th) and Eli Manning (18th), Steve Nash (55th), Alex Rodriguez (61st), Shaquille O’Neal (9th), Joe Mauer (19th), Tony Stewart (48th), Tom Brady (30th), Derek Jeter (33rd), Lorena Ochoa (56th), Chad Ochocinco (98th), Tony Romo (76th), Sidney Crosby (39th), and fellow teammate Troy Polamalu (69th).
Speaking of Big Ben...
From an article on Chaminade-Madonna College Prep quarterback Jerrard Randall that appeared in the Go Blue Wolverine Magazine:
Hollywood (FLA) Chaminade junior quarterback Jerrard Randall might end up being the top quarterback prospect in the 2011 Florida class, and college recruiters are taking notice. Randall had an amazing junior season, leading Chaminade deep into the playoffs, and establishing himself as a player to watch.
Although he is drawing comparisons to NFL quarterbacks Donovan McNabb and Troy Smith, he prefers to name another NFL great he likes to copy.
"I like Ben Roethlisberger, because I like to make plays with my legs, to keep plays alive," he stressed. "I'm a big Steeler fan, and he's my favorite player. I like the way he stays patient in the pocket and makes plays."
And from an article in the Mobile Press-Register today on Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike:
Before coming to the Senior Bowl, Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike visited with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and picked his brain.
Pike said the chat with Roethlisberger, set up by his agent, was insightful.
"In making the transition (to pro football), he told me what to expect at the Senior Bowl -- even though he left (college) early and didn't play in the game -- and what to expect at the (NFL) combine," Pike said. "He told me, 'Be yourself, don't hide anything, just let people get to know you.'"
More on Tony Pike...
Pike's impact on Cincinnati's unblemished regular season was obvious. He earned first-team All-Big East honors and was named the 2009 Male Athlete of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Columbus, Ohio. He ended his career by throwing for at least one touchdown in 17 consecutive games and collected 5,018 passing yards and 49 touchdown throws in 27 career games. He holds the school record for completion percentage (61.7).
Now he wants to prove he's ready to play at the pro level.
Mike Mayock of the NFL Network currently ranks Pike as the fifth-best quarterback in the NFL draft, tied with North teammate Dan LeFevour.
To read the rest, click here.
January 19-20, 2010 - *See Update Below
"You can throw Ben Roethlisberger in there, too."
From an article today by CBS Sports senior writer Chris Judge entitled, "Rivers still needs title shot to join super elite":
A couple of months ago I was talking to a San Diego radio talk-show host when he asked if there were any quarterback out there I'd rather have than the Chargers' Philip Rivers.
"Is this a trick question?" I asked.
I was assured it was not.
"OK, then, give me Peyton Manning or Tom Brady," I said. "You can throw Ben Roethlisberger in there, too."
And now he knows why.
Manning, Brady and Roethlisberger have won big games. In fact, they have won six Super Bowls, including five of the past six. Rivers not only hasn't won one, he hasn't been to one. And until he does he cannot and will not be included in a dialogue of today's elite quarterbacks.
But let's say it doesn't. That doesn't mean he won't be recognized some day as one of the game's best.
When you're talking about the best of the best of the best in today's NFL, Philip Rivers will always take the chair behind Manning, Brady and Roethlisberger. Sorry, but that's just how it goes.
Look, don't get me wrong. I'd love to have Philip Rivers quarterback my team. The guy is an outstanding quarterback, a solid teammate and someone who is smart with the football. More than that, he's one of the best and most gracious interviews on the planet. But I'd love to have Manning, Brady and Roethlisberger on my team more, and last weekend's loss to the New York Jets underscored why.
Philip Rivers is one of the game's outstanding quarterbacks and maybe ... OK, probably ... one of its top five. But let me ask you this: You have one game to win and one quarterback to choose. So who is it? Manning? Check. Brady? I'll second that. Roethlisberger? Another big 10-4.
Rivers has plenty of time to catch up. He's 29, with a franchise that is so rock solid it won 11 or more games in three of its last four seasons. Plus, he improves every year. But while the gap between him and the upper echelon has narrowed, a gap still remains because Rivers and the Chargers haven't figured out how to make it to a Super Bowl -- and wait 'til next year, folks.
To read the entire article, click here.
*WEDNESDAY UPDATE: Ben opts out of Pro Bowl
From Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh-Post Gazette:
Ben Roethlisberger declined an invitation this week to play in the Pro Bowl because of a right shoulder injury.
Tom Brady backed out of his spot on the AFC roster for the Pro Bowl, which will be held Jan. 31 in Miami, because of various minor injuries.
As the first alternate, Roethlisberger was offered Brady's spot on the roster. However, the Steelers quarterback declined, a club spokesman said, because doctors advised him to get his shoulder "100 percent."
To read Mr. Bouchette's complete report, click here.
January 18, 2010
Big Ben on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Ben's jersey and gloves from his 503-yard game on December 20th were put on display earlier today at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
That game, a win against the Green Bay Packers was Ben's first career 500-yard passing game. He not only broke a Steelers' franchise record, but he became just the 10th quarterback since 1950 to throw for 500 or more yards in a game.
He also became one of only three quarterbacks (Pro Football Hall of Famers Y.A. Tittle in 1962; and Warren Moon in 1990) in NFL history to throw for at least 500-yards and three touchdowns without an interception in a game.
To see photos of the display, click here.
To see other photos on their main site, click here.
*Thank you to Lexi!
January 16-18, 2010 - Winner Update!
2010 Calendar Caption Contest
Can you think of a creative caption for this photo from the 2005 season?
If so, send it to me (bigbennewssite@yahoo.com)!
The caption can be as simple or as detailed as you like. You can include just one quote, or one for everybody in the photo.
The winner will receive a 2010 Ben Roethlisberger wall calendar and will have their caption added to the photo in the site's gallery.
Trish, the site manager for both Brett-Keisel.com and Heath-Miller.com, and Jan, the site manager for TroyPolamaluFans.com, have offered to help me select a winner once again.
The deadline to get your caption ideas in is this Monday, January 18th at 12 noon.
The winning caption and the runners up will be posted right here on the news page later that afternoon.
If you'd like to see a larger version of the photo, click here.
You can see the rest of the album here.
You can check out the wall calendar here.
*Remember, this is a kid-friendly site, captions must be appropriate in order to be considered!
JANUARY 18TH UPDATE: WE HAVE A WINNER!
Congratulations to Sarah Swenson who sent in the winning entry. Sarah not only added captions to include a few others in the photo, but she also poked fun at a certain rival player who "re-named" himself in a similar fashion:
Ben: "Randle! I will NOT be changing my name to 'Siete'!"
Coach (seen in the larger version here): " 'Atta boy, Ben!"
Randle El: "I'm tellin' you, it'll fit on your jersey much better..."
Hines: (muttered under breath) "Not THIS again!"
Our runners-up:
1. "I told you, it's not a girdle: It's a form-fitting, protective, rib wrap that also happens to be slimming!" -- Kelli
2. "What? You're thinking of going to the 'Skins? You'll never be heard from again." -- Nanit
3. "I'm not only taller than you, I'm better-looking, too!" -- Rebecca
Thank you to everyone who sent in entries, and thank you to both Trish and Jan for helping me select a winner!
January 12, 2010
Ben on the cover...
...of the Sports Illustrated 2010 Almanac!
"America's favorite sports almanac, now in its 19th year, is as fact-filled and fun as ever. Packed with stats, standings, and historical data from SPORTS ILLUSTRATED's award-winning staff, this is the essential reference book for every fan."
Ben shares the cover with Albert Pujols, Tiger Woods and Usain Bolt.
The Almanac includes:
-- 2009 baseball playoffs and World Series.
-- 88-page pro football section incudes year-by-year NFL standings back to 1920 as well as game recaps for Super Bowls I to XLIII.
-- Year-in-review calendar revisits the highlights and low points of 2009.
-- Annual results from many professional and amateur sports, including Little League baseball, lacrosse, volleyball, and many more.
-- Year-by-year and 2009 results from NASCAR, IRL, and Formula One.
The Almanac is available now wherever books are sold. To order your copy online from Amazon.com, click here.
You can see a larger version of the cover here.
Also Today:
From the January 10th mailbag of Walter Scott, the Washington Post's long-time Parade Magazine writer:
Q: "Do any NFL quarterbacks still call their own plays? If so, which ones?"
Mr. Scott: "Thanks to helmet microphones, very few do anymore. CBS commentator and former New York Giants great Phil Simms tells us: 'The two that come the closest are the Colts' Peyton Manning and the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger probably has called more of his own plays this year than anybody in pro football. But the quarterback, no matter how successful and powerful he is, has to work within the rules. And coaches rule.'"
*Thank you to Tara for sending this!
Quote of the Day:
"When a play breaks down and Ben Roethlisberger looks like he's a calf trying to avoid getting roped, he looks up the field, processes the situation and fires a bullet to Santonio Holmes and 15 minutes later he and the Steelers are standing on a podium accepting the Lombardi Trophy." -- Xtra Point Football, a review of the Jets vs. Chargers game.
January 10, 2010
"Never, Ever Quit"
Jane Hoeppner, the wife of Ben's beloved college football coach, has written a book with Indiana sportswriter Terry Hutchens entitled, "Never, Ever Quit - Surviving and Thriving Amidst Adversity".
This inspirational book not only chronicles the struggles she and her husband faced during his 18-month battle with brain cancer, but her struggles after his passing in 2007, and how she was able to face both head-on by relying on her faith in God.
Below are excerpts from Chapter 7 of the book, posted with permission:
"Play 13"
The 2007 football season is one that Indiana fans will never forget. Needless to say, I'm right there with them. It was an emotion-packed season for the players and coaches alike.
With pre-season camp starting only 6 weeks after Terry died, their focus was exactly where it needed to be. The players were steadfast in their goal to honor their former coach by "Playing 13" (12 regular season games plus a bowl game).
Getting to a bowl game was one of Terry's goals when we arrived at Bloomington. "Strive for perfection, and settle for excellence" was how he described his work ethic.
As for the season itself, everything that year built up to the Old Oaken Bucket game. When IU beat Ball State in a non-conference game the tenth week of the season, we became bowl eligible with six wins. But to really realize the goal to "Play 13" most people felt we needed to beat Purdue in the season ending match up at Memorial Stadium.
Game time finally arrived and it appeared from the opening kickoff that everything was going our way. For most of the first three quarters, we had it our way. We led 24-3 and the atmosphere was festive among Hoosier fans. I remember thinking this was going well, but I've been around this game long enough to not allow myself to feel overconfident.
At the end of the third quarter I realized why I was feeling that way. The momentum of the contest changed very quickly, and Purdue came back and tied it 24-all.
I remember looking at the clock and thinking, "That's more than enough time to do what we need to do."
It couldn't have possibly been a more dramatic finish for an emotion-filled season. (Kicker) Austin Starr, as it turned out, was the man of the hour. I'll hear the voice of legendary IU play-by-play announcer Don Fischer making that call on the IU Radio Network forever, "The snap, the hold, the kick. IT'S GOOD! IT'S GOOD! AND THE HOOSIERS PLAY 13!!".
When I think about the Bucket game, I can't help but think of something our friend (Indiana State Police Sergeant) Curt Durnil told us afterwards. He told me that he was standing on the sidelines at the end of the game with his stomach churning like everybody else's. He said he felt like after all they had been through, something was going to happen and Purdue was going to be able to sneak the game away from us. Then he said he looked to his right and he saw Coach Hep standing there looking out onto the field. He said he could see the left side of Coach's face, and he remembered the whole thing in remarkable detail. He said Coach had on his white IU hat and was wearing his red pullover.
He said he felt like Hep must have known what he was feeling because he lifted his right hand out of the fold it was in, grinned that Hep half-grin, pointed to the field and said, "Watch this."
We were stunned at hearing this, but when he said, "Watch this" we lost it. That phrase means something special in our family. In 2003 at Miami we lost the first game, but went on to win the next 13 in a row.
Late in the season we trailed Kent State, and it was in the closing minutes of the game. The offense was getting ready to take the field and Coach was giving last second instructions. Right then, Ben Roethlisberger walked across Terry's line of view to the field and said, "Watch this."
He then marched them down the field and scored to win the game. Terry loved to tell that story and that phrase became one of our family's favorites. And now for Curt to repeat those words made us all shake our heads and smile and cry. Curt still believes today that he saw what he saw and will never forget that moment he had with Coach Hep.
*Thank you so much to Christy for my copy, and to Mrs. Hoeppner for the lovely inscription and permission to post on the site!
There are so many beautiful chapters in this book, it was hard to find just one to post.
You can purchase your copy from Barnes & Noble, click here.
You can also purchase it from Amazon.com by clicking here.
Mrs. Hoeppner is co-founder of the Indiana Coach Hep Cancer Challenge: a run, walk, bike event that raises money for cancer research.
To learn more about the Challenge, click here.
Have you read Mr. Hutchin's book on Coach Hoeppner (with the Foreword written by Ben)?
The book, "Hep Remembered: Memories of Terry Hoeppner From Those Who Knew Him" can be purchased here and here.
To learn about the Coach Hep Scholarship Fund, click here.
Indiana State Police Sergeant Curt Durnil developed Project PASS (Pro-Active Safety & Security), which provides security for the coaches, team, doctors, athletic directors, and staff of Indiana University.
To learn more, click here.
January 10, 2010
Good Luck to the Thomas Jefferson Jaguars!
As I posted on December 18th, the Jaguars play in the "Big Dog Bowl" tomorrow!
And from a more recent article that appeared in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
A youth football team from Jefferson Hills is packing up for the ultimate road trip, and members have the unlikely pair of Ben Roethlisberger and rap star Snoop Dogg to thank.
The Thomas Jefferson Youth Football League's Little Jaguars don't have their own practice field, but managed to play well enough this season to score an invitation to the Big Dog Bowl, a championship tournament in California organized by the rap star.
The Steelers' quarterback put up $17,000 in airfare, hotels and other transportation costs to send the team's 24 players and four coaches to Los Angeles for the Jan. 9 game.
In what organizers are billing as the youthful rematch of last year's Pittsburgh Steelers-Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl, the Jaguars are slated to take on the Glendale, Ariz., Bandits.
The Jaguars will be the only East Coast squad competing in the 26-team field. They were invited after going undefeated to win the 2009 championship in the 10-year-old category of the multiconference South Suburban Youth Football League in November. That league covers much of Western Pennsylvania, including Bethel Park, West Mifflin, West Allegheny and Montour.
"Ben came through like a champion for us," said [Team coordinator Dominic] Serapiglia, of Jefferson Hills, whose son Dominic III is on the team. "When athletes do something that's not right, they get put under a microscope. but I think that he's done something so right for these kids that he needs to be put in the spotlight."
To read the entire article, click here.
To read more about the 'Big Dog Bowl', check here.
Quote of the Day:
Coach Tomlin today, when asked if he was surprised that Ben won the team MVP award -
"Not at all. Ben is well-respected in the locker room. He’s a quality quarterback and leader. Guys respect what he's capable of doing and what he does for us, not only inside stadiums but also here at the practice facility and outside of here as well."
January 4, 2010
Vote for Ben...
...for FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week again!
Finalists for the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week honors for games played on January 3, 2010 are:
1. Ben Roethlisberger - Completed 18 of 27 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns in the Steelers' 30-24 win over the Miami Dolphins.
2. Jay Culter , Chicago Bears - Completed 22 of 36 passes for 276 yards and four touchdowns in the Bears' 37-23 win over the Detroit Lions.
3. Brett Favre , Minnesota Vikings - Threw four touchdowns, completing 25 of 31 passes for 316 yards, in the Vikings' 44-7 win over the New York Giants.
Ben won the honor in Week 15 (see December 27th news below), let's make sure he wins it in Week 17!
Click here for the NFL.com video highlights of Ben's performance Sunday AND to cast your vote!
*Thanks Trish!
Speaking of Week 15...
From Sports Illustrated's NFL Record-Breaking Moments of 2009 slide-show today:
9. "No player in league history had thrown for over 500 yards and capped it with a game-winning touchdown throw in the fourth quarter of the same game until Big Ben did so against Green Bay in Week 15. Roethlisberger finished with 503 yards."
To check out the rest of SI.com's slide-show, click here.
*Thanks Lexi!
Also Today:
"Favre, Brees, Rivers, Rodgers and Big Ben hit QB triple crown"
From an article in the Los Angeles Times:
The Minnesota Vikings acquired Brett Favre to get them to their first Super Bowl in more than three decades.
He led them to a 12-4 record and the NFC North title and showed he's still one of the top quarterbacks in the game. He was one of five QBs to finish the regular season with at least 4,000 yards passing, 25 TDs passing and a QB rating of at least 100.
Favre was joined by the Saints' Drew Brees, the Chargers' Philip Rivers, the Packers' Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger.
The regular season featured 10 QBs with at least 4,000 yards passing, 12 with at least 25 TDs passing, and five with QB ratings of at least 100. All are records for a single season.
Quote of the Day:
"I felt like we had our moments where we were unstoppable, we had moments we stopped ourselves and moments when the defense stopped us." -- Ben, summing up the 2009 Steelers season.
January 3, 2010 - Game Update
Steelers 30, Dolphins 24
"Ben, you are one tough hombre!"-- CBS color announcer and NFL HOF lineman Dan Dierdorf, remarking on Ben's decision to stay in the game after injuring his shoulder in the fourth quarter.
Ben finished 18-of-27 for 220 yards, and 3 TDs in a 30-24 win over the Dolphins, raising the Steelers' record to 9-7. However, they were eliminated from the playoff race after the Baltimore Ravens beat the Oakland Raiders later in the afternoon.
"I'd rather we go out with a win than a loss," said Ben after the game.
Rashard Mendenhall and Willie Parker combined for 185 yards on the ground. Heath Miller had 5 catches for 56 yards, Mike Wallace had 2 catches for 64 yards, and Santonio Holmes had 1 catch for 5 yards.
"We didn't do what we were supposed to do and take care of our business," Santonio Holmes said. "Therefore we have to suffer with what happens."
Ben cleared 4,000 yards for the first time in his career this season (4,328 yards), and his 26 touchdowns are the second most in his career.
Plenty of Steelers fans stayed with their team until the end. There was black and gold throughout the stadium, and the visiting team provided lots to cheer about.
But the crowd grew silent when Dolphins quarterback Pat White, who came in for the injured Chad Henne, was carted off the field with a head injury following a helmet-to-helmet collision with Ike Taylor. White did move his arms and legs before leaving the field after an eight-minute delay, and was taken to a hospital for examination.
White landed flat on his stomach and was lying still following the collision near the Steelers sideline prompting Coach Tomlin and several Steelers players to immediately begin waving for help.
Air rescue was initally called, but canceled. He was transported by ground to Broward General Hospital and initial reports are that he suffered a concussion.
A group of Steelers players knelt together in prayer as trainers and paramedics readied White for transport off the field.
"It's a scary, scary thing," said Ben, who stood nearby with Dolphins players while White was being attended to. "I started to get emotional thinking about it. I went to him and told him to keep his head up and everything will be OK."
Ben suffered an injury of his own in the fourth quarter, although not nearly as serious, as he reached for the football on the ground during a fumble. It appeared that the Dolphins' Joey Porter fell on and then rolled over his shoulder during the frenzy to take possession of the ball. He did not leave the game, but was in obvious pain on the next offensive series in which he threw just three short passes.
For now, there is no news from the team on the extent of his injury.
As for the season, Coach Tomlin was proud of how his team rallied back at the end, "There are a lot of teams that are capable of going 6-10 facing the circumstances this group was faced with," he said during his post-game press conference. "They knuckled down, they hung together. They did the best of their ability to fix it. We won the last three ball games and gave ourselves a chance."
To see video highlights of Ben's performance, click here.
To see game photos, click here.
January 3, 2010
"A steely resolve" and that pump fake...
From an article in the Sun-Sentinel News by Mike Berardino:
Big Ben doesn't just give an obligatory fake to help his receivers come open. He wraps his long fingers around the laces and whips his arm forward at normal speed until somehow, at the very last second, he recoils and reloads.
"You would think the ball was going to come out," Dolphins safety Tyrone Culver says. "He's really good at it. It's definitely a weapon when it comes to playing deep."
Think of some of Roethlisberger's most famous game-winning throws, whether it be the one to Santonio Holmes in the corner of the end zone to win the last Super Bowl or the one to rookie Mike Wallace that beat Green Bay two weeks ago.
Odds are Big Ben gave one of his patented pump fakes before releasing the ball.
Thanks to the pump fake – along with his physical size (6 feet 5 and 241 pounds) and durability – Roethlisberger is able to keep plays alive long enough to put extreme pressure on opposing secondaries.
"I don't know if there's anybody better at the pump fake or pulling the ball down and extending the play," Dolphins defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni says. "The thing that's different to me, with a lot of quarterbacks there's a clock that's in their head. I don't think this guy's got a clock in his head."
This is meant as a compliment.
"Six seconds will go by, and he's not looking to get rid of the ball," Pasqualoni says. "He's looking to extend the play and to make a play for as long as he can. The pump fake is with it. Sometimes he looks, he says, 'Ah, not quite,' he pulls it back down and he starts to move around again to buy more time."
Roethlisberger has been sacked a league-high 47 times this year, but those blows haven't given him happy feet or tempted him to shelve the pump fake as one of his leading weapons.
"He's got a steely resolve," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says. "He's a competitor. He doesn't mind standing in there and taking calculated risks. It's part of his makeup."
The Dolphins like to mix things up enough on defense that they have been warned all week not to let Big Ben's pump fake get the best of them.
To read the entire article, click here.
December 31, 2009 / January 1, 2010 - Happy New Year!
Big Ben is Steelers MVP
Ben has been chosen as the Pittsburgh Steelers' Most Valuable Player by his teammates for the first time in his six-season career.
After practice Thursday afternoon with his team huddled around him, coach Mike Tomlin announced that their quarterback had won the honor after a morning vote of the players.
"This means more to me than any other award. It tops them all," Ben said during his short press conference after the award was announced. "It was touching. I had to hold back some emotions when coach said it."
He has thrown for a team-record 4,108 yards with a game remaining Sunday at Miami, has 23 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions and a 98.9 passer rating this season!
Ben also set several other team passing records: single-season completions (319), passing yards in a single game (503), and five 300-yard passing games in a season.
"Ben's had a great year," tight end Heath Miller said. "I don't know what all his statistics are. But it has to be one of the best seasons in franchise history. So that's something Ben should be proud of. I think his value to this team is pretty apparent."
Congratulations to Ben!
Quotes of the Day:
"The only surprising thing about Ben Roethlisberger earning the Steelers MVP award today is that it is the quarterback's first such honor." -- Ed Bouchette, from his article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette this afternoon.
"That was my first start and how nervous and literally scared I was sitting in that locker room, feeling like I was going to throw up because I just didn't know what to do." -- Ben, reminiscing on his first start in 2004 against the Miami Dolphins as he prepares to return this Sunday (also from Mr. Bouchette's article).
Check out the article by Mike Bires on Ben's award at the Beaver County Times.
December 30, 2009
Pro Bowl Update
Ben selected as first alternate...
From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette this afternoon:
Roethlisberger along with linebacker LaMarr Woodley and tight end Heath Miller all were selected as first alternates at their positions for the AFC team in the Jan. 31 game in Miami.
Each would join the squad if one player at their positions bows out and since no player from the AFC team in the Super Bowl will play in the Pro Bowl, there is a good possibility one or all could join teammates James Harrison and Casey Hampton who have been named to the all-star squad.
To read Mr. Bouchette's complete report, click here.
To see the Pro Bowl rosters, click here.
Also Today:
Ben's conference call to the Miami press...
On the use of the pump fake: "You have to use it to your advantage to get [defensive backs] or linebackers to bite on something. But sometimes I am actually going to throw it, and at the last minute I decide to hold onto the ball."
On whether the success with the pump fake is due to his "really" large hands: "I do have big hands. Obviously they aren't the biggest in the NFL or anything like that. I have big hands and [good] hand strength from playing baseball, basketball, fishing and all that stuff."
On how he would describe the Steelers' season: "[It's] been a little bit of a roller coaster, ups and downs. Seems like when our offense was playing good, our defense wasn't, and when our defense was playing good, our offense wasn’t - .and [we] just couldn't put it all together."
On playing well against the better teams in the league, and yet poorly against some of the lesser teams: "I guess it is true, any given Sunday. It is hard for me, I don't like to say that we played bad and we lost the game because that takes away from the other team, but when you don't play your best football it shows."
On Mike Wallace's performance: "He has had a great year. As a rookie, you never know what to expect but he is a good, hard worker. He wants to be the best, and just like a kid who tries and corrects his errors."
On whether he believes the idea of the "Super Bowl hangover": "I don't think so. People have asked me that many times and talked about it before the season. I don't believe in that, I don't think this team had that."
On the team's playoff chances: "I have no clue. I am the wrong guy to ask about that. We've got to try win this Sunday. None of it really matters if we don't win Sunday, so that is my singular focus."
On his observations of the Dolphins defense: "Things I am used to seeing early in my career with Joey [Porter]. Joey making plays...and Jason Taylor. Obviously the two young quarterbacks are playing phenomenal football. It is a very good defense, it is complicated. You have to try and watch enough film. And today, going through our walk through...it is going to be an interesting week of practice."
On whether they miss Joey Porter: "Yea, Joey is a great football player. I am a better player because of Joey Porter. It was a pleasure to have him as a teammate and I always said when he was here that I never wanted to go against him. I have had to a couple of times now and it's not fun because he is such a great football player.
"Joey is a guy on defense, well not as just a player but as a leader too. Being a vocal guy, I just watch and observe him. I don’t get into some of the loud bantering that he does but just how to talk to guys and get guys motivated and fired up. And on the football field Joey was always a guy that was constantly right there, always in the backfield, always making plays and making me play with my legs... throwing the ball quicker than I have had to, things that disruptive defensive guys do."
On how long it took him to get comfortable throwing the touch pass: "I feel like I have always been able to do it. I don't think that you can teach a touch pass. You either have it or you don't. I could be completely wrong but that is my opinion on it.
"My dad was a quarterback, I always was the quarterback, I just never got a chance to play it."
On Rashard Mendenhall's performance this season: "He has played great. Not playing the first couple of games. He's done a great job of developing not just as a runner, but picking up blitzes, doing the intangibles you like in an all-around back, and I think he has become a great one."
On playing for Coach Tomlin: "He is a players' coach. He is fun, we like playing for him. He listens to the players and [their] advice. It doesn't mean he is always going to do it, but you feel like you can go talk to him about anything."
*Thanks Trish!
Quote of the Day:
"Got robbed: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger surpassed 4,000 yards for the first time in his NFL career. But it was not enough to get a Pro Bowl nod." -- ESPN's Bill Williamson, from his blog this morning.
December 29, 2009 - Evening Update (*see below)
SI's "The Decade in Sports"...
From Peter King's list of highlights at SI.com:
BEST PLAYOFF GAME (NON-SUPER BOWL):
Steelers 21, Colts 18; 2005 AFC Divisional Game
Strangest game of the decade, too. The Colts, once 13-0 and a near-lock to get to the Super Bowl, instead didn't even win a playoff game. But they certainly were in position to do it.
With a minute to go, Pittsburgh led 21-18 and was going for the kill shot. Sure-handed Jerome Bettis whammed into the middle of the Indy line for the insurance touchdown. Bam! The ball popped out on a hit by linebacker Gary Brackett. Living rooms all over America exploded. Nick Harper picked up the ball -- the same Nick Harper who'd been stabbed in the knee in a domestic dispute a day earlier -- and instead of waiting for a blocker to help, he sprinted up the middle of the field as Ben Roethlisberger, backpedaling, tried to get into position for a game-saving tackle. And Big Ben got a paw on Harper, forcing him into a stumbling fall at the Colts' 42. Still time. Plenty of time. Manning got the Colts into field-goal range to tie and send it to overtime, but Vanderjagt was wide right from 46 yards. Steelers exhale. Steelers win.
BEST SUPER BOWL:
Steelers 27, Cardinals 23; XLIII
The Steelers led 20-7 with 10 minutes left, and the sixth Super Bowl in Pittsburgh's glorious history was a foregone conclusion ... or was it? The Steelers' defense let the suddenly no-huddling Cardinals drive the length of the field twice in an eight-minute span, and, adding a safety, Arizona took a 23-20 led with 2:30 to play. A penalty on first down left the Steelers with first-and-20 at their 12-yard line. Now for the corny line about Ben Roethlisberger etching his name into Steelers lore forever.
Big Ben drove the Steelers 88 yards, the final six coming on a you-had-to-see-it-to-believe-it catch and toe drag in the corner of the end zone by Santonio Holmes. Now, Giants fans will go crazy at me for picking this as the best game, but it had the best defensive play ever (James Harrison's 100-yard interception return for a touchdown) and, along with Joe Montana's drive to beat the Bengals a generation earlier, the best winning touchdown and winning catch.
BEST COORDINATOR:
Dick LeBeau, Bills and Steelers
With the Bills in 2003, he parachuted in and built the league's No. 2 defense. (Buffalo shut out the Pats in the season opener.) Then he went to Pittsburgh, refined his fire-zone concepts (linemen dropping in coverage, back-seven players rushing) with solid talent, and in three of the five years that followed, he had the top defense. What's more, his players borderline-worship him. Five current and former Steelers defenders have pushed me to select LeBeau for the Hall of Fame when his candidacy comes up this year.
* Dick LeBeau, Hines Ward and Aaron Smith also made Mr. King's Team of the Decade, to see the full list click here.
To read Peter King's entire list of picks for "The Decade in Sports" click here.
Reminder:
The 2010 Pro Bowl Selection Show is this evening on NFL Network.
The show airs at 7:00 p.m. ET. You can also check in at NFL.com for the player selections.
Host Rich Eisen, alongside seven-time Pro Bowlers Marshall Faulk and Warren Sapp announce the 86 selections. The 2010 Pro Bowl will be played Sunday, January 31 at Dolphin Stadium in South Florida.
For more info, click here.
*PRO BOWL UPDATE: Ben was NOT selected for the 2010 Pro Bowl despite ranking fourth in the conference with a 98.9 passer rating and fifth in passing yards with 4,108 - a Steelers record. He is only the 10th player in NFL history to throw for more than 500-yards in a game and only the third quarterback in NFL history (Pro Football Hall of Famers Y.A. Tittle and Warren Moon) to throw for at least 500 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in a game!
To see the rosters, click here.
Quote of the Day:
"Ben does a great job of getting out of your hands. That's the only thing we have to fix. Other than that, we did a great job as a defensive line."-- Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, from today's Ravens Notebook.
December 27, 2009
Steelers 23, Ravens 20
The reigning Super Bowl champs kept their play-off hopes alive for another week with a tense victory over the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field today.
"It's been do or die for us for a while, fighting to the last minute. We're like the cardiac kids," said Ben after the game. "It doesn't matter how you win, as long as you win."
Ben completed 17-of-33 for 259 yards, one touchdown and one interception, Rashard Mendenhall ran for a score, and Santonio Holmes scored once on five catches for 86 yards for the Steelers (8-7), who have won two straight.
Jeff Reed was 3-for-3 on field goal attempts.
Joe Flacco found Todd Heap for two touchdowns, but the Ravens killed themselves with penalties totalling 113 yards hindering their chances.
Once again, the Steelers found a way to win.
"All I know, we don't have a chance unless we win," defensive end Brett Keisel said. "We can't think about what can happen or who [else] needs to win, all we need to think about is winning ourselves, because if we don't do that none of it is possible.”
Game Stats:
- Ben became the first Steelers QB in franchise history to eclipse 4,000 passing yards (4,108).
- Santonio Holmes has a 8 receiving TDs in his last 7 games vs. Baltimore.
- Rashard Mendenhall went over 1,000 rushing yards on the season in the game.
- The Ravens have lost 9 of their last 10 games in Pittsburgh.
Ben spoke to the individual achievements, "It's awesome to have the 1,000-yard rusher, and the 2,000-yard receivers, for Heath [Miller] to catch more balls than any tight end - all those things are awesome. For me, I don't really care about the individual things. It's an honor, but I think what it does, it speaks volumes about this offense and how dynamic and potent it is. That's why I sit there and laugh when people talk about Bruce Arians and his offense. We have one of the most dynamic offenses in the league. I think it's something that people should lay off him about now."
The Steelers, who finished the season with a 6-2 home mark, play at Miami next Sunday.
To check out Ben's post-game interview, click here.
To check out Coach Tomlin's post-game press conference, click here.
To see game photos, click here.
And:
Congratulations to Ben...
He won the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week for last week!
Ben completed 29 of 46 passes for 503 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winning score as time expired, in the Steelers' 37-36 win over the Green Bay Packers.
Running back Jerome Harrison of the Cleveland Browns won the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week. rushed 34 times for 286 yards, the third-most rushing yards in a single game in NFL history, and had three touchdowns in the Browns' 41-34 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Ben and Jerome Harrison were selected from among six finalists in Air and Ground categories. The other FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week finalists were quarterbacks Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens and Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts and running backs Jamaal Charles of the Kansas City Chiefs and Jonathan Stewart of the Carolina Panthers.
*Thank you to everyone who placed votes for Big Ben!
Quote of the Day:
"You're trying to get me to put some billboard material up, huh? You guys are not going to get me on that." -- Ben, when asked by a Baltimore Sun sports writer (prior to the game) whether the Steelers have a mental edge over the Ravens at Heinz Field.
Whine of the Day:
"For all the things Dick Enberg and Dan Fouts did well in their CBS telecast of Sunday's game between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, I can't get past Enberg repeatedly referring to Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as 'Big Ben.' I stopped counting after the tenth time he said 'Big Ben' instead of Roethlisberger in the first half, and I would have turned the sound off right then, If I didn't have to review the telecast." -- Baltimore Sun critic David Zurawik in his blog today.
December 25, 2009 - Merry Christmas!
"Steel City Dreams"
A Super Bowl XLIII poem written by long-time Steelers fan (and recent Photo Caption Contest winner) Fred Carrow, from the original "Twas the Night Before Christmas" by Clement Clarke Moore (1822):
Twas the night before the game, when all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, except for his mouse.
The posters were hung, on his walls with great care,
In hopes that Big Ben, soon would be there.
The child was nestled, all snug in his bed,
As visions of touchdowns, danced in his head.
Terrible towel for his hand, bedpost for his cap,
He and his dog, settled down for their nap.
When up on his desk, arose such a clatter,
Should he awaken, the players would scatter.
From posters and photos, the players came forth,
Rehearsing the game, this team from the North.
With halftime approaching, the cardinals were poised,
To score a touchdown, and end all this noise.
The call was to blitz, but deep in his mind,
James saw this before, and dropped in behind.
A slant to Fitzgerald, could never miscue,
Be sure to account, for this guy, ninety-two.
He slyly slipped back, and made a quick slash,
Intercepting the ball, for a one hundred yard dash.
Now Larry was game, and would never give up,
He’d run down this thief, who drank from their cup.
He could never get near, with this team that surrounds,
In order to catch him, he’d sneak out of bounds.
With a heart from the Burgh, but his apparel now red,
A pass up the middle, and the birds were ahead.
Ten peeked at the clock, its time to be great,
We’ll give it our best, and seal our own fate.
One final drive, to take back the lead,
Get Santonio the ball, and we'd surely succeed.
To the corner he ran, to the ball he did stretch,
Two toes in the zone, for the game winning catch.
He ‘woke the next morning, his visions had waned,
Twas merely a dream, yet the ticket remained?
And later that evening, his dreams they proved right,
"Seasons beatings to all and to all a good-night."
Super Bowl XLIII -- Pittsburgh 27, Arizona 23
The print featured above is also Mr. Carrow's work and was the inspiration for the poem. It can be purchased on his site. The poem accompanies each "Steel City Dreams" print purchased. To view all of his Steelers artwork, click here.
*Thank you to Mr. Carrow!
December 24, 2009 - Christmas Eve
Ben: "This team is changing on offense, we’re not a run-first team anymore."
Ben spoke to reporters yesterday before practicing in a No. 14 jersey with the name "Anderson" across the shoulders. He wore the jersey to pay tribute to his "idol" - quarterbacks coach Ken Anderson, who played for the Bengals back in the '70's.
The Steelers will wear their throwback uniforms this Sunday at Heinz Field when they face the Baltimore Ravens.
"It's a throwback game...so a couple of us decided to go with the mustaches and the '70s, '80s hair," Ben said, adding that they were trying to keep it fun and light because, "It's Christmas!".
He may have looked like a player from the past, but his focus was on the future of the Steelers:
"It's probably hard for people to wrap their heads and their fingers around, but this offense is changing," Ben said. "This team is changing on offense. It's not a run-it-first team anymore. And that's not a bad thing, it really isn't. We've got two 1,000-yard receivers. We'll have a 1,000-yard rusher. It's a pretty fun thing."
As for last Sunday's game:
"We came out and we threw the ball a bunch early. First couple of plays were passes, and I think that threw everybody for a loop. Because everybody assumed we were going to come out and run the ball, pound it...I've said that a thousand times - The league evolves. You have to keep up with the Colts and the Saints, teams like that. Because if you don't, you're going to be left behind."
You can check out video of Ben's interview here.
And:
From Mike Bires column in the Beaver County Times:
Individually, Roethlisberger is ninth in the league in passing yards (3,849), sixth in passer rating (100.6), fifth in completion percentage (67.7) and third in average yards per pass (8.6).
Besides becoming only the 10th player in NFL history to throw for more than 500 yards in a game, Roethlisberger set a Steelers’ record Sunday for most passing yards in a season. He surpassed Terry Bradshaw’ previous high of 3,724 in 1979.
Roethlisberger might set the team record for most passes in a season. He needs 74 attempts in the last two games to surpass Tommy Maddox (519) in 2003.
"It was just a classic," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said of Roethlisberger's performance against the Packers. "Ben Roethlisberger is an elite, premier quarterback in this league and he’s shown that many times before."
That's why the Steelers are a pass-first football team.
To read Mr. Bires full column, click here.
December 22-23, 2009
Cast your vote...
For Ben - FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week!
Finalists for the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week honors for games played on Dec. 17th-21st are:
1. Ben Roethlisberger - completed 29 of 46 passes for 503 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winning score as time expired, in the Steelers' 37-36 win over the Green Bay Packers.
2. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts - threw for 308 yards and four touchdowns in the Colts' 35-31 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football.
3. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens - completed 21 of 29 passes for 234 yards and four touchdowns in the Ravens' 31-7 rout of the Chicago Bears.
Click here for the NFL.com video highlights of Ben's performance Sunday night AND to cast your vote!
Offensive Player of the Week!
According to Steelers.com, Ben won AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance Sunday against the Green Bay Packers...
but Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel summed up Ben's afternoon the best:
"On a night when he was sacked five times, Roethlisberger took the Steelers on scoring drives of 60, 72, 80, 55, 47, 44 and 86 yards, the final a 2-minute, 6-second odyssey that ended up with him throwing a 19-yard game-tying touchdown to receiver Mike Wallace as time expired. Time and again, Roethlisberger squirmed out of pressure and reset outside the pocket, whipping balls downfield to receivers who had worked themselves open. When it was over, he had completed 29 of 46 passes for a Steelers franchise record 503 yards and three touchdowns."
The honor is the first this season, but marks the fifth time in his career that he has won.
Speaking of Voting...
Yesterday was the final day for voting for the 2010 Pro Bowl.
According to NFL.com, there was a record 89.87 million votes cast.
The AFC and NFC All-Star squads are based on the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches. Each group's vote counts one-third towards determining the 43-man rosters that represent the American Football Conference and National Football Conference in the Pro Bowl. NFL players and coaches will cast their votes on Dec. 22-23.
The teams will be announced on Tuesday, December 29 on a special NFL Total Access 2010 Pro Bowl Selection Show on NFL Network.
Stay tuned!
Quote of the Day:
"I don't know if we can even emphasize it anymore than we ever have. Pressure on the quarterback is always critical. It was really important last week, and I think we did a decent job of getting to [the Chicago Bears' Jay] Cutler.
"But with Ben Roethlisberger – he's a guy who handles pressure probably better than any quarterback in the league. He can make pressure miss, he can shrug pressure off, he can throw with four guys draped on him, and throw accurately. He can scramble out of the pocket. So, it just can’t be pressure. It's got to be very accurate pressure. It's got to be disciplined rush lanes, and we've got to tackle, not just him, [but] when the ball gets thrown out, their receivers do a great job of running after the catch. They catch and run, and they get up the field fast. So, we've got to be strong tacklers, treat the short passing game as the run game and make sure we tackle." -- Ravens coach John Harbaugh, from an article in today's edition of the Baltimore Sun.
December 21, 2009
"Look Kids...Big Ben!"
"It was Big Ben doing a good job of getting out of the pocket and making big plays for his teammates. Packers cornerback Tramon Williams said.It's tough out here to cover a receiver. He has a chance to run around, it's tough. He made plays for his teammates. He's a strong guy with a will to win. No matter how ugly it looks, it gets the job done." -- Packers cornerback Tramon Williams to reporters last night.
A collection of quotes about last night's game:
From Tom Silverstein, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
"Player of the Game: Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger practically willed his team to victory. On a night when he was sacked five times, Roethlisberger took the Steelers on scoring drives of 60, 72, 80, 55, 47, 44 and 86 yards, the final a 2-minute, 6-second odyssey that ended up with him throwing a 19-yard game-tying touchdown to receiver Mike Wallace as time expired. Time and again, Roethlisberger squirmed out of pressure and reset outside the pocket, whipping balls downfield to receivers who had worked themselves open. When it was over, he had completed 29 of 46 passes for a Steelers franchise record 503 yards and three touchdowns."
From Bucky Brooks, NFL Analyst, NFL.com:
"Roethlisberger joins Pro Football Hall of Famers Y.A. Tittle (1962) and Warren Moon (1990) as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for at least 500 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in a game."
From the Green Bay Press Gazette:
"Roethlisberger's 503 yards passing was the most the Packers have allowed any quarterback in team history. His passer rating of 121.9 points was the highest the Packers have allowed anyone this season other than Minnesota'a Brett Favre. The Packers were unable to stay with the Steelers' receivers, most notably Hines Ward (seven catches) and tight end Heath Miller (seven catches), once Roethlisberger broke containment."
From Don Banks, NFL Analyst, Sports Illustrated:
"I thought I was watching Ben Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes in the last seconds of February's Super Bowl all over again early Sunday evening, but it wasn't an instant replay. Just eerily close. It was Roethlisberger to rookie receiver Mike Wallace in the front left corner of the end zone this time, from 19 yards as time expired. But the result was the same: A breathtaking Pittsburgh comeback victory, 37-36 over Green Bay (9-5)."
From J.J. Cooper, NFL Fanhouse:
"Supposedly two of the NFL's best defenses faced off in Pittsburgh Sunday night. No one who watched the Steelers 37-36 last-second win will believe that, but it was clearly a face-off of two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
"Aaron Rodgers threw for 388 yards and three touchdowns for Green Bay. It was the second-best passing performance of the day--but it was 115 fewer yards than Ben Roethlisberger threw for Sunday night.
"It's also a reminder that for all of the Steelers' problems on defense and special teams, Roethlisberger is having one of the best seasons in team history."
From Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
"In the 90-year history of the NFL, only nine quarterbacks have passed for more yards in one game than the 503 that the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger hung on the Green Bay Packers yesterday. Two were journeymen -- Vince Ferragamo and Elvis Grbac. Three were or are very good players -- Boomer Esiason, Phil Simms and Drew Brees. Four were absolute legends -- Norm Van Brocklin, Warren Moon, Dan Marino and Y.A. Tittle.
"I'm thinking Roethlisberger will be among the legends before he is done.
"We're so lucky here. Each week, we get to watch one of the game's all-time greats. Each week, we know the Steelers are never out of a game because of him."
Quick Quotes:
"I knew No. 7 was hot. He was unbelievable. The throw to Heath on the corner route, what a throw that was. That was vintage Ben all the way -- trusting his guy and putting it where he can catch it." -- Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians
"He's Big Ben. He's going to make plays; that's what he does!" -- Packers cornerback Jarrett Bush
"The way the game ended was incredible, especially that last play. It was obviously pretty reminiscent of the Super Bowl." -- Steelers center Justin Hartwig
"Ben threw a perfect ball. I can't tell you that enough. You can't put the ball in a better spot than he put that one." -- Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace
"I've been in this league a long time, and to tell you the truth, I don’t know if I've ever been in game like that. That was an awesome game." -- Steelers linebacker James Farrior
"We don't quit. That's kind of a Pittsburgh mentality. We don't quit no matter what." -- Ben, during his postgame press conference.
And the Quote of the Weekend:
"Roethlisberger looked gunshy last week in Cleveland, taking sack after sack and refusing to get the ball to his hot read. Green Bay's defense is a lot better than Cleveland's and Roethlisberger could struggle again this week. Bench him unless you don't have a better option." -- Dale Lolley, giving Fantasy Football advice on Saturday.
Title quote borrowed from the movie, "European Vacation" (IMDB).
December 20, 2009
First career 500-yard game for Big Ben in win against Packers
"Ben Roethlisberger is having himself an outstanding game today!" -- Game announcer and former NFL quarterback Troy Aikman, during the second half of the game.
Not only did Ben lead the Steelers on a game-winning drive, capped by a 19-yard pass to Mike Wallace as time expired for the 37-36 win, he became just the 10th quarterback since 1950 to throw for 500 or more yards in a game.
The last NFL quarterback to throw for 500-plus yards was Drew Brees in Week 11 of the 2006 season, when he passed for 510 in a 31-16 loss to the Bengals.
He completed 29 of 46 passes for 503 yards and three touchdowns, with no interceptions.
"It's amazing how one play can change everything," Ben said during his post-game press conference. "If that last play's incomplete, everyone's down and we probably have the worst Christmas ever. But because that play was a touchdown, it’s a different ball game."
Hines Ward had seven catches for 126 yards.
Heath Miller had a career day, catching seven passes for 118 yards and Mike Wallace made the most out of his two catches - both went for touchdowns, including the game winner.
Rashard Mendenhall earned 38 yards on the ground via 11 carries. He found the end zone twice on the day, once on the ground and once through the air.
"It's about pride," said Ben right after the game. "It's about coming out and showing people we're the Pittsburgh Steelers and we fight to the end no matter what."
To see video of "Ben highlights" from the game, click here and here.
To see video of the post-game press conference, click here.
To see game photos, click here.
*All stats from NFL.com.
Check back tomorrow for more notes & quotes from the game!
December 18, 2009
Heading to L.A...
...thanks to Big Ben!
From KDKA today:
The Thomas Jefferson Jaguars are headed to Los Angeles for Snoop Dogg's "Big Dog Bowl" thanks to sponsor Ben Roethlisberger.
He is picking up the entire tab for the young football team and their four coaches to make the trip in January.
In California, the Jaguars will play in rapper Snoop Dogg's "Big Dog Bowl."
The Jaguars went 11 and 0 this year, and have lost only one regular season game in the past three seasons.
This year, the Jaguars are the South Suburban Youth Football League champions.
Jaguars head coach Jim Nassida said he couldn't be more grateful to Big Ben for helping the team.
The "Big Dog Bowl" will be played January 9th.
To read the entire article, click here.
To watch the video, click here.
Also:
Ben, on the untimely passing of Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry yesterday, from KDKA:
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was seriously injured in a traffic accident several years ago. Henry's death brought back many of those painful memories.
"It's a scary thing. I don't know what it would be like to lose a teammate, and I don't know what it would be like if one of these teammates lost me for something like that," he said. "So, it's a tough thing. My heart goes out to the family and his teammates."
December 16, 2009
2010 Pro Bowl Update
From ESPN.com's James Walker this afternoon:
Pro Bowl standings for the Pittsburgh Steelers, by position -
SS Troy Polamalu - first place (347,418 votes)
OL James Harrison - first place (225,186 votes)
LB James Farrior - second place (135,311 votes)
DT Casey Hampton - second place (215,587 votes)
LG Chris Kemoeatu - second place (156,070 votes)
C Justin Hartwig - second place (141,907 votes)
P Daniel Sepulveda - second place (78,094 votes)
QB Ben Roethlisberger - third place (459,469 votes)
FS Ryan Clark - third place (71,132 votes)
TE Heath Miller - third place (208,600 votes)
FB Carey Davis - fourth place (70,230 votes)
PK Jeff Reed - fourth place (63,538 votes)
CB Ike Taylor - fifth place (100,066 votes)
DE Brett Keisel - fifth place (99,994 votes)
KR Stefan Logan - fifth place (44,231 votes)
Balloting for the 2010 Pro Bowl will conclude on Monday, December 21 following the conclusion of Monday Night Football (New York Giants at Washington Redskins, ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET). The teams will be announced at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, December 29 on a special NFL Total Access 2010 Pro Bowl Selection Show on NFL Network.
The 2010 Pro Bowl will be played on Sunday, January 31, 2010 and televised live on ESPN at 7:20 p.m. ET from Dolphin Stadium in South Florida, also the site of Super Bowl XLIV a week later on Sunday, February 7th.
To cast your votes, click here.
Also Today:
Ben shows support for the NFL's stricter concussion policies -
From an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger supports the NFL's stricter policies on allowing players back on the field after sustaining head injuries. But will players comply?
Speaking to reporters in Green Bay on a conference call Wednesday, Roethlisberger said he believed league officials have players' best interests in mind. But Roethlisberger suspects players won't be "completely honest" about injuries because they want to keep playing.
"All of us want to be fathers and husbands someday. In that sense, I think it's good," Roethlisberger said. "I think it does run the risk that we are tough guys, we want to play through things and I think guys will not be completely honest, for fear that they can't get back in the game. I think it's kind of a double-edged sword."
Ben talks Aaron Rodgers...
From an article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune today:
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has developed a friendship with Rodgers, and the two exchange occasional text messages.
"He's just playing unbelievable football," Roethlisberger said. "I'm really happy to watch him, and proud to call him a friend and watch him play. He's doing some amazing things."
To read the entire article, click here.
And to reporters in Green Bay about the Steelers' struggles and Sunday's game...
From an article posted on the Packers Official site:
"We're just as stunned," Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. "We feel we have a good group, good leaders, and you know what, sometimes the ball doesn't bounce your way, you're not playing your best football. Whatever it is, it just seems to be happening to us."
Green Bay defensive coordinator Dom Capers originated his version of the 3-4 in Pittsburgh when he held the same post there from 1992-94, and that system has remained the foundation of Pittsburgh's defense since, including now under coordinator Dick LeBeau.
So Roethlisberger has faced this style of 3-4 in all six of his NFL training camps and throughout his career, having played at least six games every year in the 3-4 heavy AFC North.
"That helps, to go against Coach LeBeau and his defenses every day," Roethlisberger said. "But it's different when you're going against it in practice and when you have 35 seconds (on the play clock) to try and decipher things. It definitely is tough, but I think it will help that we've seen some of the stuff."
To read the entire article, click here.
December 15, 2009
Serenaded by the Steelers and more...
From Madeline Robinson, Wish Coordinator at Kids Wish Network:
A teen with a life-threatening illness had her wish to meet the Pittsburgh Steelers granted through Kids Wish Network and the generosity of the Steelers.
At 6-years-old, Cynthia was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease, an autoimmune disorder that affects the gastrointestinal tract. Because of this, she has endured multiple traumatic surgeries and dealt with both respiratory and kidney failures. Cynthia is on a strict daily medication regimen and must visit her doctor frequently.
Through another wish granting organization, Cindy's mother Darlene was referred to national children's charity Kids Wish Network. Darlene called the charity and told them about her daughter. They agreed that Cindy more than deserved a wish.
Kids Wish Network Wish Coordinator Vanessa talked to Cindy about her favorite things and the teen went on and on about how much of a Pittsburgh Steelers fan she was; it came as no surprise to Vanessa that when she asked Cindy what she wanted for her wish, Cindy said she wanted to meet her favorite NFL team on their home turf.
With the help of Wish Funding Specialist Donna and some outstanding local sponsors, Vanessa set out to organize a wish worthy of the Steelers’ number one teen fan.
"It was all just awesome," said Cindy of her wish. "Vanessa did an awesome job!"
In addition to organizing accommodations, a trip to the spa and dinners for Cindy and her family in Pittsburgh, Vanessa worked closely with the Pittsburgh Steelers to arrange a weekend that Cindy would never forget: the first day in Pittsburgh, Cindy was escorted to Steelers’ practice field where she watched the team run plays and then had the chance to meet the whole team followed by a personal tour of the Steelers' facilities; the next day, Cindy and her family got to experience the thrill of attending a game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland Raiders.
"It was all so great! [It was] amazing!" said Cindy. "I thought I'd only meet one player and I was OK with that, but I met everyone! They all came up after [practice] and someone said "Merry Christmas" to me, and then they all burst into song! I was in shock!"
In addition to getting serenaded by the entire team, Cindy was also given an official Steelers football that every team member signed for her, including her favorite players: Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu.
Watching the game the next day was simply an amazing experience for the teen, especially after having watched the team practice the day before.
"Everything was amazing. It wasn’t like it was just one thing," said Cindy of her wish. "You know, like [they'd] send you to the game and then home and that's it. There were so many thing...it was all wonderful."
Now that she's home, Cindy has likened her wish experience to being treated like a princess and then having to get back to the rigors of everyday normal life.
"Thank you so much, everyone. It was great," said Cindy.
*Story and photo used with permission, Madeline Robinson, Kids Wish Network!
What is the Kids Wish Network?
Kids Wish Network is a nationally recognized non-profit organization dedicated to infusing hope, creating happy memories, and improving the quality of life for children. Kids Wish Network is especially proud of their "Guardian Angel Fund", which uses 100% of its contributions to support the wish granting program.
Kids Wish Network assists children and their families through several key programs including Wish Granting, Hero of the Month and the Holiday of Hope Gift Bank program.
Besides sports heroes, our Wish Kids also want to meet their favorite musicians, movie stars and other celebrities. Many of our Kids wish for a trip to Disney World and lots just want to shop at their favorite stores.
To learn more about this wonderful organization, click here.
*Thank you to both Madeline and Alicia!
December 10, 2009
We have a WINNER for the Photo Caption Contest!
But firt, let's run down the runners-up...
1."See, I told you Troy wears a wig!" -- Jill Ollie
2."Hey, Chuck. Look how much it cost me to take the O-line to dinner?" -- Justin Hancock
3."And this is my new three-story clothes closet with the elevator, just like Tiki Barber's". -- Nanit Noyb
4. Charlie: "Okay Ben here is a print-out of all your matches from the E-Harmony site."
Ben: "Okay great, umm...I'll take her, yep this one right here!!" -- Ashley Dancy
And tied for 5th place:
"Charlie, is that your name on Santa's naughty list?" -- Jen Smith
"Uh oh Charlie, looks like you made the naughty list this year!" -- Kim R.
All of these captions were added under the photo description in the gallery here.
On to the winner...
Now, it's not often you get a contest winner who sends TWO winning entries. Fred Carrow's first one, using the initial contest photo (top) was the unanimous winner:
Ben: "This is where I crossed off the Zhu Zhu Pets I really wanted, thinking Santa might then get Troy back in the Line-Up."
....but then he took my "creative caption" question on Tuesday's post to heart and sent a second caption with a reverse photo of his own (left), which we liked even better:
"Charlie Batch and Big Ben make some last minute changes to his wish list to Santa."
We decided to add them both!
So actually, Fred Carrow won twice!
Congratulations Fred!
You can see both photos and their captions here.
Thank you to everyone who sent in caption ideas! We had so many that it became obvious we would have to do this again in the near future!
And thank you to Trish, the site manager for both Brett-Keisel.com and Heath-Miller.com, and Jan, the site manager for TroyPolamaluFans.com, for helping me select the winner and runners-up!
And a shout-out to Anna and Lexi for their help with the photoshop assistance!
Also this afternoon:
Fred wasn't the only winner today...the Cleveland Police Department was too!
From NewsNet-5 in Cleveland:
Pittsburgh Steelers' Super Bowl Champion Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger announced Wednesday that The Giving Back Fund and the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation will distribute a grant to the Cleveland Division of Police.
The Cleveland Police Department has been seeking financial assistance for the purchase of vital training equipment for their K-9 Unit.
Cleveland Police Chief Michael McGrath said "Mr. Roethlisberger's commitment to public safety will once again enable us to enhance the security of our Patrol Officers and their K-9 partners and, ultimately, the people of the city of Cleveland.
"We had a specific need that through the generosity of the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation we were able to fill. We cannot thank our native Ohio son enough."
December 9, 2009
The Browns get ready for Big Ben...again!
Ben is 10-0 in his career against the Browns. The only other quarterback since 1970 to win his first 10 games against an opponent is John Elway. The Broncos quarterback beat the Patriots 10 straight times on his march to the Hall of Fame.
From the Cleveland Plain Dealer this evening:
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been having his share of headaches this season, but he's been causing the Browns headaches his entire career.
The Steelers' first-round pick in 2004 and a native of Findlay, Ohio, Roethlisberger has a perfect 10-0 record against Cleveland and will go for No. 11 Thursday night.
During the streak, he's:
- Thrown 14 TD passes and eight interceptions; and
- Posted six 100-plus passer ratings during the streak, including a 120.0 in the Christmas Eve massacre on Dec. 24, 2005.
"You've got to keep him in the pocket," said former Steeler Arnold Harrison. "He loves to get out of the pocket and create plays for his team. You've got to really try to get pressure on him and force him into some bad decisions, which he really doesn't make many. You've got to take him out of his element and make him make his reads from the pocket."
Said David Bowens (unable to keep his grasp on Ben during the October 18th game above): "Ben can make something out of nothing. Usually you see the receivers play off the quarterback, but he plays off his receivers. If something is broken, he's tough, he'll stay in there and take the hit, but he's not going down."
Added Matt Roth: "He's taking over that role of one of the elite quarterbacks in the league. They're throwing the ball a lot more and it's mostly due to him. You definitely have to throw him in there with the Mannings and Bradys. He's a proven winner, especially at this time of year."
To read the full article, click here.
Also this evening:
Ben adds his thoughts on athlete obligation to the community, from the Athletes for Hope site:
"Personally, I feel obligated to give back to my community. I can’t speak for other athletes, but like both Jeff [Gordon] and Mario [Lemieux] said, athletes are given so much by their community, that it is only right that they give back in spades. I was raised to appreciate my blessings and always try to help others who may not be as fortunate. I feel honored to be able to do so. My particular passion is helping police and firefighters, as it is important that they have the proper resources needed for them to protect their communities and be able to return home to their families each day. By providing police and fire department canine units in Pittsburgh and each NFL city I visit, I look to give back in a unique way that benefits every community that has touched my life. I am grateful for the opportunity."
To read the responses of other athletes, click here.
To learn more about Ben's Foundation, click here.
December 8, 2009 - Afternoon Update (see below)
Caption Contest!
Can you think of a creative caption for this photo?
If so, send it to me!
The winner will receive a Ben Roethlisberger Hallmark Keepsake ornament (new in the box, and just in time to put on the tree), and will have their caption added to the photo in the site's gallery.
Trish, the site manager for both Brett-Keisel.com and Heath-Miller.com, and Jan, the site manager for TroyPolamaluFans.com, have graciously offered to help me select a winner.
The deadline to get your caption ideas in is this Thursday, December 10th at 12 noon.
The winning caption and the runners up will be posted right here on the news page later that afternoon.
If you'd like to see a larger version of the photo, click here.
You can see the rest of the album here (and you'll also see that I am really not good at captions!).
*Remember, this is a kid-friendly site, so please keep it appropriate!
Also Today:
Ben spoke to the media this afternoon about the game against the Browns on Thursday evening, injuries to players, and last Sunday's game against the Raiders.
To watch the video, click here.
And:
From Coach Mangini's press conference today:
On the Steelers' offense -
"The one thing with Ben (Roethlisberger), whether it's been my time here or New York or New England, is he is able to generate so many plays that go longer than the standard play would. He's very strong in the pocket. He's elusive in the pocket and the receivers do an excellent job reading out and creating some opportunities. It hit us two or three times last game. That's something that you have to deal with, something that everybody deals with and he's outstanding at it."
On what makes Ben "unique" -
"There's a lot about him that makes him unique. He's got great arm strength. He's got tremendous strength. He's got the ability to avoid to his right, to his left and throw really accurate passes on the move. He can scramble and hurt you that way. We had him last game where they were going to throw a screen, the screen was covered. He was able to scramble to his right, our left and pick up 13 yards. We had the play covered. He had the awareness, found a seam in the pocket and picked up 13 yards. Not every quarterback can do that. He's got a real good sense of where the rushers are. Even though he's not looking at the rush, he's got a good feel of where his pressure points are and where he can escape to."
On the fact that Ben had good numbers against the Raiders, despite the loss -
"His numbers have been good all year. He has a 100.2 quarterback rating. I've played him multiple times over a lot of different years and he's created problems regardless of what team I've been involved in. He's a really good quarterback. I think he's gotten better each year, not just in the things that he can create from a broken play perspective, but coming up to the the line of scrimmage, assessing the defense, seeing where the weakness is and taking advantage of it. Just the mechanics of running the offense, he's got great control of that and he has the ability when things don't go well to make something happen."
To read the full transcript from Coach Mangini's press conference, click here.
December 6, 2009
"We've always been a team. We've always stuck together through thick and thin, good and bad."
Excerpts & quotes from Jim Wexell's Post-Game Report after another tough loss:
Roethlisberger completed every pass in the second half – except for a last-gasp Hail Mary – in twice helping the Steelers overcome fourth-quarter deficits. But once again, Roethlisberger’s final touchdown came with too much time on the clock for what’s become a porous defense.
The Steelers allowed three Bruce Gradkowski touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, the last with nine seconds left in the game. And even then, Roethlisberger was able to hit Limas Sweed in the hands in the end zone with his final desperation heave, but it was broken up by the Raiders as the clock hit triple zeroes.
"I've never commented about the defense when they've played great because it's not my side of the ball," he said after the game. "And I'm not going to comment on anything on the other side of the ball because you have to ask them. I'm proud of the way this team played. We lost the game. I'm disappointed about that. I'll comment on offensive linemen, receivers, tight ends; I thought they played great.
"We've always been a team. We've always stuck together through thick and thin, good and bad. We just have to get ready for Cleveland."
Roethlisberger appears back on track after missing a game and opening Sunday’s contest with a sluggish first half. He's now thrown for over 3,000 yards for the fourth consecutive season...but the statistic that matters is all knotted at 6-6 after losing to another NFL bottom-feeder.
"To me it's tough to lose to anyone," Roethlisberger said. "I hate it. It burns. It hurts. You dwell on it for the night and you move on."
To read Mr. Wexell's complete post-game report, click here.
To see photos from the game, click here.
Ben stats: 18-for-24 for 278 yards today with two touchdowns and an interception.
December 3, 2009
Thursday Presser
A few Q&A's from Ben's press conference today:
Of course, the first question is about the comments made by Hines Ward. Ben is asked about their conversation after the fact:
Ben: "He reached out to me and I told him I was just more hurt than anything. We got over it, we moved past it, and now we're preparing."
Did he feel the media made too much of the comments/situation?
Ben: "You know what, it's the media. You guys make a lot out of everything. Like I said, we're moving on and getting past it. Like I said, it hurt, but it's over now. "
On how he is feeling this week :
Ben: "I feel great. I’m ready to go. Practiced yesterday and felt good; no headaches. Ready to rock and roll. "
On whether he was trying to "cover up" his headaches last week:
Ben: "I felt fine, but what it was, it was exercise-induced headaches. So when I'm standing here talking to you guys I was fine. But as soon as I went out there and started practicing is when I started to get the headaches and stuff, so that's what concerned the doctors. They took what was my best interest in mind. A lot of people forget the accident that I had. [The doctors] remembered that. It was life-threatening. I almost lost my life before in an accident to my head and face...and the five plates that I have in my face right now. They knew it was in my best interest, and when you have symptoms like that they felt it was best to not go. And that was their decision, not mine. I wanted to play, but on Saturday morning they made that decision."
Was he surprised that he was removed as the starting quarterback?
Ben: "Yeah, Saturday morning coach had me come in a little bit earlier than everyone else. We talked to doctors and were going to workout and stuff, but he basically pulled me up into his office and told me. I was kind of in shock. I was upset, shocked, but respected what they said."
On the reports that he tried to talk Coach Tomlin into allowing him to play up until the start of the game:
Ben: "I tried. I even tried after the national anthem. I was standing next to him, and I said, 'Are you sure I can’t go?' And he said, 'Nope, you're down.' "
Will he try and hide injuries in the future to stay in the game?
Ben: "Well, when it comes to your brain, I don't think so much. If it's a bad shoulder, a knee, an ankle, of course guys don't tell a lot of stuff. I've fought through a lot of injuries myself that I didn't tell coaches about. But when it comes to your brain, you only get one. You hear stories about Merril Hoge, how he flat-lined in the locker room. There are some scary things out there that you don’t want to mess with, so if I have headaches, if I have symptoms, I'm going to let them know because it's not worth losing your life over. If you have to miss one game to hopefully play 10 more years in this league, that's OK with me. "
On whether he feels there is still a level of "ignorance" when it comes to head injuries:
Ben: "Well, we're football players. We play one of the most violent sports in the world. You have to be tough. You have to fight through a lot of injuries, and a lot of guys do that. I think guys are, not waking up, but seeing how important the brain is and the head is. You see guys like Muhammad Ali, and I've heard things about Wayne Chrebet, you know, tough things and situations you don't want to be put in. You do have to think about your future and your family. It's not fun, but you can get knee replacement surgery, you can have rotator cuff surgery, but you can’t get a new brain, so that's something you need to be careful of."
Did his teammates show support?
Ben: "I got a lot of calls, and a lot of guys even told me before the game, they were telling me, ‘Please, don’t play. We want you out there but this is not the end of the year, it’s not the end of your season or your career,’ all that stuff. Got a lot of calls from older guys as well, and it’s tough because you do want to be out there and play. I want to be out there with my guys. I’ve always been one of those guys who wants to be out there no matter what, so it was frustrating, but probably the smart thing in the long run. "
Are the headaches gone?
Ben: "Yeah, I have no symptoms right now, so I feel great. I mean, I passed all my tests last week. The doctors cleared me for the post-concussion tests. When you have symptoms when you work out and stuff, that’s what made them nervous. We have one of the best doctors in Dr. (Joseph) Maroon, and what he says goes."
On the NFL's new rule concerning concussions:
Ben: "Without saying anything bad about the commissioner and that rule, I think you have to be careful because with the new rule, guys who have a concussion can't go back in the game. I think the risky part about that is guys will try to be too tough and they might not tell about their symptoms, they might not tell about the full effect of what they just got hit in the game because they want to go back in the game. I really thought I could've gone back in the Chiefs game. Now, with this new rule I wouldn't have been able to. So you get a game like a Super Bowl or a playoff game, where a guy feels he can go back in, he may not tell. That's the only kind of scary part of it."
Would he consider wearing a more protective helmet?
Ben: "At the end of the year I'm going to look into different helmets. I know that helmet is one that supposedly isn't the best, but it's one that I've been comfortable with and I've worn. After the year we're going to go and explore. I know the helmet companies are doing a bunch of tests. We'll do what's smart and I'll do what's best, but you still have to be able to have a helmet you feel comfortable playing in. But I will explore new options at the end of the year."
Moving on....
On what he thinks the team's situation is right now?
Ben: " It's not really desperate, but we know it's do-or-die, our backs are against the wall. We're a wounded dog in a fight. I hate to use that term, but we need to come out swinging."
On talk that Coach Tomlin may consider using Dennis Dixon in some type of package:
Ben: "That’s news to me, so if I see him coming in I’ll know to come out."
His thoughts on Dennis Dixon's performance last Sunday:
Ben: "I thought he played great. With the things that he was asked to do, he did more than we asked him to do. Played well. I know he took it hard with that interception at the end, but it’s not his fault. I said it a thousand times: I was probably just as proud of him as his dad was after the game."
You can check out the video from WPXI here.
*Thank you Trish for the link!
November 30, 2009
The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation
Big Ben giving back in a Big Way...
It has been a busy season already for Ben's Foundation. So far, Ben has given grants to police departments in Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, Denver, Kansas City (MO), and most recently last week to the Baltimore City Police -- making it possible for these departments to purchase police K-9's.
On September 18th, the Cook County Sheriff's office in Illinois received a grant to purchase a new K-9 to replace another dog that had recently been retired.
At that time, Sheriff Tom Dart told the Chicago Sun Times that adding another dog to the canine unit "will enable our department to even better serve the citizens of Cook County. We are honored to be the first recipient of this year's grant and thank the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation for its generous support to local law enforcement."
A week later, on September 26th, the Cincinnati Police Department received funds to purchase a dog to replace a retiring K-9 as well.
On October 10th, grants from the Foundation purchased two K-9's for the Detroit Police Department. WWJ-950 News Radio in Detroit insisted that although Ben "may want to beat the Detroit Lions Sunday afternoon at Ford Field, he's helping the Detroit Police Department."
Detroit Police Chief Warren Evans was happy to accept the help, "In these difficult budgetary times we must rely more and more on outside sources of funding to support our officers’ efforts. This grant will provide our officers additional resources to protect the citizens of Detroit."
On November 10th, Ben and his Foundation came through again with a grant for the purchase of a new K-9 in Denver. At the time, Colorado's 9-News wrote "Broncos fans may not be excited to see Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, but the Denver Police Department is ecstatic."
On November 17th, the Foundation made it possible for the Kansas City, Missouri police to purchase a new dog.
"We are thrilled to receive this grant, especially because of how tight our budget is this year," Chief James Corwin said in a press release. "This money will be used to replace Rambo, one of our canines who will be retiring because of arthritis. The police department can now keep our Canine Section fully staffed, which is critical to our patrol operations."
And from CNN.com today:
"K9 Storm's canine armor and communication systems help keep working dogs safe on the front lines of wars and police actions"
It's a tough world for man's best friend. Patrol dogs dodge bullets every day at home and risk their lives sniffing out trouble in Iraq and Afghanistan.
As a result, K9 Storm in Winnipeg, Canada, makes $5 million a year selling custom armor for dogs in the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines and Special Forces; police departments in 13 countries; and security firms worldwide.
"This will change the way dogs are managed in emergencies," says Glori Slater, 47, vice president and co-founder of K9 Storm. "It will extend the range of the handler to 300 yards."
Slater's husband, Jim, is a former dog handler for the Winnipeg police department. For two terrifying days in 1996, he and his German shepherd Olaf helped subdue a prison riot in which the inmates were armed with makeshift weapons. Slater worried more for Olaf than for himself.
"He was out working ahead of our lines," he says. "I realized it would be a bad way for him to go down, stabbed with a screwdriver."
After the riot, Slater retrofitted a human flak jacket for his canine partner. That prompted orders from fellow canine officers, and soon K9 Storm was in business.
The Slaters spent 11 years perfecting the vest.
But it doesn't come cheap -
The Intruder system starts at $20,000.
There also are plenty of donors stepping up to help cash-strapped municipalities buy the vests. Ben Roethlisberger, the quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, gave $250,000 to the Pittsburgh police and fire departments for canine armor.
The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which treats 50,000 animals a year, has received a $5,000 grant for dogs at Boston's police department from Roethlisberger.
"Suspects pursued by police will stab, shoot and kick working dogs," says Brian Adams, spokesman for the MSPCA-Angell veterinary hospital in Boston. "They are like any officer of the law. We want to protect them."
To read the entire article, click here.
To learn more about Ben's Foundation, click here.
To see a K-9 tribute video to Ben and his Foundation that is featured on YouTube, click here.
To see a larger version of the first photo, click here.
To see a larger version of the news photo and story above, click here.
November 28, 2009
Report: Ben out for tomorrow's game against the Ravens
From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette:
"In a stunning development, Dennis Dixon and not Ben Roethlisberger will start at quarterback against the Baltimore Ravens tomorrow night after Roethlisberger experienced headaches recently after practicing this week.
"Dixon took most of the snaps in practice on Friday while Roethlisberger took a few here and there."
To read the rest, click here.
From FOXSports' senior writer Jay Glazer:
"Big Ben was suffering from exercise-induced headaches as the week progressed and the team's medical staff deemed him unfit for the contest."
To read the rest, click here.
November 25-26, 2009 - Happy Thanksgiving!
Ben on the cover....
Ben is featured on the cover and in an article/interview in the this week's USA TODAY Sports Weekly (Nov. 25 - Dec. 1) issue.
From the article entitled, "Roethlisberger: Calm, collected amid chaos":
One vision of the big, strapping dude, viewed through this hard-bitten city's prism of black and gold, is that of a scraggly, disheveled Gen-Y quarterback who often seems to scramble from potential trouble, balancing the football chip on his shoulder with the wild-child in his soul.
Yes, Ben Roethlisberger, a risk-taker on and off the field, has a lot of experience trying to flee the rush of life as it pursues him from all sorts of angles.
All swagger, the Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback sometimes stumbles and gets slammed. Other times, he avoids harm's way. Roethlisberger continues to operate in a hurry-up mode this season, often shrugging off would be pursuers - be they hard-charging defensive ends, fawning fans or hovering news media.
Big Ben is even more brilliant as the clock ticks and the Steelers quickly operate their no-huddle offense, something he has done since his high school days in Findlay, Ohio. Roethlisberger, remarkably mobile for his size, seems most effective when a play breaks down and chaos ensues.
The quarterback's deft improvisational skills often enable him to avoid peril but not always. He has been sacked 169 times since the 2006 season, by far the most in the NFL.
"My favorite thing (as a kid) was playing backyard football," he says, looking every bit the college kid with a curly mop of tousled hair and stubble beard. "I've always loved that. I guess that's what I'm doing, just out there playing ball. I try to play the game with a lot of heart and passion. I hope it shows."
And later in the article:
"I like being the hunter - not the hunted," Roethlisberger says. "I realize that if you are the hunted, it means you're on top. To me, I want to hunt you - then beat you at the end. To go undefeated would be a great feat. But all the crap that goes with it - everybody chasing you - well, I want to be the guy who sneaks up from behind. That's just my mentality.
"I absolutely hate to lose in anything. Hate it. It burns me, drives me crazy."
You'll have to purchase a copy of the issue to read the rest of the lengthy interview/article! It is available now on newsstands and bookstores that sell USA TODAY.
You can read the article online, through USA TODAY, but it does cost a fee. Click here for info.
Also on Wednesday:
Ben back at practice!
According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Scott Brown this afternoon, Ben is "practicing without a helmet as the Steelers ease him back into action during their first practice of the week."
Mr. Brown also added that Ben "passed a battery of neurological tests Monday" and will continue to be tested and monitored leading up to the Sunday evening game against the Ravens.
And:
Detective Roethlisberger?
During a Q&A in the latest issue (November 28th) of Steelers Digest, Law & Order SVU actress and Steelers fan Tamara Tunie was asked what Steelers player she thought would make a good detective on the show:
Tamara: "I think Ben Roethlisberger would. He sees everything. He sees the big picture. He sees everything."
When asked who from the team she'd like to have appear on her show:
Tamara: "The entire team. Can we do that?"
*Thanks Trish!
Thanksgiving Day:
Ben practiced Thursday and plans on playing in Sunday's game against the Ravens.
To read the transcript of Ben's press conference held after practice, click here.
Ben Stat:
Ben needs one 300-yard passing game to break the team’s single season record. He currently has four 300-yard passing games this season, which is tied with Tommy Maddox (2003) and Neil O’Donnell (1995).
November 24, 2009
Coach Tomlin on Ben: "He felt normal, he felt fine."
From Coach Tomlin's Press Conference today:
"As you guys know, Ben sustained a concussion in the game. To give you a little background in terms of what happened with him after that, Monday, yesterday morning, we brought him in and he took a battery of neurological tests done with our medical staff. He was asymptomatic. He was fine. He passed all those tests. He felt fine. So, given that information, we can anticipate him practicing and preparing to play this week, provided he remains to be symptom-free and he remains to feel fine.
"I met with Ben yesterday; he felt normal, he felt fine. The battery of tests that he took showed that he showed no symptoms. So we will continue to monitor his condition and where he is on a day-to-day basis and let that guide our decision-making. But as I sit here today, he is symptom-free and feeling fine. So we anticipate Ben practicing tomorrow.
"In terms of playing in the game, we are simply at this point going to go with Ben - providing he remains symptom free from his concussion and feels fine - and of course, Dennis Dixon."
When asked if Ben "officially" suffered a concussion:
"It could be characterized as a mild concussion. I hesitate to use the term 'mild'. Concussions are not anything to be taken mildly. He was symptomatic at the game. That’s why after the game he was down with concussion-like symptoms. When we were able to do appropriate testing yesterday, he was symptom-free. He felt fine. So we're proceeding with caution, but we will monitor him each and every day this week as we push forward towards game day, because if any symptoms re-occur, or he feels less than fine, we’re going to act appropriately."
You can watch a short video segment of Coach Tomlin's presser as it related to Ben here.
Also Today:
You can check out Ben's Thanksgiving Day greeting to the fans and the military men and women overseas (as well as the greetings from his teammates) here.
And:
Check out this video of some great helmets designed to represent each of the Steelers players personalities. The helmets will be auctioned off with proceeds benefiting Deshea Townsend's foundation, Pay It Forward.
The organization provides free health care clinics and SAT/ACT tutoring for underprivileged students in Pittsburgh and Batesville, Mississippi, which is Townsend's hometown.
For more information on his foundation, click here.
November 23, 2009
Ben featured in "Outdoor Life" magazine
Ben is featured in a short interview on the back page of the latest issue (December) of Outdoor Life magazine.
He talks about his love of fishing and hunting and his memories of enjoying both as a child.
From the interview:
Q: How did you start out?
Ben: "I grew up in Ohio and have been fishing and hunting as long as I can remember with my dad and grandpa. Whether it was bobber-fishing for bluegills or spin-fishing for bass, I'd do it. I'd get out often."
Q: What's your favorite place to fish?
Ben: "Anyplace there's water! Seriously, though, I've taken my dad to Wyoming to fly-fish and it's been a great experience."
Q: How about hunting?
Ben: "I've always been more of a bird hunter than a deer hunter. I love to hunt ducks, geese, quail, grouse and turkeys."
Q: What's your most memorable hunting experience?
Ben: "As a kid, hunting with my dad on the Ohio River, I once got three ducks with one shot."
Q: How does playing football compare to hunting or fishing?
Ben: "I think my dad said it best when he said, 'Being outdoors is still better than anything else you can do.' It's hard, but we always manage to get a day off and I'll get outdoors."
You can check out Outdoor Life's website here.
Injury Update:
According to NFL.com, Ben will have testing today to determine if he suffered a concussion on Sunday, according to a league source.
Also, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Charlie Batch suffered a wrist injury during Sunday's game and will reportedly be out for six weeks. He is scheduled to have surgery this week to repair the damage to his wrist.
November 22, 2009
Ben leaves game with an injury
Coach Mike Tomlin said in his post-game press conference that Ben suffered a "concussion-oriented thing."
Ben was hit in the helmet by Chiefs LB Derrick Johnson's knee, injured on the Steelers’ fourth play from scrimmage in overtime against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium this afternoon.
Charlie Batch replaced Ben, who did leave the field on his own power, although somewhat wobbly. He stayed on the sideline for the rest of the game while being attended to by the Steelers medical staff.
The Steelers had to punt on their first possession in overtime.
Ryan Succop kicked a 22-yard field goal to lead the Kansas City Chiefs to a 27-24 victory.
The game-winning boot was set up by a 61-yard passing play between Matt Cassel and Chris Chambers on third down.
Ben completed 32-of-42 passes for 398 yards (his fourth 300-yard passing game of the season) with three touchdowns and two interceptions today. Both Heath Miller and Hines Ward also had a big day - Heath had seven catches for 95 yards and a 10-yard TD that gave the Steelers a 17-7 halftime lead. Hines had 10 catches for 128 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown that put the Steelers on top 10-7 with 5:32 left in the first half.
Rashard Mendenhall had 80 yards on 21 carries.
After the game, Coach Tomlin said, "Ben took a blow. Needless to say it was a concussion-oriented thing. So I doubt he was going to come back in the football game. I don't have a lot of information in terms of where he is or his level of availability."
According to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Ben said in the locker room that he felt "okay", but did not know whether he had suffered a concussion.
To see video of the "Ben highlights", click here.
To see video of the play and hit that knocked him out of the game, click here.
To see Coach Tomlin's post-game press conference, click here.
To see game photos, click here.
Reminder: Ben on the cover
Ben is on the cover and featured in an interview/article of Men's Fitness magazine's December issue which is available in stores and on newsstands now.
From the interview/article entitled, "Big Ben! Toughest QB in the NFL" written by Chris Strauss:
"Ben Roethlisberger isn't afraid to take a hit. When he does - either from Hell-bent defensive players or life - he picks himself up from the turf and moves on."
"For the Pittsburgh Steelers' leader, toughness isn't about bulldozing defenders. 'It's about playing the worst game of your life but not backing down,' says Roethlisberger."
To watch a behind-the-scenes video of Ben's cover shoot, click here.
To see the full cover, click here.
Also Today:
Pro Verses GI Joe -
Ben, Darnell Stapleton, Willie Colon and Trai Essex played "Guitar Hero" using a live Web feed with Pittsburgh area soldiers in Iraq Friday.
According to WPXI, the non-profit "Pro Verses GI Joe" organization sets up real-time video game competitions between professional athletes, musicians, celebrities, high-ranking military officials and politicians here in the states with troops stationed overseas using the Internet and PlayStation, Xbox Live and/or Nintendo Wii.
To see video from WPXI of the Steelers garage band playing the Three Doors Down hit, "Kryptonite" in concert, click here, (word to the wise: watch it with the sound off!).
To see photos from Steelers.com, click here.
November 19, 2009
Thursday Presser
Nearly all the questions were about the game last Sunday against the Bengals, rather than the game this Sunday against the Chiefs...
A few Q&A's from Ben's press conference:
Q: What are your thoughts on the Bengals loss after having had time to evaluate it?
Ben: "You know what? I had a bad day. It's going to happen sometimes. No excuse. But those days will happen sometimes. You have to learn to correct it, and I think we will. I think we'll be just fine in the red zone, on third down, on first down on second down whatever it is."
Q: Santonio Holmes said the offense moved the ball well in between the 20s. What are your thoughts on that?
Ben: "If you ask me, I'm kind of a perfectionist. I think I struggled all the way around. I think we could have done a lot better and done more things but if you look at the tape we did move it well before we got to the red zone."
Q: You didn't call the plays on the last drive against the Bengals. Don't you usually call them in that situation?
Ben: "Yeah, B.A. (Bruce Arians) was and I'll never second-guess Bruce and he doesn’t ever second-guess me so it's not something where we said 'Why didn't we do this, why didn't we do that?' He wanted to call them and I believed in him. I just have to execute them."
Q: What were you thinking at the end of the Bengals game when you got the ball back with a chance to win it?
Ben: "When we were down 6 having the ball, I knew we were going to win the game. It just didn't happen that way and I think one completion kind of gets the ball rolling and it's just unfortunate that when the quarterback has a bad game it just kind of affects the whole offense. That's unfortunate, but that's why you can't afford to have too many bad games."
Q: Do you do anything different preparation-wise if you are coming off a bad game?
Ben: "To me, it's just about looking at it, evaluating it and then moving on, not dwelling on it because if you dwell on it, I think it can carry over. It's just about being able to put it behind, learn from your mistakes and say 'Listen, don't let it happen again.' Hopefully it doesn't."
Moving on...
Ben had a chance to watch the Chiefs on film on Wednesday morning and knows that they are going to present some challenges for the Steelers offense:
Ben: "They do a lot of different things where they walk their ends out and their linebackers are moving around. (Mike) Vrabel is such a heady guy; he's crafty, stuff like that. We're going to have to know and identify where guys are at and where they’re going to be blitzing from just to be able to get a hat on a hat.
On how important Sunday's game is:
Ben: "We look to this as the biggest game of the year, and we're preparing that way, and our backs are against the wall, so we have to come out and fight like that."
November 18, 2009
Voting Update: 2010 Pro Bowl
According to NFL.com, Ben ranks third in AFC quarterback balloting behind Peyton Manning and Tom Brady:
Peyton Manning, Colts - 532,455 votes
Tom Brady, Patriots - 295,477 votes
Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers - 291,466 votes
Ben ranks eighth overall in the "Top 10 Pro Bowl vote-getters":
1. Drew Brees, Saints (539,228)
2. Peyton Manning
3. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (529,319)
4. Brett Favre, Vikings (476,799)
5. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (328,451)
6. Cedric Benson, Bengals (321,552)
7. Tom Brady
8. Ben Roethlisberger
9. Andre Johnson, Texans (279,395)
10. Dallas Clark, Colts (274,400)
The AFC and NFC All-Star squads are based on the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches. Each group's vote counts 1/3 towards determining the 43-man rosters that represent the American Football Conference and National Football Conference in the Pro Bowl. NFL players and coaches will cast their votes on December 22-23.
Balloting for the 2010 Pro Bowl will conclude on Monday, December 21 following the conclusion of Monday Night Football (New York Giants at Washington Redskins, ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET). The teams will be announced at 4 p.m. ET Tuesday, December 29 on a special NFL Total Access 2010 Pro Bowl Selection Show on NFL Network.
The 2010 Pro Bowl will be played on Sunday, January 31, 2010 and televised live on ESPN at 7:20 p.m. ET from Dolphin Stadium in South Florida, also the site of Super Bowl XLIV a week later on Sunday, February 7.
Let's send Big Ben back to the Pro Bowl!
To cast your votes, click here.
November 17, 2009
Grant from Ben's Foundation helps Kansas City Police
From FOX 4-Kansas City this evening:
An $8,000 grant from Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will go towards buying a new Kansas City, Missouri police dog.
It is the fifth grant this year from the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation at The Giving Back Fund and will help replace a retiring canine.
The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation is distributing grants to Police and Fire Departments in Pittsburgh and in the cities and surrounding communities of each regular season away opponent for the Steelers in 2009. The Chiefs play the Steelers this Sunday. Police and fire departments detail their needs in an application for the grant.
"We are thrilled to receive this grant, especially because of how tight our budget is this year," Chief James Corwin said in a press release. "This money will be used to replace Rambo, one of our canines who will be retiring because of arthritis. The police department can now keep our Canine Section fully staffed, which is critical to our patrol operations."
Also Today:
Helping out a fellow Steeler fan can help with your holiday shopping list too!
From an email I received -
"My name is Dan Hopkins. I am a Steeler fan living in Galesburg, Michigan. I have been collecting autographed memorabilia for many years, and my collection includes many autographed items from the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl Champion team from last year. Among the items I have are two footballs autographed by Ben, and an autographed leather Steelers hat. I have recently become disabled, and am selling my entire collection to help pay bills. I am contacting you to see if you or anyone you know might be interested in any of my autographed items. I want to see these things go to other fans, not to autograph sellers who are just going to turn around and resell them for a profit. None of these autographs were signed for me in person, but I purchased everything from people I trust, and all include certificates of authenticity."
As Dan said, he is selling his entire collection which includes many autographed Steelers items, and would like to see them go to fans who will appreciate them.
Please feel free to contact Dan at dvhforu@aol.com for a full list of items and pricing.
November 15, 2009
"He's in a class by himself"
From the column of sports writer and anchor John Steigerwald this weekend:
How can anyone watch Ben Roethlisberger and not see that he is the most dangerous quarterback in the NFL? He's still prone to throwing bad interceptions and losing the ball in the pocket from standing there too long, but if I need one long touchdown drive to win a championship, you can have Peyton Manning; I'll take Roethlisberger.
Keep in mind, too, that, as pass-happy as the Steelers are compared to Steelers teams of the past, they don't run the kind of offense that Indianapolis and New England run that make it much easier for a quarterback to fatten his stats. Going into last Monday's game, I heard "experts" everywhere debating whether Roethlisberger was in the same class with Phillip Rivers and Eli Manning.
I don't think it's even close. He's not.
He's in a class by himself.
To read Mr. Steigerwald's entire column, click here.
Post-Game:
Bad day for Big Ben...
Ben completed 20-of-40 passes for 174 yards with one interception and no touchdowns in this afternoon's loss to the Bengals.
The Steelers used a pass-heavy attack but ran into a Bengals' secondary that is quickly becoming among the best in the league.
"We just didn't make the plays we normally do," said Ben. "Give them credit. As an offense, we don't say that they affect us at all. We don't do things because of them, we have to do things because of ourselves. We didn't do it today.
"You know you're going to have a bad day, it's just unfortunate we couldn't put it together to get a win."
Ben took plenty of shots down the field but couldn't get anyone open. Look for him to bounce back in a big way against the Chiefs next week.
But there were some highlights, to watch the video, click here.
Ben's post-game comments are here.
To check out the game photos, click here.
November 13, 2009
Thursday Presser
A few Q&A's from Ben's press conference:
Q: Last summer you'd commented on Bill Cowher's prediction about the division. Does that still drive you?
Ben: I don't even remember what he said. What'd he say?
Q: He said last January that the Bengals would win the division this year.
Ben: He's a mastermind. Obviously he knew something we didn’t know.
Q: Is this game a little bit more important?
Ben: Any time you play a divisional game it means a little bit more. We want to win every game, but when you're playing in the division there's a little extra motivation.
Q: What are the Bengals doing well defensively of late?
Ben: Both of their cornerbacks are playing very well. They’re also blitzing and doing some different things. They've thrown a couple of different blitzes in that have caused people some problems.
Q: Do you have greater anticipation to beat a team that had beaten you earlier?
Ben: Any time you lose a game you want to come out and prove that you can beat them, but, I don't know, if you need extra motivation to play any AFC North team there's something wrong with you.
Q: In the previous meeting, the defense took a lot of grief for not closing out the game. Offensively, is there something you'd have liked to have done differently?
Ben: Yeah, we could've closed the game out. We don’t have to put it on the defense. We could've done it on offense. We feel that offensively we left a lot out there. Credit goes to their defense some, but that was early for us and we’ve improved every week. We're not where we want to be yet, but we keep improving. It's going to be a big test for us, but we're moving in the right direction.
Q: After the Denver game you said that Chris Kemoeatu was beating himself up after the sack/fumble return and you went and snapped him out of it a little bit. Could you appreciate where he was coming from?
Ben: Oh, yeah.
Q: How much more assuring is it now that you're able to shake that stuff off?
Ben: I've always said that's what's special about this group. And it's more than just the fumble and the touchdown for them, it's me getting hit. That probably hurt them more than anything. That's what's special about this group. They don't like me getting hit or hurt, so I just had to smack him around a little bit and tell him everything's going to be OK and to just move on. That's what's good is that these guys can put it behind them and move on. As you can see today, he’s put it behind him.
Q: It's necessary for quarterbacks, but when did you feel comfortable being able to chew out your linemen?
Ben: I don't like to embarrass guys. I don't think I embarrassed him. I just talked to him. I'm not one of those guys you'll see slamming the ball on the field after an offsides or really start screaming at them. They know by my look. Sometimes they joke about that. But for me it's just about being able to step up as that leader. I think last year was kind of the first year that I was really able to do that, or felt comfortable in doing that.
Q: With five consecutive wins, are you guys feeling pretty good?
Ben: No, not on offense. Offensively, we have a long way to go. We feel that we're not playing up to our level of expectations – at least I don’t think that way. Yeah, we've won five, but really it's about our next game.
*Thank you Trish!
November 11, 2009 - Veterans Day
"I've never been a flashy guy, I'm just me."
From an interview/article in USA Today:
Ben Roethlisberger digs Bob Marley. This much was evident on Monday night, as the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback accented his blue jeans with an oversized T-shirt that blared with a huge image of the late, dreadlocked reggae legend.
The casual look was a statement of sorts, Roethlisberger's way of showing that he doesn't want to be anybody's GQ model, despite having such a high-profile job.
"People ask, 'Why aren't you dressed up?' " he said on his way out of the locker room after throwing for three touchdowns in the Steelers' 28-10 dismantling of the Denver Broncos. "Well, most of the people in Pittsburgh, they don't wear suits to work. I try to represent the city and the people. I've never been a flashy guy. I'm just me."
Roethlisberger made an even bigger statement on the football field in helping the Steelers (6-2) win a fifth consecutive game. He demonstrated that, two Super Bowl rings and all, he keeps getting better with experience.
It wasn't a perfect game. He fumbled while taking a lick from Broncos defensive end Kenny Peterson, which rookie Robert Ayers returned 54 yards for Denver's only touchdown. He threw an interception in the red zone, when a pass to Hines Ward sailed away at the goal line.
But it was plenty good. Roethlisberger's first 3-yard touchdown toss to Ward, crossing in the back of the end zone in the third quarter, was a pinpoint throw that floated just above the reach of a linebacker. It capped a quick, four-play, 80-yard drive that included a 35-yard laser to Santonio Holmes.
That sequence was Roethlisberger's no-sweat response to the fumble.
"That's what's so special about him," said Ward. "He doesn't get rattled too easily."
At the halfway point of his sixth season, he's completed 70.6% of his throws. He entered the season with a 62.4% rate and last season — which ended with that perfect pass to Holmes in the corner of the end zone that won Super Bowl XLIII— was at 59.9%.
Roethlisberger's also on pace to throw a career-high 524 passes as the Steelers — who got a 155-yard rushing night from Rashard Mendenhall against Denver — increasingly open up the offense to ride the quarterback's big arm.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin suspects this all points to a comfort zone bolstered by time.
"He's about seen it all," Tomlin says. "He's been in just about every situation you can be in. I think that plays into his favor.
"I give him credit, I give our offense credit. It wasn't a fluid start for us. But he didn't blink."
To read the entire article, click here.
*Thank you Jan!
Also Today:
If you missed Ben's appearance on ESPN's E:60 program last night, you can read about the interview here.
November 10, 2009 - Evening Update
Vote For Ben!
Quarterbacks PHILIP RIVERS of the San Diego Chargers, BEN ROETHLISBERGER of the Pittsburgh Steelers and KURT WARNER of the Arizona Cardinals are the finalists for the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week honors for games played on November 8 - 9, the NFL announced today.
Fans can vote on NFL.com/FedEx from 9 a.m. EST on Tuesday through noon EST on Friday to determine the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week. The winners will be announced Friday evening on NFL.com.
Fans will be voting for more than their favorite player. As part of the Air & Ground program, FedEx continues its support of Safe Kids USA – a national non-profit organization that works to prevent accidental injury among children – by making weekly $1,000 donations in the winning players’ names. The funding, allocated to local Safe Kids coalitions in that team’s city, is used for pedestrian safety improvements throughout the year, from upgraded crosswalks and street signage to traffic barriers and educational training.
For a second season, fans can tune into the "FedEx Air & Ground Lowdown" posted exclusively on NFL.com/FedEx starting Wednesday mornings. The show examines the nominees in the Air & Ground categories through exclusive video highlights and expert analysis. NFL Network’s RICH EISEN and MARSHALL FAULK host the weekly five-minute show.
A closer look at the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week finalists:
-- San Diego’s PHILIP RIVERS completed 24 of 36 passes for 209 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions in the Chargers’ 21 – 20 win over the New York Giants. Rivers led an 80-yard touchdown drive in the final two minutes of the game to get the win.
-- Pittsburgh’s BEN ROETHLISBERGER completed 21 of 29 passes for 233 yards and three touchdowns with one interception in the Steelers’ 28-10 win over the Denver Broncos.
-- Arizona’s KURT WARNER threw five touchdowns completing 22 of 32 passes for 261 yards in the Cardinals’ 41 – 21 win over the Chicago Bears.
Again, to place your vote for Ben, click here.
*Thank you to both Allison Sobczak, FedEx Ground Manager for External Communications AND Dan Kurash, Weber-Shandwick Public Relations for the press release!
Speaking of Big Ben...
Not only did he complete 21-of-29 for 233 yards passing with three touchdowns and one interception (116.0 passer rating), but last night's win...
- Marked his 32nd career 100-plus passer rating game, moving him into sole possession of first place on the team's all-time list ahead of Terry Bradshaw (31).
- Marked his 12th career game with at least three touchdown passes.
- Improved him to 57-22 as a starter in his sixth season.
*Thanks Trish!
And one more reminder...
Ben will appear on the season finale of ESPN's E:60 this evening at 7:00pm.
For more information on the show, click here.
UPDATE: You can watch the video from the interview here!
November 10, 2009
Big Ben and the Steelers take down Broncos, 28-10
"That guy you can't ever stop. He just makes things happen." -- Steelers wideout Mike Wallace.
From articles in the Philadelphia Enquirer and at FOXSports.com this morning:
Ben Roethlisberger was missing reads and his receivers, and it had the Pittsburgh Steelers reeling in the first half.
It was all so very unlike Roethlisberger. The situation only got worse after halftime, when his sack and fumble led to Robert Ayers' long touchdown return.
If Big Ben was rattled, he didn't show it, needing just four plays to march the Steelers 80 yards for the touchdown that put them ahead for good in their 28-10 rout of the Denver Broncos on Monday night.
"I kind of rushed a little bit," admitted Roethlisberger, whose team has now won five straight. "I think offensively we've got a long ways to go. We made a lot of mistakes and we've got to keep searching for the ceiling because we can't play the way we've been playing and continually beat good conference teams."
There definitely was a good/bad element to Roethlisberger Monday night.
The good came with a pair of 3-yard touchdown passes to Hines Ward and another to rookie wideout Mike Wallace.
The bad was losing a fumble when he was hit from behind by Kenny Peterson, the ball flying free and Ayers scooping it up for a 54-yard TD. Roethlisberger also threw an interception with the Steelers poised to put more points on the board when Andre' Goodman stepped in front of a pass that sailed behind Ward.
"I told the guys, 'They're not stopping us. We're stopping ourselves,'" Roethlisberger said. "Chris was beating himself up because he let the guy through. I said, 'Listen, there's nothing we can do about it. Let's move on. Block the next time and we'll score.' We did."
But when the Steelers (6-2) needed him most, Roethlisberger delivered.
And quickly. It took only four plays for the Steelers to march 80 yards and take a 14-10 lead they never relinquished once Roethlisberger hit wide receiver Hines Ward. That was the first of Big Ben's three touchdown passes.
"It wasn't a fluid start for us," Tomlin said. "Ben didn't blink."
There was no argument from the Broncos, who dropped their second straight after opening the season 6-0 under rookie coach Josh McDaniels.
"Great quarterback," Goodman said. "He doesn't panic, no matter what the situation is. His head is always in the game."
Part of the reason for the Steelers' second-half turnaround was trying out a new tactic , the nonstop no-huddle. The Broncos certainly weren't ready for it.
"Caught us off guard a little bit," Goodman said.
The Broncos shouldn't have been surprised; the Steelers talked all week about employing the no-huddle at Denver.
The Broncos prided themselves on halftime adjustments that worked like magic the first six weeks as they outscored opponents 76-10 after the break during the six-game winning streak.
They've been outscored 45-14 in the last two games.
Ben had three touchdowns, threw for 233 yards, and completed 21 of his 29 attempts despite being severely pressured early on by Denver's pass rush.
The Steelers host the Bengals on Sunday.
To see video highlights, click here.
To see photos, click here.
Also, check out the column of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ron Cook this morning on last night's game.
And don't forget...
Ben will appear on the season finale of ESPN's E:60 this evening at 7:00pm.
For more information on the show, click here.
November 9, 2009
"Broncos fans may not be happy to see Ben...
But the Denver Police Department is ecstatic!"
From 9News.com in Colorado:
The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation has given a grant to the police department's K9 program. The department has been looking for help to buy a new police dog.
Roethlisberger is giving grant money to K9 units in every city the Steelers have an away game this season.
For more info on Ben's Foundation, click here.
*NOTE: My internet connection this evening is "iffy" at best, so photos and game news may have to wait until tomorrow!
November 6, 2009 - Evening Update (see below)
Ben to be interviewed...
WTAE-Channel 4 will air their interview with Ben this evening during the 5:00 pm broadcast.
From their Promo:
"Big Ben carries something with him everyday. It's gotten him Super Bowls and super stardom. What is it?"
Perhaps it's the "Don't Quit" poem that his college coach and friend Terry Hoeppner taught him....
But you'll have to tune in to find out!
POST-INTERVIEW UPDATE: What does Ben carry around with him? A chip on his shoulder!
To check out his interview, click here.
And next week...
Ben will be featured on the season finale of ESPN's E:60 show on Tuesday, November 10th at 7:00 pm.
*Thank you to both Trish and Becky for the heads-up!
November 5, 2009
Excitement: Steelers. Electrifying: Big Ben.
From an article in the Sporting News entitled, "What happened to the Power Divisions?":
The toughest divisions to make a living in the NFL these days are not the NFC or AFC East. This popular notion has gone the way of the efficient offense in Washington and Buffalo. It's disappeared.
To find the most competitive climate in pro football, look to the north. The AFC North probably is the best sector in the league, followed closely by the NFC North.
Does that mean the Vikings will face the Steelers in the Super Bowl? Or the Packers will take on the Bengals? Hardly.
But for weekly excitement and excellence, the old Black and Blue Divisions are golden.
Consider how the Steelers (5-2) built on their championship not by diving even deeper into their time-tested philosophy of winning with the running game and big-time defense. No, these Steelers can pass with anyone, which has been especially significant because their running game has stagnated.
What's more electrifying in the NFL than Ben Roethlisberger creating big plays that seem to come straight from the sandlot, not the playbook? He did it on the decisive touchdown in the Super Bowl, and he's kept right on doing it, altering the style of his team along the way.
I think some of it comes from that being what the Steelers always did in the past. I always say you have to keep up with the times," Roethlisberger said. "That's kind of evolving into a passing offense league-wide. People talk about the Steelers and the run game because we want to be physical. When you want to be physical, people assume that's the run game. But that can mean a lot of different things.
"I guess you can go all the way back to the '70s and we were a grind-it-out team. We're not that '70s team. We're our own identity and that includes a lot of no-huddle stuff. It's been good."
To read the rest, click here.
Also Today:
Big Ben is "the key to the game" -
From John Clayton's column "First and 10" at ESPN.com:
Now, as the Steelers prepare for a visit to Denver for a "Monday Night Football" game, we'll see whether the Ravens' plan can work again or whether the Broncos' coaches can adjust their way out of the difficulties created in Baltimore. There is no question the Steelers will try to use the no-huddle offense to throw the Broncos' defense off stride. Ben Roethlisberger loves the no-huddle. He'll go to it at any point in a game to spark Pittsburgh's offense if it isn't moving the ball.
This game is huge for several reasons. If the Broncos win, they'll maintain a nice lead in the AFC West and set themselves up to get a No. 2 seed in the playoffs. They've already beaten the Bengals, Patriots and Chargers, giving Denver a potential tie-breaking advantage. One bad week doesn't erase what the Broncos have accomplished. Even in the 23-point loss to the Ravens, the surprising Broncos' defense kept rallying and making tackles behind the Ravens' line of scrimmage.
The Steelers have concerns on defense because of injuries. They are down two defensive ends -- Aaron Smith for the season and Travis Kirschke for three weeks with a torn calf. Safety Ryan Clark is expected to sit out of the game because of a sickle-cell problem that caused him to become extremely ill the last time Clark played in the thin air of Denver.
The key to the game, though, is Roethlisberger, whose presence and domination on the field grows by the week. He has turned the Steelers from a running team into a passing team. His completion numbers in the fourth quarter and in play-action situations are off the charts.
For Mr. Clayton's complete column and video report, click here.
November 2-3, 2009
The NFL's Quarterback Class Of 2004
Among Roethlisberger, Rivers and Manning, who's the best in the NFL?
From an article in Forbes Magazine today, written by Monte Burke:
The 2004 NFL draft is often compared to the 1983 draft class for producing true franchise quarterbacks. The former yielded the New York Giants' Eli Manning, San Diego Chargers' Philip Rivers and Pittsburgh Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger.
The latter: John Elway, Jim Kelly and Dan Marino. The 2004 quarterbacks, only in their sixth year in the NFL, have already produced three Super Bowl championships among them. The 1983 class produced two (Elway won them both).
Elway, Kelly and Marino averaged 15-year professional careers (we're including Kelly's two years in the USFL). By that measure, the class of 2004 is more than a third of the way through their careers. It's time to take stock. Who is the best quarterback of the class of 2004?
To get an answer, we used four metrics: Super Bowl wins, regular-season winning percentage, career quarterback rating and the "clutch" factor, as defined by pro-football-reference.com researcher, Scott Kacsmar.
Our answer: It's the Steelers' signal-caller, Roethlisberger, then Rivers, then Manning.
Here's why: Big Ben leads the trio in all but one of those categories. He has won two Super Bowls (Manning has won one, Rivers zero), has the highest regular-season winning percentage (71% versus Rivers' 67% and Manning's 59%), and is the second most clutch active NFL quarterback (Manning is No. 3; Rivers is No. 5).
The only category Roethlisberger doesn't win is quarterback rating. His career rating is 90.9. Rivers has the edge with a rating of 93.4. Manning's is 77.1.
Giants fans may have a problem with Rivers ranking second, since Manning won his team the ultimate game, a feat Rivers has yet to accomplish. But would anyone argue that Trent Dilfer, a Super Bowl winner in 2001, was better than Dan Marino, who retired without a championship? Not a chance.
Right now, Rivers is better than Manning. And Big Ben is the best of the 2004 crop.
To see Forbes list of "The NFL's Most Clutch Quarterbacks", click here.
October 29, 2009
"Young quarterbacks have NFL coaches throwing out old beliefs"
From an article written by NFL analyst Rick Gosselin in the Dallas Morning News today:
Ken Whisenhunt was about to find out how good a coach he was.
Whisenhunt was the offensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2004. The Steelers were a veteran team with a Pro Bowl running back, a Pro Bowl wide receiver, a couple of Pro Bowl blockers and a top-10 defense. It was a team with aspirations of greatness.
But suddenly Whisenhunt had a rookie quarterback taking the snaps. Tommy Maddox suffered an elbow injury in the second week, forcing the Steelers to promote Ben Roethlisberger to the starting spot.
Disaster loomed.
There have been 58 rookie quarterbacks since 1960 who have been primary starters, which is to say they started at least half of their team's games in a season. Of those 58, only 13 posted winning records.
So Whisenhunt was in a bind. This was way ahead of Pittsburgh's timetable for the development of its young quarterback. Roethlisberger wasn't ready yet. He was supposed to be their future, not their present.
With Maddox out and Roethlisberger in, the Pittsburgh season was about to take a turn ... for the better. Roethlisberger started 13 games that season and won every one of them on his way to NFL Rookie of the Year honors. The Steelers finished 15-1.
His success was shocking but would represent a growing trend.
A rookie quarterback limits what an offense can do. That's why so few NFL teams over the years have committed to playing rookies at the position. Old school thinking is that it takes three years for a quarterback to figure out all the nuances of the position at the NFL level.
So coaches long feared the prospect of a rookie taking the snaps. Go with a rookie and you're going to lose.
But not lately.
Since 2003 there have been 11 rookie quarterbacks who have been primary starters. Seven have posted winning records.
Kyle Boller started the roll for the Baltimore Ravens in 2003, posting a 5-4 record as a starter on a 10-6 team. Roethlisberger won his 13 games in 2004, then Kyle Orton went 10-5 with the Chicago Bears in 2005.
"It all goes back to Boller and Roethlisberger," said Whisenhunt, who is now the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. "Baltimore had as good a defense as anyone in 2003. They sought to play defense and manage the offense. The same thing with Pittsburgh and Ben. They had a very good running game and the defense played well.
"Those two guys gave all these other teams the formula for how to do it – which was not to expose him to as much as you have in the past, protect him with the running game and play good defense. ... People saw it and thought, 'They had success with a young quarterback. How did they do it?' That led to the Matt Ryans and Joe Flaccos."
Roethlisberger skipped his senior season to turn pro, so he was already a year behind in the NFL learning curve for the position. He also came out of the Mid-American Conference, so he had never seen the speed or caliber of defender on Saturdays that he would be seeing on Sundays.
Still, Roethlisberger had the best physical tools at his position in the 2004 draft. He was the biggest, strongest and fastest quarterback in a class that featured Eli Manning and Philip Rivers. But Manning went first overall, Rivers fourth and Roethlisberger 11th.
The scouting consensus was that Roethlisberger was the least ready of the three to play coming out of college – but in three years time might be the best of the three because of those tools.
Whisenhunt wouldn't have the luxury of grooming him for two years.
"We had to find out what Ben did well, what he was comfortable with," Whisenhunt said. "The tendency when you game plan is to put all these good things up on the board and then ask your quarterback to run them. But when you have a young quarterback, you can't do that. You have to limit what you can do and find ways to do them repeatedly from different formations and sets. You have to disguise them – and protect your quarterback with the run game.
"You had to focus on giving him just enough that he could feel comfortable and execute what we were asking him to do. So we downsized to the things that Ben did well and worked around that."
In his first 11 starts in 2004 Roethlisberger never threw more than 25 passes. He threw for more than 200 yards just twice. He averaged 21.1 passes per game in 2004 as the Steelers ran the ball 62 percent of the time. But his attempts increased as his offensive package expanded in 2005, passing 22.3 times per game.
Two Super Bowls and a Pro Bowl into his career, Roethlisberger is averaging 34.4 passes per game this season.
Two more rookie quarterbacks are hoping to crack the list of winners in 2009. The Detroit Lions are starting the draft's first overall selection Matthew Stafford, and the New York Jets are starting the fifth overall choice Mark Sanchez.
Stafford has a top-shelf running back (Kevin Smith) and Sanchez both the running game (Thomas Jones and Leon Washington) and a Top 10 defense that give them a chance to succeed in their debut seasons.
Stafford studied the list of rookie starters on a Monday last month at the Lions practice facility. Elway's name jumped out at him. So did Aikman. Peyton Manning. He studied the statistics that documented their struggles as rookies – all the losses, all the interceptions, all the sacks, the low completion percentage. The Highland Park product was undaunted by the list.
"Every single one of us on this list got to this point for a reason," Stafford said. "We're confident. We can make plays with our arm. But there's a fine line in taking that out there on the field and thinking, 'I can put that ball in there. I can make this play.'
"But you have to take chances in this league to be successful. You can't lose your confidence as a playmaker – but at the same time you have to learn to take what they give you. That's easier said than done."
Because of Boller and Roethlisberger, more and more rookie quarterbacks are getting the chance to do just that.
To read the entire article, including an interesting graph on rookie quarterbacks, click here.
October 26, 2009
Vote For Big Ben!
2010 Pro Bowl voting is here!
This year's Pro Bowl will take place on January 31, 2010 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Florida....one week prior to the Super Bowl.
Ben appeared in his first Pro Bowl in February, 2008.
To vote Ben back to the Pro Bowl, click here.
Vote early, Vote OFTEN!
You can learn more about the Pro Bowl by checking out NFL.com.
October 25, 2009 - Evening Update
"Our defense showed up in big way and it was fun to watch 'em!"
The Pittsburgh Steelers took advantage twice of fourth-quarter mistakes by quarterback Brett Favre to end the Minnesota Vikings' six-match unbeaten start to the NFL season on Sunday with a 27-17 victory.
Linebacker LaMarr Woodley scrambled 77 yards after scooping up a Favre fumble to put the defending Super Bowl champions ahead 20-10 with 6:23 to play.
Five minutes later, fellow linebacker Keyaron raced 82 yards from an intercepted Favre pass to seal the win after Minnesota had rallied to 20-17 on Percy Harvin's 88-yard kickoff return following Woodley's score.
"Our defense showed up in big way & it was fun to watch 'em," Ben said during his post game interview. "I enjoyed watching them play, today they showed up when we needed them to. They did it."
The tough-minded Steelers three times repelled Favre bids for touchdowns in the second half to win their fourth consecutive game and remain at least in a tie for the AFC North lead.
Brett Keisel sacked Favre at the Pittsburgh 8 in the fourth quarter, forcing a fumble that Woodley returned for a touchdown thanks to key blocking by his teammates.
Then, after the speedy Harvin got Minnesota back in the game at 20-17 with his kickoff return, Favre had the Vikings at the Steelers 19 when his pass went off the hands of Minnesota running back Chester Taylor and into those of Fox, who scored the game-breaker with a minute to play.
"Both teams fought hard, it was one of those nail biters but we happened to score more points than they did," said Ben.
Earlier, in the third quarter, Pittsburgh held Minnesota to a field goal after the Vikings had first-and-goal at the Steelers 1.
"They were dropping guys deep and we were trying to trying to dink & dunk underneath and a couple of their lineman batted a bunch of balls down and that's what they did," Ben said. "You gotta give them credit 'cause they gave us a lot of looks that we weren't necessarily prepared for because we didn't see it on film or they were just doing some good things. So, offensively we didn't have our best game...but that's why we're a team...the defense picked us up when we needed them."
Asked if he talked to Brett Favre after the game, Ben said, "No, he'd just gotten smashed by James Harrison, he wasn't in the mood to talk."
Ben completed 14-of-26 passes for 175 yards and one touchdown that included an eight play, 91-yard drive in one minute and fifteen seconds at the end the second quarter.
The Steelers have their bye next week before going to Denver in Week 9.
"Bye time is good time...a good time for guys who have injuries to get rested and healed up and get ready for a quality opponent in a couple weeks."
To see photos from the game, click here.
To see Ben's post game interview, click here.
*Thank you to Trish!!
October 25, 2009
Big Ben vs Brett Favre
From an article by Alan Robinson in the Canadian Press News this morning:
There are numerous subplots to Sunday's important game between the unbeaten Vikings and the Pittsburgh Steelers, one that matches a team playing like a champion against one that's proven twice in the last four seasons it is a champion.
Ultimately, it may come down to what nearly everyone wants to see: Can a still-young quarterback who's already won two Super Bowls prevent an ageless quarterback he admired as a youngster from taking a small but significant step toward winning his second?
Even more intriguing is that while Roethlisberger spent his first five seasons mostly managing the Steelers offense, he's quickly transforming himself into a modern-day version of Favre.
"They are playing to their quarterback," Vikings coach Brad Childress said. "He's (Roethlisberger) obviously come a long way from making eight throws in a game and handing the ball off. I don't think they are that type of football team. They are not trying to deceive."
Roethlisberger leads the NFL in yards passing, something no Steelers quarterback has done for a full season since the 1970 merger, and has three 300-yard games this season. Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw had only four during his entire Steelers career.
Asked if the 27-year old Roethlisberger reminds him of Favre, Childress said, "A young Brett Favre."
Curiously, at the same time, the 40-year old Favre is becoming more like the younger Roethlisberger, a player whose most impressive statistic is his winning percentage, not his completion percentage.
"I've just practiced and gone about it as if I was 25," Favre said.
Favre doesn't know where this 6-0 start will take the Vikings. He might have a better idea after going against a Pittsburgh defense that led the league the last two seasons and is capable of making any quarterback feel like he's 40, much less one who is that old.
"This Steelers scheme makes it so hard to prepare. It's pretty stressful. You're sitting there going, 'AHHHH," Favre said, gripping a table and shaking it. "At times you play into their hands, and that's what they want you to do. It really comes down to making plays when they are there. You get limited opportunities against a team like this."
You can read the entire article here.
You can see a larger version of the brief handshake between Ben and Brett from a 2007 Preseason game here.
October 23, 2009 - Afternoon Update
Big Ben has a message for Trent Dilfer
From an article by Jim Wexell this afternoon:
From the middle of a mob of reporters, someone asked Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger why his pump fake has been so effective this year.
"I have no idea," said Roethlisberger.
It was a surprisingly terse answer from a guy who's become more thoughtful with the media as he's come of age as a team leader.
As the mob dissipated, the reporter told Roethlisberger that he's from ESPN.
"I know you are," Roethlisberger said as he walked away. "And tell Trent Dilfer to get his stuff together."
Dilfer, of course, is an ESPN analyst who said this week that Kyle Orton – along with both Mannings, Drew Brees, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers – has been a better quarterback this season than Roethlisberger, who leads the NFL in passing yards and yards per attempt, is second in completions and completion percentage, and is fourth in passer rating.
Dilfer explained that his rankings are based on "Do you win football games?"
Roethlisberger has four wins in six games – and two rings in five seasons.
To read the rest of Mr. Wexell's article, click here.
October 23, 2009
Ben looks forward to meeting and playing against Brett Favre
From KDKA and NFL Network's coverage of Ben's interview today:
Ben Roethlisberger was just 9-years-old when Brett Favre was drafted into the NFL.
"I've yet to meet Brett Favre, so I'm looking forward to it," said Roethlisberger. "I'll probably be the guy asking for an autograph."
So now that Favre and Minnesota Vikings are coming to Heinz Field, Big Ben is ready to square off against the football legend.
"It's going to be fun. I grew up watching Brett and idolizing him and molding a little bit of my game after him. It will be fun to play him for the first time."
Favre and Roethlisberger are ranked three and four in passer rating in the NFL this year, but Roethlisberger is nowhere close to matching Favre's 275 game consecutive starting streak.
"At this position – unbelievable," said Roethlisberger. "And you know what, a lot of it is toughness, but I'm sure he'll tell you, a lot of it is luck. You have to get lucky, especially in this sport and with guys rolling into you, hitting into you, just anything little can happen and he's gotten lucky and he's incredible tough."
When asked if he compared his game to Favre, Roethlisberger said, "I don't compare myself to Brett Favre. He's a legend, and I'm just trying to get to his level.
October 22, 2009
"He ain't no fragile quarterback"
From the Vikings Locker Room News & Notes in the Minneapolis Star Tribune:
The Vikings are well aware that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger loves to hold the ball a long time and is capable of getting off a pass even with defenders draped all over him because of his size and strength. That's why more than one Vikings defensive player used the phrase 'tackle his right arm' today when describing how to approach Roethlisberger.
"You lick your chops when you see him sitting there holding it, but it's also a plus for them because he makes a lot of plays with those receivers staying active," defensive tackle Kevin Williams said. "You have to lock onto him and just get him to the ground when you have opportunities because he makes more plays after he scrambles than he does sitting in the pocket."
Roethlisberger ranks in the Top 5 in the NFL in passing yards, completion percentage, completions and passer rasting. His toughness and ability to make plays when the pocket collapses is what impresses the Vikings.
"He's real tough," defensive tackle Pat Williams said. "He ain't no fragile quarterback. He'll get off the ground and just keep on throwing it."
Said linebacker Chad Greenway: "His big body obviously helps him be able to get rid of the ball with people hanging all over him. We have to be mindful of that. We have to tackle the right arm. That's the biggest key. Even if you do that, he can probably throw with his left. We just have to keep playing hard and aggressive."
To read the rest of the Vikings Locker Room Report, click here.
October 20-21, 2009
Event: In the Pocket with Charlie Batch
Join Charlie, his teammates, and the WDVE Morning Show hosts for the Third Annual "In the Pocket" event.
The event allows you the opportunity to play ping-pong, pool or poker with your favorite Steelers players for a good cause!
Proceeds from the event benefit the Best of the Batch Foundation's reading & computer literacy program.
Date: Monday, November 16, 2009
Time: 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Place: J. Verno Studios - located at 3030 Jane Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203
Some of Charlie's teammates that will be in attendance include Ben, Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Casey Hampton, Rashard Mendenhall, Mike Wallace, Chris Hoke, LaMar Woodley, Dennis Dixon and Ryan Clark.
Tickets start at $100 per person for spectators, $250 per person for players and $500 for "High Roller" players (which includes one-on-one time with the celebrities).
For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
To learn more about Charlie Batch's Foundation, click here.
*Thank you to Trish!
October 19, 2009
Monday: Notes & Quotes
Ben on the cover...
Ben will be on the cover of the next issue of Men's Fitness magazine (December, 2009).
He will also be featured in a short interview/article entitled, "Big Ben! Toughest QB in the NFL".
The issue should be on newstands by mid-November.
To see the full cover, click here.
*Thank you to Men's Fitness for the heads-up email!
Bid for Hope:
Heath Miller and his wife Katie will be hosting the event this evening from 7:00 pm-11:00 pm at Bossa Nova Restaurant (123 7th Street in Pittsburgh).
Proceeds from the sold-out charity event benefit Breast Cancer Awareness.
Several of Heath's teammates are expected to attend, including Ben, although he generally does not RSVP.
For more info, check out Heath-Miller.com!
Speaking of Big Ben...
Through six games, Roethlisberger has thrown for 1,870 yards and 10 touchdowns:
"This is the best I've ever seen him play. I've seen him play pretty darn good sometimes. I just think the more you do something, the more comfortable you are with it and Ben has full command of this offense. He's had full command for a few years now, but he just keeps getting better and better." -- Heath Miller, from an article at SteelCity Insider by Jim Wexell.
"He's really good. He's in total command of the offense. It's fun to watch at times." -- Mike Tomlin, from an article at GoErie.com.
"We know if we give Ben even a small amount of time, he's going to make something happen. He's fun to watch." -- Willie Colon, from an article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
"Defensively, just too many big plays. That's who that quarterback is, and that's what this offense can do." -- Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini, from an article in the Tribune-Chronicle.
From an article entitled, "Big Ben Tops Pass Rankings" by a AP sports writer Alan Robinson:
Brady, Brees, Brett. Now, Big Ben?
Ben Roethlisberger is big on winning — he is 55-22 as a starter, the best record for any NFL quarterback not named Tom Brady.
After throwing for 417 yards Sunday while beating Cleveland 27-14 for the most by any Pittsburgh quarterback during a victory, Roethlisberger leads the NFL with 1,887 yards passing, 77 more than Houston's Matt Schaub. Roethlisberger also is No. 2 in completion percentage (72.5), No. 2 in yards per game (314.5) and No. 4 in passer rating (104.5).
There's been no major alteration in Roethlisberger's game that's led to his greatly increased statistics. Rather, it has been more of an ongoing progression, with former coordinator Ken Whisenhunt and now Arians increasingly handing over more of the offense to him.
Only the Colts (326 yards) are averaging more yards per game passing than Pittsburgh (296.7). At his current pace, Roethlisberger would become not only the first Steelers QB to throw for 4,000 yards in a season — Bradshaw passed for 3,724 in 1979 — but for 5,000.
From an article written by Jim Wexell at SteelCityInsider.com:
From the notebook of a sportswriter who wonders how far Ben Roethlisberger will fall on those national media MVP lists after Sunday’s performance:
With his 417-yard passing day, Roethlisberger’s on pace for 5,032 passing yards this season. That would not only smash Terry Bradshaw’s team record of 3,724 yards, but would put him within 52 yards of Dan Marino’s all-time NFL mark.
The all-time NFL mark – that’s good enough for a mention in Peter King’s column, isn't it?
You can normally ignore the lack of respect Roethlisberger garners at any given time, but it’s just been ridiculous this season.
Usually, the higher the passing yardage, the lower the winning percentage, but Roethlisberger’s low two numbers this season occurred in the team’s two losses.
From the blog at Mondesishouse.com:
Thoughts from the 12th consecutive victory of Hammer over Nail:
1. I realize it was "only" the Browns, but Ben Roethlisberger's grasp of the offense is bordering on scary right now. Even fantasy football fans have fallen for the big guy, who threw for 417 yards, 3rd all-time for a single game in Steeler history, on Sunday. In case you were wondering, the top two: Tommy Maddox's 473 in 2002's "The Tie" against Atlanta, and Roethlisberger's 433 in 2006 against Denver.
2. Just to give you an idea of how accurate Roethlisberger has been throwing the ball, his 73.8 completion percentage is 10.4% above his career average of 63.4. For comparison's sake, Derek Anderson is completing 46.4% of his passes, which probably has something to do with the fact that his team has one win.
From Ben's post-game press conference...
On his performance -
"We played OK. I still think we left some things out there -- and that's a credit to the Browns. They played well on defense. I have to complete more passes. I can't be turning the ball over."
On the no-huddle -
"It was just: 'Let's get in the shotgun and start slinging it around. It worked for us. If you asked the receivers, I think they like it."
On Heath Miller's TD catch in the second quarter -
"Heath was getting held the whole way, then he out-muscled the guy when I threw it to him. The line did a great job."
On playing against Brett Favre next week -
"I've never played against Brett. He's a guy I looked up to, so I look forward to that. They have a great defense, obviously. It's going to be a good challenge for us. We're going to have to be on our A-game on offense."
October 18, 2009
Ben ties HOF'er Terry Bradshaw in win against Browns
Ben Roethlisberger, second in the league in passing and on pace for what would easily be the best statistical season of his career, had two touchdown passes and completed 23-of-35 passes for 417 yards - the second highest total in his career, to defeat the struggling Cleveland Browns 27-14 at Heinz Field Sunday.
One of Ben's scoring strikes was a 52-yarder to Hines Ward, who had eight catches for 159 yards. The other TD pass was an eight-yard hook-up with Heath Miller in the second quarter.
Ben improved to 10-0 lifetime against Cleveland.
He also tied Hall of Fame QB Terry Bradshaw for first on the team's All-Time list with 31 career 100-plus passer rating games.
The win moved the Steelers (4-2) into a first-place tie in the AFC North with the Bengals (4-2), who were beaten at home 28-17 by the Texans.
Browns quarterback Derek Anderson, who replaced an ineffective Brady Quinn after 2½ games, finished 9 of 24 for 122 yards.
After the flurry of turnovers ended the third quarter (four turnovers in a span of 1:25 - two by each team), Reed kicked a 39-yard field goal, and the Browns gave the ball back yet again — their fourth turnover and 32nd in their last 12 games — when Anderson was intercepted by Ryan Clark near the goal line with 4:21 to play.
Cribbs also was intercepted by Troy Polamalu, who returned after a four-game injury layoff, out of a wildcat formation during yet another dreadful first half by the Browns offense, which was outgained 289-71 in the half and 231-14 in yards passing.
But even with the win, Ben wasn't happy with the sloppy play by the Steelers.
"We gotta keep reaching for the ceiling, we're not playing good enough," He said moments after the game. "We've got a long way to go."
To see video of "Ben" game highlights, click here.
To see video of Ben's post-game interview, click here.
To see photos, click here.
Congratulations to Heath Miller!
Heath Miller had his 25th career touchdown catch, passing Eric Green to move into second place in team history among tight ends today when he caught Ben's pass in the first quarter to give the Steelers a 7-0 lead.
October 16, 2009
The Browns Talkin' Big Ben...
From the Cleveland Plain Dealer today:
Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, during his presser -
(On Ben Roethlisberger) - "He's a great player, obviously. I'm not going to state the obvious. He's fantastic. He's a great competitor. Things you can't ever practice against, that's who he is. He's this great big guy with a strong arm, a great will, makes his team successful, Super Bowl champion a couple times. He can make all the throws, makes people miss. He does everything. Obviously he is an extremely successful guy."
(On Roethlisberger making moves to get away from defenses )- "He's done that, probably not just to the Cleveland Browns, I think he does it to everybody. He's just a great big guy. You really have to wrap those guys up around the waist, like you're slow dancing with them, and throw them down. That's what you have to do to the guy to be most successful. The big macho, kill shot or the head shot doesn't work against this guy. You have to wrap your arms around him and rodeo tackle him."
To read the rest, click here.
From an interview/article on Browns defensive end Corey Williams in the Akron Beacon Journal:
Browns defensive end Corey Williams was still smarting from the $7,500 he was docked for roughing Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards last Sunday.
But even as Williams planned to appeal his fine from the league, he vowed not to back off as the Browns visit the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
His task Sunday will be to take down Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who has led the Steelers to Super Bowl victories in two of the past four seasons and is 9-0 against the Browns.
"It's not going to slow me down," Williams said of the fine. "I'm going to keep on rushing like I normally do and every chance I get to hit him, I'm going to hit him. If it takes for them to fine me every week, that's just what's going to happen."
Browns coach Eric Mangini knows the challenges Roethlisberger presents.
"He's made a lot of guys miss sacks," Mangini said. "He's strong. He's really strong in the pocket and he has good awareness. He doesn't let the pressure affect his vision down the field, but he's very aware of where it's coming from. Sometimes he just pulls it down and goes.
"He's not an easy guy to get down. Usually, those bigger guys, once you're on them, you're on them...You may have to drag them down a little bit. He's actually got some short area quickness for a guy that size. You can work on avoiding in the pocket and feeling the pressure and doing things like that. In terms of shaking guys off, you can thank your parents for that."
Williams said Roethlisberger can shed tackles "almost better than some of the running backs can."
"We're going to have to hit him hard and get him on the ground. That's our main focus," Williams said. "How you get him on the ground and how hard you get him on the ground, it doesn't matter. Hopefully the refs won't throw a flag just because we hit him; he's a big guy just like we are."
To read the rest, click here.
Quote of the Week...
"He's a winner. I don't care about stats; I don't care about fantasy points. You can't knock the man for winning and for what he's done his six years in the League. Fourth quarter he comes back and wins games and everyone wants us to go out and throw the ball all the time. That's not going to happen we like to run the ball. Ben just feels comfortable with his role." -- Hines Ward, from an article in the Pittsburgh Sports Examiner.
Stat of the Week...
Ben needs ONE 100-plus passer rating game to tie Hall of Fame QB Terry Bradshaw for first on the team's All-Time list. He currently has 30 career 100-plus passer rating games in the regular season, trailing only Bradshaw's 31.
*Thanks Trish!
Check out...
This great story on McComb High School junior Tyler Brown.
October 15, 2009
Thursday: Notes & Quotes
From an article entitled "Arians, Roethlisberger make winning pair for Steelers" in the Canton (Ohio) Rep Today:
Long before Arians was calling plays for the Cleveland Browns and then the Pittsburgh Steelers, he played quarterback at Virginia Tech. As the quarterbacks coach in Indianapolis, Arians worked with a young Peyton Manning.
"I'm glad the Browns got rid of him so we could get him," Roethlisberger said Wednesday.
Arians took over Pittsburgh's offense when Whisenhunt, a former NFL tight end, became head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. Mike Tomlin, whose background is on defense, became Arians' new boss.
Roethlisberger's stats are off the charts. He is on pace to top 4,700 passing yards. In five previous years as the starter, his passing totals have been 2,621; 2,385; 3,513; 3,154 and 3,301.
Through five games, Roethlisberger trails only Manning, 1,645 yards to 1,470. Roethlisberger’s passer rating is 102.6, close to the career-best 104.1 he posted the year Arians became his coordinator.
"I've been blessed to have him. We work well together. I don't think he views his role or his job as telling me what to do. We both look at each other in terms of helping each other. He’s made me a lot better quarterback."
To read the entire article, click here.
From the "Browns Notebook", also in the Canton Rep today:
Who's smiling now?
As he grows older, Roethlisberger admits he was sore that his home-state team, Cleveland, passed on him in the 2004 draft.
"I'm happy now," he said. "Back then, I wasn't, but now I am. I wouldn’t trade where I am for anything."
The topic seemed to get his wheels turning. When he was finished answering, he broke into laughter.
And, on a serious note...
Defensive end Aaron Smith has seen more of the Browns than any Steeler this decade. Smith has started every game during Pittsburgh’s incredible 17-1 hot streak against Cleveland.
His streak will come to an end because Smith was placed on injured reserve this week.
"Huge," quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said of the loss.
"He’s one of the most destructive defensive linemen and maybe one of the best in the game. He should be a Pro Bowler every year. "We're gonna miss him."
If you'd like to read more from the "Browns Notebook", click here.
October 13, 2009 - *Post-Show Update (see below)
Television Reminder...
Don't forget:
Ben will appear (via satellite) on the Jay Leno Show tonight at 10:00 p.m. on NBC tonight.
He will take part in a segment called "10 @ 10". The skit has Leno asking a celebrity 10 'off-the-wall' questions.
*Post-Show Update: For caps and quotes, click here. To see the video (which includes only a few questions), click here.
Also Today:
From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ron Cook in his column entitled, "Steelers' Roethlisberger shows flashes of Elway" -
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is the John Elway of this generation.
There are a number of ways to support that supposition, starting with Roethlisberger's two Super Bowls in his first five NFL seasons. All quarterbacks are judged by their won-loss record. Roethlisberger's is a staggering 54-22 in the regular season, including 22-5 against AFC North Division opponents. He has 30 career 100-plus passer rating games, including a 123.9 in the 28-20 victory Sunday in Detroit when he threw for 277 yards and three touchdowns.
Those are hard, fast numbers. Indisputable numbers. But just as clear is Roethlisberger's winning mindset. He is aware of everything on the field at all times. Nothing frightens him, not even 285-pound defensive ends with evil intentions. Nothing throws him off his game, not even the occasional interception that is returned for a touchdown.
Roethlisberger loves the no-huddle offense because he's more in charge of the game, calling the plays himself based on what he sees from the defense. Here's the sequence he came up with on that next possession: a 4-yard run by back Rashard Mendenhall, a 10-yard pass to tight end Heath Miller, a 1-yard run by Mendenhall, an 11-yard pass to Miller, a 9-yard pass to Miller, a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Hines Ward.
Four passes. Four completions for 47 yards and a touchdown. A 21-13 lead for the Steelers.
"I don't feel like I'm playing well," he said. "I'm disappointed in my performance today. Even offensively, I'm disappointed in the way we played."
The Steelers will try to do better Sunday when they play the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field. The Browns have scored an offensive touchdown in just two of their past 11 games, going back to last season. Somehow, they beat the Buffalo Bills, 6-3, Sunday despite quarterback Derek Anderson completing 2 of 17 passes for 23 yards.
Do you think the Browns would love to have the Steelers' offensive troubles?
A better question:
Do you think the Browns would love to have Roethlisberger?
To read Mr. Cook's entire column, click here.
Speaking of Big Ben...
"He's playing phenomenal. I don't know why he isn't mentioned with the best quarterbacks in the league because in my eyes he's right there at the top." -- Steelers Tight End Heath Miller on Ben, during an interview with Mike Prisuta, SteelCityInsider.com.
October 11, 2009
Ben throws three touchdowns in win over Lions
Ben went 23-for-30 with 277 yards and a pick while Rashard Mendenhall had 77 yards on 15 carries with a score for the Steelers (3-2), who have won their last two games. Hines Ward, Heath Miller and Mike Wallace each caught a score in the 28-20 win.
James Harrison had three sacks and eight tackles. The Steelers defense had seven sacks in the game.
Trailing by eight points to start the second half, Detroit went on a 13-play drive that ate up almost seven minutes. But the Lions came away empty as Jason Hanson's 49-yard field goal attempt went just wide right.
The Steelers needed just four plays to get in the end zone, as Ben sent a deep pass to Wallace, who caught the ball in the end zone for a 47-yard score and a 28-13 lead with 6:05 left in the third.
The Lions were driving on their next possession and got into Steelers territory, but Culpepper threw the ball away as he was being pressured and Ryan Clark picked off the floater.
With under eight minutes to play in the game, the Lions started a drive at their own 18 and eventually scored. Facing a 3rd-and-5, Culpepper moved the chains on a five-yard dump pass to Dennis Northcutt. Three plays later, Culpepper again turned to Northcutt, who made a leaping catch in the middle of the end zone from 25 yards out to make it a 28-20 game with 4:57 to play.
Detroit's defense then forced the Steelers into a three-and-out, and the Lions took over at their 29. Catches of 18 and 19 yards by Derrick Williams got the ball across midfield, and a 22-yard reception by Northcutt got Detroit into scoring position at the two-minute warning.
However, the Steelers defense sacked Culpepper on the next three plays, and on 4th-and-34 Culpepper's desperation heave to the end zone was knocked down by Ike Taylor to seal the win.
Pittsburgh answered quickly, using six plays to get a TD. Mendenhall had a 27-yard run up the middle to keep the Steelers going, and later ran around the right end untouched into the end zone from seven yards out.
With a drive that spanned the first and second quarters, the Steelers took an eight-point lead, as Ben found Heath Miller on a tight end screen over the middle. Miller took it in from 15 yards out with 10:37 left in the half.
A three-and-out by Detroit got the ball back in Ben's hands, but he was picked off by William James, who took the pick into the end zone from 38 yards out to make it a 14-13 game with 6:52 to play.
Pittsburgh, though, got a 47-yard kickoff return from Stefan Logan. Six plays later, Ben dumped the ball over the middle to Ward, who stretched into the end zone on a 17-yard TD for a 21-13 lead with 3:51 left.
To see video of "Ben" highlights from NFL.com, click here.
To see video of game highlights from NFL.com, click here.
To see photos from the game, click here.
October 10, 2009
Big Ben the Good Samaritan
Ben helps out the victims of a vehicle accident in the Strip District Friday evening:
Otis Mitchell, the victim in the accident, said a car pulled out in front of him, forcing him to slam into a pole. The driver then left the scene.
Mitchell, a huge Steelers fan, said, "Roethlisberger was right behind me. He stopped, helped me out. He's a real good guy, nice guy. Called the police and gave me an autograph."
Mitchell and his two passengers were checked out by medics and are OK.
Apparently police are still looking for the driver of the vehicle that caused the accident.
Two K-9's for Detroit Police Department...
From WWJ Newsradio 950 in Detroit:
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger may want to beat the Detroit Lions Sunday afternoon at Ford Field, but he's helping the Detroit Police Department.
Roethlisberger's Foundation announced it will be distributing grant money to the police department to buy two new canines that will replace two other dogs who are retiring at the end of this year.
"We are deeply appreciative to the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation for this grant," Detroit Police Chief Warren Evans said in a statement. "In these difficult budgetary times we must rely more and more on outside sources of funding to support our officers’ efforts. This grant will provide our officers additional resources to protect the citizens of Detroit."
To learn more about Ben's Foundation, click here.
REAL men wear pink!
From the Post-Gazette's Steelers Notebook today:
Maybe he's just superstitious, but Ben Roethlisberger liked the pink shoes he wore against the Chargers so much he will wear them again against the Lions.
Roethlisberger and several of his teammates wore pink shoes, gloves or wristbands against the Chargers as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But, after passing for 333 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions against San Diego, Roethlisberger got a new pair of pink shoes to wear at Ford Field.
"I like 'em," Roethlisberger said.
To read the rest of the Steelers Notebook, click here.
Spreading the Wealth...
From an article by the Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac:
Receivers no longer wonder when their next reception might be coming. Just how soon.
It began in the season opener against Tennessee when the Steelers had three receivers -- Holmes (9), Ward (8) and Miller (8) -- with at least eight catches. The following week, Holmes had a season-high 14 passes thrown in his direction, even though he caught only five and dropped three in Chicago. Wallace had a team-high seven catches for 102 yards in Cincinnati and Ward and Miller each had eight catches against the Chargers.
"Ben has total command of the offense," offensive coordinator Bruce Arians said.
"We don't have to have a favorite go-to guy. We have enough capable guys who just take what's there and we'll move the ball downfield."
That is one of the reasons Roethlisberger's passing numbers are among the best in the NFL. But here is another: He is healthy.
Last year, Roethlisberger separated his throwing shoulder in the opening game when he was sacked by Houston's Mario Williams, then aggravated the injury Nov. 3 in Washington sneaking for a touchdown. Because of that, Roethlisberger rarely practiced during the week and, when he did, barely threw the ball beyond 10 yards.
"Ben didn't practice for seven weeks at this time of year last year," Arians said.
"Now he's practicing and he's full-go. He's seeing everything as good as you can see for a quarterback."
He leads the NFL is completion percentage (73.2), is second in completions (104) and third in yards (1,193) and yards per attempt (8.4).
To read the complete article, click here.
Speaking of Big Ben...
Quotes from an an article/interview in the Beaver County Times -
"Ben does a great job making sure we're part of everything. We like the fact our quarterback takes an interest in us. He wants us to be part of his life, and he wants to be part of our lives as well." -- Steelers right guard Trai Essex.
"Ben's our dude. He's really close with us guys. He's a leader for us on and off the field." -- Steelers starting left guard Chris Kemoeatu.
To read the entire article/interview, click here.
October 8, 2009
Ben to appear on Jay Leno
According to Late Night Lineups...
Ben is scheduled to be a guest (via satellite) on Jay Leno's new talk show on Tuesday, October 13th at 10:00 p.m. on NBC.
Also on Leno that night will be actor John C. Reilly (Talledega Nights, Stepbrothers, Chicago).
Ben won't be the only Steeler to chat with Leno this month -- Terry Bradshaw will be a guest tomorrow night.
October 7, 2009
Ben on the cover...
...of the October 12th edition of The Sporting News.
Ben and the Penguins Sidney Crosby are featured on the cover and in the cover story "Black & Gold mettle: Pittsburgh is Best Sports City".
From the cover feature:
"It's been quite a year in Pittsburgh, with the Steelers winning the Super Bowl, the Penguins winning the Stanley Cup and our local college football and basketball teams having successful seasons as well," Mayor Luke Ravenstahl says. "Sports fans in Western Pennsylvania have had a lot to be proud of these last 12 months. Pittsburgh truly is the City of Champions once again."
In fact, it may always be sunny in that other city across the state, but citizens there can lay claim to only one title team during the past 12 months. Over here—where an elected official changed his name temporarily to "Steelerstahl," just so, y'know, there was no question of which team he supported when Baltimore came to town for an NFL playoff beatdown in January—you've got two titles, basketball tournament teams aplenty, and a bowl-bound and Backyard Brawl-winning football team.
Oh, and fans like no other.
"We thank them," Super Bowl 43 MVP Santonio Holmes says, "for being our 12th man."
To read the rest, click here.
To see the video of Ben and Sidney's cover shoot, click here.
To see a larger version of the cover, click here.
Quote of the Day:
"Again the mastery of Big Ben was apparent when on the first play Chargers safety Clinton Hart came within a whisker of knocking that ball away from him while rolling out. The man is becoming Ninja-like. No one can sneak up on him." -- Craig Wolfley, from his "Wolfley: A View From The Sideline" feature at SteelCityInsider.com.
How "RAW" Rated:
Going up against the toughest competition that he will face until he stands across from the Baltimore Ravens’ defense on Nov. 29, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger more than held his own.
With Roethlisberger as guest host of Raw Monday night, the show held up remarkably well going head-to-head with the "Monday Night Football" game between the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers on ESPN that was the most-watched show in cable television history.
RAW did a 3.3 rating (4.7 million people), which was up from the 3.1 rating of last week’s show that was hosted by Rev. Al Sharpton. WWE has to be very happy with that number.
It looks as if Steeler Nation was more interested in seeing their QB ham it up with WWE talent than watching Brett Favre’s grudge match against his former team.
-- From the Baltimore Sun's Ring Posts Wrestling blog.
Ben was WIRED....
Check out this video from NFL.com of Ben from the game against the Chargers last Sunday. He was wired throughout!
*Thanks to Kathy for the link!
October 6, 2009
How Ben spent his Monday night off...
Ben guest-hosted WWE's Monday Night RAW at the Wachovia Arena in Wilkes-Barre, but he didn't do it alone - he brought his offensive linemen with him. And it turned out to be a wise move, because he needed the backup later in the show when he was challenged by the 7', 485 lb wrestler known as The Big Show, and his fluffy-haired tag team partner Chris Jericho.
Enter Willie Colon, Justin Hartwig, Darnell Stapleton, Trai Essex, Max Starks and Chris Kemoeatu, who all took the stage and the ring to help out their star quarterback.
After the men got in their three-point stance to help Ben run a "quarterback sneak" against the wrestlers, The Big Show realized pretty quickly that he was no match for the combined 1,945 lbs worth of Steelers offense and backed off...right out of the ring!
Shawn Michaels and Triple H. of D-Generation X then joined the Steelers in the ring where they shook hands, posed and did their famous "crotch chop" with the members of the Black and Gold.
Ben presented the main event: D-X versus the Big Show and Jericho. But during the match Jericho, who had obviously had enough of the beating he was taking in the ring, tried to sneak away but Ben and his O-Line came back out on stage and blocked his progress, sending him back into the ring to be finished off by D-X.
Ben started off the program by introducing the "Diva Bowl", featuring the WWE's lovely lady wrestlers in football 'attire' squaring off against each other. Later in the show, he did a skit with The Miz and another with Santino Marella, who was dressed as a NFL referee.
Ben's Foundation was highlighted throughout the show and during commercial breaks.
To check out some great photos from the show, click here.
To see videos from the show, click here and here.
You can read more about the show by clicking on the links below:
Rum Bunter - Another Outstanding Performance On WWE
WTAE-4 - 'RAW'thlisberger Scores As WWE Host
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Roethlisberger talks the talk at WWE event
PWTorch - ESPN SportsCenter features Ben Roethlisberger's appearance as guest host of Raw
If you attended the event and would like to share your photos with the site, just email me!
October 5, 2009
Ben: 333 Yards and 2 Touchdowns in Win over Chargers
Ben Roethlisberger's throwing got fast-starting Pittsburgh going on its first two drives, Rashard Mendenhall surpassed his previous career total with 165 yards rushing and two scores and the Steelers opened a 28-point lead, then held on to beat the San Diego Chargers 38-28 on Sunday night.
"We put up 38, and I think it could have been more," said Roethlisberger.
The Chargers (2-2), outgained nearly 4 to 1 until late in the third quarter, made an apparent blowout close as Philip Rivers threw touchdown passes of 30 yards to Antonio Gates and 13 yards to Chris Chambers and Jacob Hester scored on a 41-yard fumble return, all in the fourth quarter.
Running back Mewelde Moore caught a touchdown pass and threw for another to Heath Miller on a goal-line play as the Steelers (2-2), beaten in the closing seconds by Chicago and Cincinnati the previous two weeks, built such a big lead that they withstood another bad fourth quarter. Jeff Reed finished it off with a 46-yard field goal in the final minute.
"I feel like we are playing great for three quarters, then in the fourth we can't seem to finish things out," defensive end Brett Keisel said. "We are lucky our offense came up so big today."
Roethlisberger hit Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward for 15 yards each and rookie Mike Wallace for 35, and Mendenhall — subbing for the injured Willie Parker — needed three carries to cover the final 14 yards for his first career touchdown with only 3:11 gone.
Roethlisberger finished 26 of 33 for 333 yards and Ward had eight catches for 113 yards.
"We had to answer the bell," He said after the game. "We did it all night long on offense. [Mendenhall] did a great job running the ball. The offensive line did a great job opening up holes."
To see photos from the game, click here.
To see video of "Ben" highlights, click here.
To see video of game highlights, click here.
Don't Forget...
Ben and the O-Line will guest host tonight's WWE Monday Night RAW.
The show airs at 9:00 pm on the USA Network.
To check out their website, click here.
October 1, 2009
The Chargers, the WWE and Breast Cancer Awareness...
From an interview with Ben today in the Steelers locker room:
Q: "Is this basically the same Chargers team as last year? "
Ben: "In a way. I think they’re a little bit better. They’re a year together more. They’re playing good football now. "
Q: "Who do you know at WWE? How did this wrestling exhibition next Monday come to pass? "
Ben: "I got asked to do it. Vince McMahon asked me to do it, and I said, ‘Sure. Why not?’."
Q: "Are you a big wrestling fan? "
Ben: "Back in the day I was. I used to watch it all the time. Of course. Everybody was. When they come here to Pittsburgh I’ve come to watch it and become friends with some of those guys. It’ll be fun. "
Q: "Who are some of the guys you liked? "
Ben: "I was a Hulk Hogan guy, the Ultimate Warrior, Jake the Snake. Some of those guys. "
Q: "Is LaMarr Woodley going with you? "
Ben: "No. I’m taking my linemen, offensive linemen. "
Q: " What do you do? "
Ben: "I can’t tell. "
Q: "Do you get a script in advance? "
Ben: "I’m getting one on Friday. "
Q: "Did you have to run this by Coach Tomlin? "
Ben: " It’s our off day. I talked to him about it, but I didn’t really ask for permission. I kind of went and talked to him and got a feel for if he was going to have a big problem with it. I figured he would tell me. But like I said, it’s our off day. I want to let everyone know: I’m not coming off any top ropes or anything. People are freaking out that I’m going to be doing something. I’m not going to be doing anything crazy, so relax. "
Q: " If you had a finishing move, what would it be? "
Ben: " I was trying to work on it with Chris Kemoeatu. Me and Juicy, I was going to come off the side rope, jump, and he was going to catch me and spin me around. We were going to call it the Helicopter Kick and I was going to take everybody out. We’ve been practicing at Chris’s house, right Chris? (Kemoeatu gives no response because he's asleep on floor.) "
Q: "Who would win a Battle Royale of the offensive linemen? "
Ben: "I’d take me and my five guys over anybody. "
Q: "This week is the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and some of you guys are wearing pink shoes with the throwbacks. What are your thoughts on what the whole thing means? "
Ben: "I’m not afraid to get made fun of for wearing pink, especially when it’s for a good cause like this. To raise awareness for such a vicious disease, I’m all for it and I will have some pink shoes on most likely. "
Thanks Trish!
September 29, 2009
Ben helps open new Ronald McDonald House
From WPXI today:
Ben Roethlisberger and Art Rooney II cut the ribbon at the new Ronald McDonald house attached to the new Childrens’ Hospital in Lawrenceville on Tuesday morning.
"This facility here is great because it’s a place for the families to come to live to be close to home as possible," said Steelers quarterback Roethlisberger. "Not just put them in a hotel room, but to put them in a place they can actually call home while they’re going through a tough time."
You can check out a video of the ribbon cutting and an interview with Ben here.
If you would like to help support Ben's efforts for the Ronald McDonald House, please visit http://www.rmhcpgh.org.
September 28, 2009 - Evening Update
Ben to guest host on WWE Monday Night RAW next week
...and he won't be alone!
Ben will bring his entire offensive line with him as he hosts an evening of WWE Monday Night RAW action on October 5th!
The show kicks off at 9pm on the USA Network.
Don't miss it!
To check out their website, click here.
September 28, 2009
"It's going to be good to get back home to play in front of our fans"
From Ben's post-game press conference:
Q: "Does the winning streak against the Bengals in Cincinnati being stopped mean anything to you?"
Ben: "Six years. Not bad. It's a tough loss for us. It was a tough, divisional fight. Stuff happens."
Q: "Can you put your finger on what's not clicking with the Steelers offense?"
Ben: "I thought we played well offensively. We put up a lot of yards, moved the ball and scored. We just have some room for improvement."
Q: "What happened on the pass play that Johnathan Joseph intercepted and returned for a touchdown?"
Ben: "It was a miscommunication. We won't point fingers or point blame."
Q: "It's early in the 2009 season, but what does it mean to stand at 1-2?"
Ben: "It's adversity that we have to face, but we’ve faced similar situations before. We need to find our character and overcome a situation like this."
Q: "Coach Tomlin talked about the details needing to be addressed. Do you see the same thing?"
Ben: "It's one thing here or there. So, to answer your question, that's probably an accurate statement. You've got to continue to improve. I'm really proud of the way our guys fought, especially in the first half. The offensive line did a great job. We only gave up one sack, and that was a coverage sack. We did a good job offensively."
Q: "Talk about your running backs..."
Ben: "Willie did a great job. So did Mewelde. The line did a good job of opening up holes for the run game. They made things happen."
Q: "Talk about your offensive performance..."
Ben: "We played good football. It was a tough situation to put us in. It was third-and-long and it was too long for us to get with a hot route. Everyone was on the same page. There are little adjustments we need to make, but things I think we can do."
Q: "This marks two weeks in a row where you could have put games away, but lost. Did it feel like you were one play away from winning this game?"
Ben: "They are a great football team. I don't want to take anything away from them. We feel like we beat ourselves a little bit. We shot ourselves in the foot a couple of times and came away with three points when we should have scored touchdowns. Some of that is my fault for missing receivers. We'll improve and score some more points."
Q: "What did you tell Limas Sweed after the incomplete pass to the end zone in the third quarter?"
Ben: "To be a professional. You've got to be able to put things behind you. I told him I'll come back to him when the time comes. In no way shape or form was I going to go back to pass, see him, and not throw it to him. I'm going to have the confidence that he's going to make the play the next time he has the chance. It was a tough play."
Q: "Does it help at all to know that you are going home to Pittsburgh for your next game after consecutive losses on the road?"
Ben: "It's going to be good to get back home to play in front of our fans."
To see video of game highlights, click here.
September 27, 2009
A loss, but another solid outing for Big Ben
A last-second TD from Carson Palmer to Andre Caldwell pushed the Bengals past the Steelers 23-20 on Sunday and pushed the defending champions' losing streak to two.
The Steelers dominated most of the game but failed to take care of chances to put the Bengals away. Ben threw an interception, Jeff Reed missed another field goal, and Limas Sweed dropped a pass in the end zone, letting the Bengals take their third straight game down to the final seconds.
Ben was 22 of 31 for 276 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown pass to Willie Parker and a 1-yard scoring sneak. He was sacked near midfield on a third-down play as Pittsburgh tried to hold onto a 20-15 lead, giving the Bengals one last chance with 5:14 to play.
The interception came when Ben and Santonio Holmes had a miscommunication on the third play of the second half — Ben made a quick throw, but Santonio kept going and Bengals cornerback Johnathan Joseph intercepted and ran 31 yards for a touchdown that made it a game.
It was Ben's first loss as a Steelers quarterback in his native state of Ohio. He was 11-0 in Cleveland and Cincinnati.
"We feel like we beat ourselves," he said after the game.
Something to celebrate from today's game - Hines Ward did become the first Steeler to have 10,000 yards in catches during his career!
To see photos from the game, click here.
September 26, 2009
Cincinnati gets a K-9
From WCPO - Channel 9 this morning:
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and Miami University graduate Ben Roethlisberger is giving back to the Cincinnati police department.
Roethlisberger announced on Friday that the department will receive grant money to replace dog who served in the K-9 unit.
The Cincinnati police requested the money after one of their K-9 dogs recently passed away.
Quote of the Day:
"We need to try and score on every possession, We need big plays, little plays. We drive the ball up and down the field, and we just can't score. We've got to find a way to be an offense that teams fear." -- Ben, during an interview that appeared in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review this morning.
And...
Today's "Big Ben Stat":
-- Ben is 22-4 in games against the AFC North. At Cincinnati, he is 5-0 with eight touchdowns against three interceptions and a QB rating of 104.5!
September 22, 2009
Jay Cutler Wishes Ben Well
From an article in the Chicago Tribune today:
Jay Cutler took a moment to greet quarterback counterpart Ben Roethlisberger after the Bears upset the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers 17-14 Sunday.
"I just told Ben to stay healthy and good luck with everything," Cutler said. "They're going to be fine. They're a good team. They're going to bounce back from this. It's hard to win on the road. That showed tonight."
Cutler had bragging rights, at least for one afternoon. But Roethlisberger could humble the Bears quarterback by flashing his Super Bowl rings.
"He's accomplished a lot more than I have, in a short period of time too," Cutler said of Roethlisberger. "That's what makes him so great, makes him the elite quarterback that he is. The four, five years he's been in the league, they're always there. They're always winning Super Bowls.
"He's the guy who has raised everyone's level of play. Everybody else is trying to catch up with him."
To read the entire article, click here.
September 20, 2009
Ben strong in Steelers loss
Ben completed 23-of-35 passes for 221 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the Steelers' 17-14 Week 2 loss to the Bears.
He also rushed for one touchdown in the loss.
Ben completed 8-of-9 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown on the Steelers' opening drive and made it look easy against a Brian Urlacher-less Bears defense.
But on the next drive he was intercepted by Charles Tillman when his arm was hit and he floated the ball up in the air for an unlucky pick.
In the first quarter, he moved the Steelers 92 yards in 13 plays for a touchdown, completing 8 of 9 passes on the Steelers' first possession.
The Bears tied the score late in the second quarter when Jay Cutler orchestrated a 13-play, 97-yard drive capped by a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kellen Davis.
The score remained tied until Rashard Mendenhall's big run set up Ben's touchdown with five-and-a-half minutes left in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Ben led the team down the field to set up two potential go-ahead field goals for Jeff Reed, but Reed ultimately missed both.
I have all the confidence in the world that next week (Jeff) may kick a game winner, you never know," said Ben after the game. "We're not down on him one bit, and I'm not especially. We left some things out there offensively. We shouldn't have to put Jeff in that position, we should go down and win the game. But it's a team loss and you move on."
The Steelers fell to 1-1, while the Bears improved to 1-1 in front of a crowd of 60,323.
"Ben will pick you apart if he has time back there," said Bears middle linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer. "Toward the end, we did a better job of getting to him."
To see video of the post-game press conference, click here.
To see game photos, click here.
September 18, 2009
For Ben, it's not just about the Bears...
It's about the dogs too!
From today's Chicago Sun-Times:
Ben Roethlisberger comes to Soldier Field this weekend bearing gifts.
The Super Bowl champion quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers announced the first grant of the year for the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation at the Giving Back Fund will go to the Cook County Sheriff's Police Canine Unit.
The department will use the grant to purchase a new police dog to replace one that recently retired.
"It's incredible to see the strong bond that is formed between the dogs and their partners both on the job and at home," Roethlisberger said.
Adding another dog to the canine unit "will enable our department to even better serve the citizens of Cook County," said Sheriff Tom Dart. We are honored to be the first recipient of this year's grant and thank the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation for its generous support to local law enforcement."
On the field this weekend, Roethlisberger will be looking to target Hines Ward, who is 117 receiving yards away from 10,000 for his career -- a feat that could be achieved Sunday at Soldier Field. Unlike the canine, it's a gift most Bears fans would most likely prefer he save for another city.
To read the entire column, click here.
Also Today:
From an article in the DeKalb (IL) Daily Chronicle entitled, "Big Ben a Big Challenge for Bears":
Bears defensive end Adewale Ogunleye might want to practice tackling his own linebackers to prepare for Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on Sunday.
"Oh, man," Ogunleye said. "He's a big quarterback. They call him 'Big Ben' for a reason."
At 6-foot-5 and 241 pounds, few quarterbacks create a deeper footprint than Roethlisberger. The Bears know that they will not just have their hands full with Roethlisberger – they will have their arms full.
"A lot of quarterbacks will go down," said defensive lineman Israel Idonije, who has chased quarterbacks for six seasons with the Bears. "But he'll just fight it. He’ll stay standing up."
Roethlisberger's sheer size makes him tough on defenders, but plenty of tall quarterbacks have had small careers in the NFL. What distinguishes Roethlisberger is his ability to shed defenders, linger in the pocket to create extra time for his receivers to get open, and fire accurate throws downfield.
"He's a fierce competitor," Ogunleye said. "Doesn't let plays die. He's the kind of guy you've just got to stay after. Maybe the first guy might miss, second guy might miss, even [the] third. So we need all four guys, especially with the front four, getting after him."
The Bears will have to stay disciplined without team leader Brian Urlacher, who will miss his first game since 2004 because of a dislocated right wrist. Cornerback Zackary Bowman said he would make his first start of the season, which likely means that Nathan Vasher will watch more from the sideline.
More than ever, Ogunleye said, the defensive line will have to lead the way.
"This week, it definitely is going to be on the D line,” Ogunleye said. "We do have a veteran group. Most of the guys are healthy. We've got to help the defense out."
Otherwise, "Big Ben" could present bigger problems for the Bears.
To read the entire article, click here.
September 17, 2009
Speaking of Big Ben...
From an article by Alan Robinson of the Canadian Press today entitled, "Fourth and Ben? Steelers quarterback excels in tight games":
Fourth quarter, team's down by four, 75 yards to go, 2:30 to play. Exactly the situation in which games are won and lost, careers are made or ruined, coaches get hired or fired.
Hines Ward, you have two choices to lead your team down the field: Tom Brady or Ben Roethlisberger. Which quarterback do you choose?
"Uh, Ben, of course," the Steelers' leading career receiver said. "Brady's a great quarterback, but to compare the two? They're both winners. You can't really compare Ben's stats to some other guys. ... What he's done in a short career, the playoffs, AFC championship games, Super Bowl, I love to associate myself and play with a winner all day. ... Some people's going to like Ben, some people's going to like Brady. You're entitled to your opinion. But we love Ben."
In reality, Ward couldn't give a wrong answer. When it comes to pulling out victories in games in which their team trails or is tied late, Brady and Roethlisberger are quickly moving up the list of all-time leaders. And each needed only one game this season to do what he does best.
By leading the Steelers back from a 10-7 deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Tennessee 13-10 on Sept. 10, Roethlisberger led his 20th game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime since his rookie season in 2004 - seven since the start of last season. Brady, back from a year off with a major knee injury, threw two touchdown passes in the final 2:06 to rally the Patriots past the Bills 25-24 on Monday for his 29th such victory.
If Roethlisberger keeps this up, and the Steelers certainly expect him to, he could finish his career being called the king of the comebacks, as John Elway now is. The Broncos credit Elway with 47 victories in 15 seasons when his team was behind or tied in the fourth quarter.
"What do you think about when you think about Elway?" Roethlisberger said. "The Drive (against Cleveland in the 1986 season playoffs) and all the stuff that he's done."
To Roethlisberger, it's about having the same attitude as Michael Jordan in the closing minute of a tight game. It's all about knowing how to win, and being supremely convinced you are the player who can get it done.
"You have to be confident and you have to want the ball," Roethlisberger said. "It's like wanting the ball for a last-second shot, wanting the ball at the end of the game. You know you can do it. When you can't, it's not like you get down on yourself, you just get stopped somehow."
That's where Roethlisberger finds playing in the NFL no different from his high school days in Findlay, Ohio, or his college quarterbacking career at Miami (Ohio).
"For me, it's fun," Roethlisberger said. "It turns back to when you were back in high school or just playing in the back yard and you're running around making plays. I've done the no-huddle and that last-minute, throwing-it-around stuff in high school and college, so it just kind of brings back my childhood."
No matter how long he plays, Roethlisberger is likely to be best remembered for the 78-yard touchdown drive that ended with his six-yard touchdown throw to Santonio Holmes with 35 seconds remaining to beat Arizona 27-23 in the Super Bowl.
No wonder his teammates were certain Tennessee wouldn't get the ball back after the Steelers won the coin toss to start overtime last week.
"That's what he's best at, I think, and he's proven it time after time," tight end Heath Miller said.
To read the entire article, click here.
Speaking of Heath Miller...
From Jim Wexell of Scout.com:
Ben Roethlisberger only speaks to the media on Wednesday ... unless you can entice him with some interesting subject matter on Thursday. That happened a few hours ago. The Steelers' quarterback was walking unmolested through the reporter-infested locker room as he typed on his cell phone. He put it all down when I approached and asked these questions:
Q: How’s Heath Miller developing as your right-hand man on the field?
Ben: "I’ve said this a thousand times: He’s one of the best -- if not the best – tight ends in the game. It’s unfortunate he doesn’t get the recognition or credit for it. I wish analysts would just take the time and watch him play the game – the way he blocks, the way he catches the ball, the precision, the way he finishes plays. He might be one of the only guys on the field who, when a guy catches a pass, is trying to push the pile – on every single play. One hundred percent of the time he’s giving 100 percent effort, and it’s all the way through the whistle. He’s as good as a lineman blocking and he’s as good as a receiver catching the ball. I like to give him crap about not having a lot after the catch, but he’s hard to bring down. He doesn’t have a lot of moves, so I like to give him a hard time about that, but he truly is one of the best in the game. I can’t say enough about him."
Q: When you’re on the run, is he always where you think he’s going to be?
Ben: "He plays ball. You know, it’s one of those things. We don’t practice it; you don’t have to with a guy like that. It’s just that I know where he’s going to be. And it’s easy to throw to a guy like that when he can catch anything in this area (stretches his arms to illustrate the wingspan), and then some. I mean, when he drops a ball in practice – normally our receivers will drop maybe one a week, two a week, whatever – he’ll drop one every other week and people are like (facial expression of wonderment) – and then they make fun of him. It’s just easy to throw to a guy when you don’t have to concentrate on putting it right here (small chest area). When you’re scrambling and you find him, he’s always looking for the ball and it’s comforting."
*The interview was one of many about the popular Miller for a feature in next week's Steelers Digest.
And speaking of Steelers Digest...
The Steelers Digest player of the week is Ben!
"Never will he be a first-round pick in a fantasy league draft, but there is something special about Ben. when the outcome of a game is hanging in the balance.
"From the time the Titans took a 10-7 lead early in the 4th quarter until the Steelers got in position for Reed's FG in OT, Roethlisberger completed 16 of 18 for 171 yds. One drive ended w/a tying FG, the 2nd ended with a Ward fumble at the Titans 4-yard line and the 3rd ended with Reed's game winner from 33 yds out."
Others considered for the player of week were Farrior and Holmes.
To read more about Heath Miller, click here.
September 16, 2009
Wednesday Presser
Ben talks to the media...
Some excerpts:
Q: What do you know about the Bears and what they might try to do to you guys?
Ben: They’ve copied, it looks like, a lot of stuff from the Eagles. They’re bringing blitzes and mugging linebackers in and blitzing guys from all over. It’s going to be a big challenge for us this week.
Q: How does their defense change with (Brian) Urlacher out?
Ben: You hear them say that guys have to step up and we can’t miss a beat, but when you’re missing one of the best defensive players in the game, it’s going to be different. They’re definitely going to miss him, but I’m sure they have guys who are ready to step in and play. We still have to be prepared for whoever is there.
Q: In the moment, do you enjoy the comebacks and last-second drives or do you have to wait until it’s over to enjoy it?
Ben: During, I don’t really think about it. I just think about having to do it now. Afterward, it’s more fun to think about. I’d prefer not to have to do it at all and just to be up and sit on the sidelines at the end. It’s fun when it’s over and you can look back on it.
Q: Isn’t that something that defines a quarterback?
Ben: One of the things, yeah, I think so. What do you think about when you think about (John) Elway? The drive and and the stuff that he’s done. So, yeah, it’s a neat thing for a quarterback.
Q: Who besides Elway do you think of with the comebacks?
Ben: For me, I was a Montana guy. Anytime, at the end, when he had the ball in his hands, it seemed like Joe was going to get it done.
Q: The coach seemed to be very pleased with your passing game.
Ben: Yeah, it’s one of those things where the media here and around the country say that if we throw the ball 25 times, we can’t win. So we quietly laugh at all of you guys - more than usual. It’s fun to win it that way and the o-line takes pride in that as well, just as much as the running game. We take pride when we can throw it too.
Q: Does that include Jerome Bettis?
Ben: Absolutely. Jerome knows he’s the media. I would laugh in his face too.
Q: What do you make of Jerome’s criticisms this week?
Ben: I haven’t seen one thing, so I don’t know what you’re talking about. I honestly don’t. I guess someone will have to tell me what he said.
Q: He was critical of your running game and the offensive line.
Ben: Coming from an old running back, that doesn’t surprise me.
Q: Do you remember that Chicago game being what jump-started you for that Super Bowl run?
Ben: It was a big win for us. It was cold, it was snowing, kind of one of those motivational-type games.
Q: people overemphasize that Steelers mentality?
Ben: I think some of it comes from that being what the Steelers always did in the past. I always say you have to keep up with the times. That’s kind of evolving into a passing offense - league wide. People talk about the Steelers and the run game because we want to be physical. When you want to be physical, people assume that’s the run game. But that can mean a lot of different things. I guess you can go all the way back to the ‘70s and we were a grind-it-out team. We’re not that ‘70s team. We’re our own identity and that includes a lot of no-huddle stuff. It’s been good.
Q: What is it about the fourth quarter comebacks?
Ben: The want to win.
Q: When you played high school basketball, did you score all of your points in the fourth quarter?
Ben: A lot of them.
Q: So it’s been a life-long attribute?
Ben: Yes.
*Thank you Trish!
September 13, 2009 - *Afternoon Update - we have a winner!
It Could Be Yours!
To celebrate the start of the 2009 NFL Season...
BigBenNews.com is offering an 11-1/2" X 14" open edition of the fine art print, "The Rookie" signed by artist Bob Cherewick.
All you have to be is my 51st emailer and the print is yours, for free! Contests don't get any easier than that!
Just email me at BigBenNewsSite@Yahoo.com.
I will announce the winner this evening.
Why the 51st? Because that's the number of regular-season wins that Ben had as a starting quarterback in his first five NFL seasons.
To see the complete version of the print, click here (obviously the Victory Prints watermark will not be on the print itself).
Now...
...if you don't win today and you would still like to purchase "The Rookie", you can click here as a BigBenNews.com reader for a special price on the limited "Findlay Ohio - Reserved Edition" print that is autographed by Ben (just mention this site to receive the special offer pricing).
A "Super Bowl XLIII Edition" of the print will also be available in the near future as well. You can learn more about that edition here.
Once again, thank you so much to Mr. Cherewick!
*Afternoon Update:
We have a winner...
Congratulations to Lynn Ross! She was my 51st emailer.
Thank you to everyone who emailed today!! I'll have more contests in the future!
September 11, 2009 - Afternoon Update
Speaking of Big Ben...
Just in case you missed some of the talk today...
"Now it's proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt that Roethlisberger is like Brady in that when the critical situation comes up, he's going to find a solution. Not a lot of quarterbacks can do that.
" Let me use these names, and people are going to shake their heads as they're listening, but I'm going to bring these names up and I think Roethlisberger is in this group: Unitas, Bart Starr, Montana, Brady. I think Roethlisberger is in this group. The ability to get out of trouble, find the answer, deliver the ball accurately and make big plays in critical situations. And he proved it without a shadow of a doubt at the end of the Super Bowl last year. That pass to Santonio Holmes, in my opinion, is the greatest play in the history of the National Football League - the way he threaded the needle over three defenders, and Holmes making that catch, that was phenomenal. And last night he proved, once again, that he can do it." - ESPN's Sal Paolantonio on the Colin Cowherd radio show.
"It was very frustrating because we had this guy in our grips and most people don't understand how big and how strong this guy is, how athletic he is. And there were times when I played against him that he had the ability to go outside the pocket and make plays and throw 280lb defensive linemen off him. So imagine as a safety coming in and trying to sack this guy! It was very tough and very frustrating. He could be a pocket passer, but he prefers to get outside the pocket, buy some time and let his legs manipulate the defense and make plays on the go. As you saw last night, he did a lot of double-pumping, a lot of pump-fakes, faking out the Titans defensive line and making them bite - forcing them to play aggressive and Ben did a terrific job." -- Former New England Patriot Rodney Harrison also on the Colin Cowherd radio show.
"Great players still trump motivational ploys -- as Ben Roethlisberger showed again Thursday night in the season opener. He can look awkward at times and he's like a human pinball machine the way he bounces off defenders. But at crunch time, he's approaching Tom Brady." -- Vito Stellino, Florida Times-Union
"Ben Roethlisberger leads the discussion for being the best quarterback in the sport not named Tom Brady or Peyton Manning." -- ESPN's Mike Greenberg on his show "Mike & Mike" this morning.
"It's funny, but all I can think about when I watch the Steelers play late in games is that Ben Roethlisberger must have been the best schoolyard quarterback at recess of all time. Can you imagine?" -- Sports Illustrated's Ross Tucker from his Inside the NFL column.
"Even when you have a practically non-existent running attack and even when the Steelers lose Troy Polamalu, who looked like the defensive MVP the first half of the game, they can still win games because Ben Roethlisberger is just that good! We really need to be speaking of him in terms of one of the elite quarterbacks in the League: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, because maybe he doesn't put up their numbers but he finds ways to win. He's been doing it ever since his rookie season. Two Super Bowls rings to his credit and last night you saw it on display, his patience in the pocket, his resilience, his ability to bounce back and escape the rush, and his ability to find receivers all over the field. So Ben Roethlisberger, almost single-handedly, won that game for them." -- L.A. Times sports journalist J.A. Adande on ESPN's "Around the Horn" program.
And:
From the column of Sporting News NFL writer Clifton Brown:
In a happy Steelers locker room late Thursday night, Ben Roethlisberger yelled across the room to Hines Ward.
"I love you Hines," Roethlisberger said.
"I love you too, Ben," Ward said.
All the Steelers should love Roethlisberger. When he has the ball in game-winning situations, you expect Roethlisberger to make big plays. You cannot truly be a franchise quarterback unless you can move your team consistently when it matters most. Roethlisberger did that in Super Bowl 43.
And he did it again Thursday night, leading the Steelers to their 13-10 overtime victory over the Titans.
Roethlisberger (33-for-43, 363 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions) and wide receiver Santonio Holmes (nine catches, 131 yards, one TD) picked up where they left off at the Super Bowl. And it was not easy, because the Titans played terrific defense, sacking Roethlisberger four times, and pressuring him many times more.
But the Steelers' two-minute drill was lethal, and Roethlisberger was the main reason. He hit Holmes with a 34-yard touchdown pass with 1:22 left in the first half. Then with 1:50 left in regulation, and the score tied 10-10, Roethlisberger marched the Steelers from their own 42 deep into Titans territory.
It looked like the game would end there. But after catching a Roethlisberger pass, Ward had the ball stripped from behind by Titans safety Michael Griffin at the 5-yard line. The fumble was recovered by Tennessee's Stephen Tulloch with just over a minute left in regulation. Instead of a looking at a game-winning field goal, now the Steelers were looking at overtime.
Not for long. The Steelers won the coin toss in overtime, and Roethlisberger led them down the field again. That is what he does. And that is a large reason why the Steelers have a legitimate chance to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
"When the rubber meets the road, he's at his best," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said of Roethlisberger. "In those moments, he sees it with great clarity."
To read Mr. Brown's complete column, click here.
September 11, 2009 - Always Remember!
Ben and the Steelers orchestrate another come-from-behind win: 13-10 over Titans
"I told coach [Tomlin] I didn't want to start this already. I struggled early, that's just jitters and excitement. I'm really proud of the way we bounced back." -- Ben during his post-game comments.
Game Summary:
Jeff Reed's 33-yard field goal split the uprights in overtime -- allowing Hines Ward to exhale -- and giving the defending Super Bowl-champion Pittsburgh Steelers a 13-10 victory over Tennessee in the season opener for both teams.
Without a ground game, Ben Roethlisberger worked in a no-huddle offense down the stretch in orchestrating his 18th come-from-behind victory since 2004, the most in the NFL during that stretch.
"I didn't want to start these fourth-quarter comebacks already. But a win is a win. And we will take it," said Roethlisberger.
Big Ben threw for 363 yards on 33-of-43 passing, with Santonio Holmes hauling in nine passes for 131 yards and Ward catching eight passes for 103 yards.
Despite the 100-plus-yard game, Ward made a mistake late in the fourth, as he fumbled at the Titans four-yard line when he could have fallen to the ground and allowed the team to attempt a chip shot field goal in the waning seconds.
However, Pittsburgh (1-0) regrouped in overtime, moving authoritatively down the field for the game-winner, set up by a 22-yard pass to rookie Mike Wallace. The final drive took four minutes, 32 seconds and 10 plays, moving the team 63 yards right into Reed's range.
Pittsburgh won without its normal rushing success, averaging just 1.6 yards per carry with 36 net yards on 23 attempts, and losing star safety Troy Polamalu to a second-quarter sprained MCL. The time frame for such an injury is 3-to-6 weeks, according to Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, but more will be known in the coming days.
Willie Parker ran for just 19 yards, leaving Roethlisberger on an island, bobbing and weaving in fourth-quarter play reminiscent of his final drive to win Super Bowl XLIII. Heath Miller caught eight passes for 64 yards as the Steelers have won seven straight season openers.
Tennessee (0-1) saw its usually reliable kicker Rob Bironas miss a field goal and have another blocked in the loss. Kerry Collins threw for 244 yards with one touchdown and one interception, dropping his first game in four career games versus Pittsburgh. Chris Johnson ran for 57 yards, but 32 of those came on one play, and Justin Gage caught seven passes for 78 yards and a touchdown.
"We played the world champs. If we get some things corrected, we are doing to be a good football team," said Titans head coach Jeff Fisher.
A game with so little scoring featured so much action.
The first quarter saw Roethlisberger scramble into a 19-yard sack, taking the Steelers out of long field-goal range, and Polamalu grab an interception with one hand on a Collins deep ball intended for rookie wide out Kenny Britt.
The main star of the first quarter was Tennessee's defense, which held Pittsburgh to one total yard, while the main goat was Bironas, who missed badly wide right from 37 yards away.
The game finally picked up as each offense spread the field late in the first half. After Bironas' 31-yard boot was blocked by Aaron Smith, Roethlisberger navigated the Steelers on a five-play, 79-yard scoring drive culminated by the first touchdown of the 2009 NFL season.
Roethlisberger used the pump fake to perfection, freezing former Steeler safety Chris Hope on the drive's two big pass plays. The first was a 12-yard crossing route to Holmes, and after a four-yard swing pass to Mewelde Moore, Roethlisberger again held Hope with a pump fake and tossed a spiral to a streaking, and wide open, Holmes for a 34-yard score.
With Polamalu out -- and joined on the sideline by cramping linebacker Lamar Woodley -- Collins completed two long passes to tie the game. The first was 57-yard strike to Britt, and the second a basic 14-yard out-and-up route to Gage, as cornerback Ike Taylor was late rotating in the zone. Gage's score capped the first-half scoring with 48 seconds remaining.
The third-quarter was a battle of field position. Pittsburgh gained it early after recovering a Bo Scaife fumble. The tight end strained his left knee on the play and didn't return after catching five passes for 48 yards.
However, Tennessee flipped the field, and by the end of the period, the Steelers were backed up inside their own 20-yard line.
The Titans took advantage on their next drive as Britt hauled in a 15-yard pass then Gage worked the sidelines for 15 yards. The drive eventually stalled, but not before Bironas was true from 45 yards out for a 10-7 lead with 11:03 to play.
Pittsburgh then went into the no-huddle, spreading the field and leaving the game on Roethlisberger's right arm. The 12-play, 56-yard march late in the fourth took over eight minutes off the clock and included a 15-yard pass to Holmes on a 3rd-and-12.
Reed eventually kicked a 32-yarder that wasn't without drama. His plant foot gave out and his right foot struck the ground first, but the low line drive escaped any hands and sailed just over the cross bar.
Tennessee's next drive stalled, setting up what appeared to be Pittsburgh's game-winning march before Ward's fumble caused by Michael Griffin.
"We really wanted to try and utilize the guys inside," Roethlisberger said. "It wasn’t anything in particular we saw against [the Titans defense], it was just utilizing our weapons."
Titans defensive tackle William Hayes, who had four tackles and a half sack, also expressed frustration over Roethlisberger’s elusiveness.
"I thought we got great pressure on him all night, but some way he seemed to make a way out of no way," Hayes said. "We stuck to our gameplan, but it just didn’t fall our way."
To see photos from the game, click here.
To see video of Ben's post-game interview on the field, click here.
To see video highlights of Ben's play, click here.
To see a list of all the game highlights, click here.
(portions of the game summary from LA Times, Miami Herald and Titans Radio)
September 10, 2009
"Repeat rests with Roethlisberger"
Excerpts from an article written by ESPN's James Walker today:
According to Santonio Holmes, the Steelers are similar to a large black-and-gold locomotive seeking Miami as its final destination.
And the lead car of that train is Ben Roethlisberger.
"He’s the front man," Holmes said of his quarterback. "If he derails, the rest of the team is probably going to fall back."
Though a team consists of 53 players, the Steelers cannot -- and will not -- reach their ultimate goal of repeating as Super Bowl champions without a healthy No. 7.
"He’s definitely the most important [player] to our team," Pittsburgh tailback Willie Parker said. "He’s the centerpiece, and he’s the leader to our offense. He rallies the troops and always gets us ready to play. And he plays with tremendous heart, and that’s what a lot of people overlook."
Every year Roethlisberger is overlooked, and he effortlessly deflects questions about it with the same technique he swats would-be defenders in his latest television commercial.
"I picked them too," said Roethlisberger, when asked why the Patriots and San Diego Chargers are considered Super Bowl favorites.
Another reporter could barely finish a quarterback question before Roethlisberger interjected:
"Tom Brady," he said. "...or Drew Brees."
Is Roethlisberger worthy of a first-round fantasy pick?
"Nope," Roethlisberger said smiling. "I’m a sleeper this year."
You get the sense that somewhere deep within, Roethlisberger has a mental reserve where he keeps all of these nuggets as motivation. How else can you explain his instant success, from a quarterback at a mid-major college program to one of the NFL's winningest players in just five seasons?
But for as much credit as Brady gets for his three Super Bowl rings, no one seems to give Roethlisberger the same acclaim for being one behind the New England Patriots’ star quarterback. In fact, Roethlisberger, who was 26 last February, won his second Super Bowl at the same age Brady did.
"You look at the Bradys and the Peytons, and they’re huge with precision-routes, timing-routes and that type of stuff," Steelers left tackle Max Starks said. "But when Ben plays the game, sometimes it looks crazy with him moving all around the pocket. Some guys move defenders with their eyes or with formations. Ben moves them with his feet. He’s just a special quarterback."
To read the entire article, click here.
September 9, 2009
SI's QB Roundtable
If you haven't gotten the latest issue of SI (with regional QB cover boys Ben, Matt Ryan, Tony Romo, and Aaron Rodgers) yet....
Excerpts from the Peter King interview:
Peter King: What were they like? My impressions: Roethlisberger is as opinionated as a two-time Super Bowl champ should be. Palmer is thoughtful and honest. Romo is serious, smart and circumspect. Rodgers and Ryan are bright but were reserved, likely in deference to their more experienced colleagues.
On toughness...
Ben: I don't think toughness is when a quarterback says, "I'm going to run somebody over." Toughness is playing the worst game of your life but not backing down. You don't want to sit on the sideline. You want to stay in there and win. You know, down 21 points and the defense is getting through in every single way, and you throw three interceptions. Staying in that game, keeping your head up, trying to drive your team down the field when everything's going wrong—that's the kind of toughness I want in my quarterback.
On fear...
Ben: Even if I do ever feel anything like that, and I'm not saying I ever feel scared or nervous, I'll never show it. We can't. Not at our position. Everyone's looking at us.
On big moments or big games...
Ben: I love that. I want the ball. Our defense does some amazing things, but I want to have the ball, and that's the way I've always been playing sports.
On the last drive of the Super Bowl...
Ben: On that drive I ran out and thought, This is going to be really hard. Because we had kind of struggled late in that game. Not saying I definitely couldn't do it. I just knew it would be tough regardless. When I got in the huddle, I told the guys, "I don't have any speech. Just think of all the extra work we put in, all the extra film study we did together. It'll all be for nothing if we don't do this." Then we get a holding call on the first play, and it's going bad. But here's the thing about playing quarterback in this league: Even if you don't feel [confident], you have to show you feel it, so when your teammates are looking at you, they believe it.
On what you hate about the job...
Ben: The Bengals. [All laugh.] No. It's the scrutiny. We know the craziness of the fans. You know, we get too much credit when we win, too much blame when we lose. After a loss it can be tough. Living your life under a microscope. I mean every little thing. People don't treat you like a human. They don't think you eat normal food. They think you just float instead of walk. I'm a private person, so people always form a judgment when they meet me for 30 seconds or five minutes. And they never go tell 20 people when you're the greatest guy in the world. They go tell 20 people when you're the worst. So that scrutiny—people driving by your house to take pictures, people bothering you at dinner—that to me is the worst part.
On the one job you'd like to have if you weren't an NFL quarterback...
Ben: A relief pitcher, like Mariano Rivera, coming in every once in a while, making lots of money; or a fighter pilot, like Tom Cruise in Top Gun.
To read the entire interview featuring all the quarterbacks and more from Ben, click here.
September 6, 2009
Cap'n Ben
From Scott Brown in today's Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, wide receiver Hines Ward, inside linebacker James Farrior and kicker Jeff Reed will again serve as captains for the Steelers.
Also named as captains were outside linebacker James Harrison and inside linebacker Keyaron Fox.
The announcement was made today after practice.
September 2, 2009
Hey Good Lookin'!
From an article in the Wall Street Journal today:
Scientific research overwhelmingly points to facial symmetry as an indicator of success. Studies show infants with more symmetrical faces are given more attention. Symmetrical workers also tend to earn more.
Football is supposed to be egalitarian, of course. The players with the strongest and most accurate throwing arms should become the quarterbacks while the biggest, most powerful players should be linemen.
Somewhere along the way, it seems, good-looking kids are steered toward the glamour position. "Socially, we've been trained to think that the quarterback is the most beautiful person on the team," says Ursinus College Prof. VanGilder.
Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons is playing in only his second NFL season but he's already the league's top quarterback in at least one category: handsomeness.
According to researchers, his face is almost perfectly symmetrical—a trait that shows a strong correlation to a person's perceived attractiveness. While the average person's face is somewhere around 90% symmetrical, Mr. Ryan scored a 99.8%, which puts him in elite territory.
Professor Jennifer VanGilder and former student Lisle O'Neill, who conducted the study in conjunction with Southern Utah University economist David Berri, said Mr. Ryan isn't the only NFL signal-caller with a nicely balanced face. In fact, every starter in the league scored above 96%.
The Handsome Meter -
Here's a list of the top 10 best-looking QBs in the NFL, ranked by how symmetrical their faces are, by percentage:
Matt Ryan (ATL)-- 99.82%
Brett Favre (MIN) -- 99.78%
Aaron Rodgers (GB) -- 99.59%
Matt Hasselbeck (SEA) -- 99.56%
Kerry Collins (TEN) -- 99.49%
Ben Roethlisberger (PIT) -- 99.43%
Shaun Hill (SF) -- 99.35%
Tom Brady (NE) -- 99.14%
Philip Rivers (SD) -- 99.04%
Kurt Warner (ARZ) -- 98.98%
Wait...Ben only rates at 99.3%? So much for THAT research!! I hope the government didn't fund this! lol. Apparently football season can't start soon enough!
To read the rest, click here.
And speaking of our symmetrically handsome quarterback....
Ben on the cover of Sports Illustrated's NFL Preview Issue:
He is one of four regional cover boys for this week's SI, joining the Falcon's Matt Ryan, the Cowboy's Tony Romo, and the Packer's Aaron Rodgers.
Peter King interviewed Ben, Carson Palmer, Tony Romo, and Aaron Rodgers for the issue. A sample of the exchange between Ben and Carson Palmer:
Peter King: There must be some- body or some team you really hate. Fess up.
Carson: Since I've been in the league, the Steelers have been at the top of our divi sion. We just happen to be in the same division. You always want what you don?t have. You're always jealous because you all want the same thing. [Palmer turns to Roeth lisberger.] He's got two Super Bowl rings, and we all want one. You're jealous, you're envious, you want what they have. Ben, don?t take this the wrong way, but when the Steelers were in the playoffs, after I got hurt [against Pittsburgh in January 2006], I was watching in California, Jon Kitna was back in Cincinnati, and we were talking during every playoff game. It was like, 'I just can't watch. I can't believe they're winning.' And I'm just pissed off and mad, throwing bottles against the walls because [the Steelers] just kept going. It's nothing personal; it's about pride. Everybody at this table wants to win.
Ben: I don't hate anybody. I dislike certain teams because of their defense. I don't like playing the Ravens because they're so complicated, they do so many different things. They've got great players, and [safety] Ed Reed is back there. Everyone hates the Steelers because we're the Steelers.
Carson: No. We hate the Steelers because you're on top.
Peter King: What's the one job you'd like to have if you weren't an NFL quarterback?
Ben: A relief pitcher, like Mariano Rivera, coming in every once in a while, making lots of money; or a fighter pilot, like Tom Cruise in Top Gun.
The issue should be on news stands now!
August 31, 2009
"Big Ben's Big Arm..."
From an article in the Canadian Press today:
Throwing one perfectly timed pass after another during a long scoring drive, Ben Roethlisberger answered any questions about how ready he is to start the season.
He fired a 16-yard strike to Limas Sweed, followed by another perfect throw to Hines Ward. Then he waited for Heath Miller to get open and feathered an 18-yard completion to the tight end.
The 87-yard touchdown drive against Buffalo on Saturday looked routine: Roethlisberger was 5-of-7 passing for 74 yards.
Roethlisberger, it seems obvious, can't wait to start playing games that count.
He looks loose, he looks confident, he looks in charge.
His throwing arm? Never looked better.
"Overall, I'm really happy," Roethlisberger said after going 15-of-19 for 168 yards and leading two scoring drives during the first half of Pittsburgh's 17-0 victory over the Bills.
At first, much like it was with [Terry] Bradshaw, the Steelers won the Super Bowl with their quarterback along for the ride, relying on their running game, defense and trick plays to beat Seattle 21-10 in February 2006. Then they won a Super Bowl because of Roethlisberger and the clutch drive that ended with his TD throw to Santonio Holmes in the final minute of their 27-23 victory over Arizona nearly seven months ago.
To close friend Charlie Batch, Roethlisberger's backup, that win-or-else drive signaled the Steelers are truly Big Ben's team.
"Really, it all comes down to Ben growing in the offense and the offense being built around him," Batch said. "That's something when Bruce took over a couple of years, he sat down with Ben and said, 'What do you like? And based on what you like, I'm going to build an offense around you.'
"I think that's something that's really paid off. You can see in the '07 season that Ben kind of blossomed and everybody said, 'Hey, we didn't realize Ben could throw the ball like this.' He knew he can."
Roethlisberger hasn't hinted at what kind of season he expects, but he wants this to be the year the Steelers are known for having more than the NFL's No. 1 defense.
"We need to improve as a total offense. We're setting our goals high," he said. "We need to be better. We just can't rely on our defense to win every game for us."
To read the entire article, click here.
Also Today:
Congratulations to Brett Keisel!
The Steelers have finalized a four-year contract extension with defensive tackle Brett Keisel (seen getting a hug from Ben before the start of Super Bowl XLIII).
The deal will keep him with the team through the 2013 season.
Keisel has started 42 games over the past three seasons in Pittsburgh and was entering the final year of his contract.
For more on Brett, click here.
For a larger version of the photo above, click here.
August 29-30, 2009
Big Ben and the Steelers beat Bills 17-0
"Meanwhile, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger showed why he has won two Super Bowl rings in the past four seasons. He hit 15 of 19 passes for 168 yards in the first half. He stymied Bills defenders with his ability to shrug off pass rushers. He had a passer rating of 103.5." -- Sportswriter Mark Gaughan, Buffalo Bills official site.
Post-Game Notes:
Ben Roethlisberger played a nearly flawless first half in his first game since injuring his right foot, James Farrior had a 22-yard interception for a touchdown and Buffalo's starting offense struggled yet again as the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Bills 17-0 in a preseason game Saturday night.
Roethlisberger led two scoring drives while going 15 of 19 for 168 yards and 103.5 passer rating before sitting out the second half — showing why coach Mike Tomlin didn't seem all that worried when his quarterback bruised his foot during the final training camp practice on Aug 20. Roethlisberger didn't play in a 17-13 loss to Washington two days later.
Rashard Mendenhall, getting most of the carries with the starting offense with Willie Parker (hamstring) out, fumbled inside the Bills 30 on the Steelers' opening possession. Mendenhall came back to score from the 4 on a 13-play, 87-yard drive in which Roethlisberger looked regular season ready, finding Limas Sweed for 16 yards, Hines Ward for 19 and Heath Miller for 18.
The Steelers' regulars are expected to play only a series or two Thursday against Carolina, so Tomlin called this a dress rehearsal for the regular season. He stayed with the same practice and meeting schedule as during the season, and offensive coordinator Bruce Arians opened up the playbook more than usual for the preseason.
For more from the AP, click here.
For video highlights, click here.
For photos, click here.
August 29, 2009
"Best quarterback class ever?"
Trio from '04 makes its case over '83
From an article in Sports Illustrated by NFL Insider Don Banks:
For years now, it has been accepted gospel within the NFL that the celebrated 1983 first-round quarterback draft class is the best in league history, and with the three Hall of Fame careers of John Elway, Dan Marino and Jim Kelly, how can anyone argue?
But this much is also now just as apparent: No crop of first-round quarterbacks has ever matched the start to the careers of the top three quarterbacks from the 2004 class: Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger, who were selected first, fourth and eleventh that year.
In the first five years of their NFL careers, Manning, Rivers and Roethlisberger have accomplished the following:
- They've won three of the five Super Bowls that have occurred since they entered the league, with Pittsburgh's Roethlisberger earning rings in 2005 and 2008, and New York's Manning in 2007. New England's Tom Brady (2004) and Indy's Peyton Manning (2006) have won the other two. The Class of 2004 is 3-0 in Super Bowl appearances so far.
-- In the seasons in which they have been their team's fulltime starting quarterback (the past three seasons for Rivers, the past four for Manning, and all five for Roethlisberger), they have combined to make the playoffs 11 out of a possible 12 times, and led their clubs to division titles eight out of a possible 12 times.
-- They've been to a combined three Super Bowls, five conference title games (with all three qualifying at least once), and are a gaudy 15-8 (.652) as starters in the playoffs. All three have made one Pro Bowl trip each.
-- Roethlisberger is 8-2 in the playoffs, and 51-20 (.718) as a starter in the regular season. Rivers is 3-3 in the post-season, and 33-15 (.688) in the three regular seasons since taking over for Drew Brees in San Diego. And Manning is 4-3 as a playoff quarterback, with a 42-29 record (.592) in the regular season. He and Rivers are a combined 7-of-7 in terms of taking teams to the playoffs as fulltime starters. Roethlisberger is four of five in that department, missing only when the Steelers went 8-8 in 2006.
"I knew they were all off to good starts, but to be honest you startled me with those facts," said [retired Giants general manager] Accorsi, who drafted Rivers at No. 4 that year, but of course traded him to San Diego on draft day for the rights to Manning, the No. 1 pick. "That's overwhelming. As a quarterback in the NFL, it's about winning. That's their job. And to hear those numbers, you can't refute this is the best start ever for a class. This is unprecedented. All those guys from 1983 were great players, but only one guy (Elway) won a Super Bowl. I'm not going to predict Hall of Fame, but they're on the road, these guys. It's quite a remarkable thing, when you figure they went No. 1, 4 and 11."
Accorsi quickly reminded me that as the Colts general manager in 1983, he was the guy who picked Elway first overall, but later traded him to Denver when Elway refused to play in Baltimore. In 2004, the Giants had Manning rated the highest, but they also loved Roethlisberger and considered trading back to No. 6 Cleveland and taking Big Ben there. At least until they got wind that the Browns loved him too and would likely take him in the Giants' No. 4 slot if a deal was made.
"We liked all three of them," Accorsi said. "We wanted to try and get Eli, but we would have been happy with any of them. We were very clear that we were picking a quarterback that year, because my philosophy was that it was a quarterback year, and you better get one when you can. You don't get many chances.
"I really believe this is just the beginning. Anything can happen, but all three of these guys are going to win more. I see more championships coming. They're all with good teams, and they're young and getting better. It's a remarkable achievement, winning all those games and division titles and championships already. But I think there's a lot more to come."
Take the time to read the entire article here.
*Thanks to Jan for the "heads-up"!
August 26, 2009
Ben talks to the media...
"It was a total accident," Roethlisberger said of last week’s collision with left tackle Max Starks. "It was a pretty scary thing to have a three–hundred-and-(cough)-heavy-pound guy step right on the back of your foot, on your Achilles. And he went down, too, so you know he didn't just graze it. We both went down. Everyone thought they heard a pop, too, so we didn’t know what happened, but luckily it was a bruise and it’s coming along. It’s not a hundred percent, but it's coming."
On Wednesday, Roethlisberger again participated in drills at the South Side. The Steelers are hoping he can get a sizeable tune-up for the season at Heinz Field on Saturday against the Buffalo Bills in the third preseason game.
That's the game in which coaches best like to simulate a regular-season game.
"We try to make it as close as we can," Roethlisberger said. "We do the game-planning a little bit. We have scouting reports. We try to simulate it as best we can. I think a lot of us will get a lot of playing time, a half or so, but we do go into this more like a regular game."
Will Roethlisberger play a half?
"Whatever feels comfortable," he said. "It's kind of hard to say now. I think it's more along the lines of how you feel when you're out there. We'll see how the flow of the game goes."
For more of Ben's interview, click here.
To watch the video, click here.
August 25, 2009
Ben back at practice today...
Ben returned to practice Tuesday after missing the team's second preseason game against the Washington Redskins with a foot injury.
According to the Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette, "Coach Mike Tomlin, though, has said Roethlisberger should be okay and he looked every bit of that as the Steelers began their first practice on Pittsburgh's South Side after breaking training camp last week."
The Steelers will host Buffalo on Saturday night at Heinz Field.
August 23, 2009
Hines Ward: "This ain't fantasy football!"
From Joe Starkey's column today in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review entitled, "Big Ben is one of a kind":
Philip Rivers?
I'm still reeling from my recent radio interview with Aaron Schatz of profootballoutsiders.com. The topic was NFL quarterbacks. Schatz said the top four are Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Rivers, and that Ben Roethlisberger doesn't belong in the conversation.
Wow.
If someone as knowledgeable and respected as Schatz — his Football Outsiders Almanac is a must-read — doesn't include Roethlisberger in that conversation, you have to wonder how many others fail to comprehend Roethlisberger's greatness.
How is this possible, five years into such a decorated career?
If you polled the 32 defensive coordinators and asked who would cause them more sleepless hours — Rivers or Roethlisberger — I'd be doubly stunned if two said Rivers.
Roethlisberger isn't merely great. He has "changed the position," as teammate Charlie Batch puts it. We're talking about a 6-foot-5, 241-pound mammoth with a cannon arm, an uncanny ability to extend plays with his feet and a flair for the biggest moments.
There has never been anyone quite like him.
I'm not saying Roethlisberger already is an all-time great. It's too early for that. I am saying that his first five years were historically successful and that he is a unique player for his position.
Those who undervalue Roethlisberger invariably point to his alleged lack of gaudy statistics. Here's the thing: He has gaudy statistics, even after an injury-plagued season in which he threw for 17 TDs and 15 interceptions.
It depends on which stats you emphasize, and as Steelers receiver Hines Ward says: "This ain't fantasy football."
Roethlisberger owns the seventh-best passer rating in NFL history (89.43), the most wins (51) through five seasons since 1950 and the second-best winning percentage (.728), including playoffs, among active quarterbacks. Brady is first at .789.
Roethlisberger's postseason record is 8-2, third in NFL history (10 or more games) behind Brady (14-3) and Bart Starr (9-1).
Manning is 7-8, Rivers 3-3.
And yes, he has two Super Bowl rings.
The issue really boils down to this: If I had to put what's left of my 401(k) on one active quarterback coming through in the final minutes of a big game, I'd have to think long and hard between Brady and Roethlisberger.
Philip Rivers wouldn't cross my mind.
To read Mr. Starkey's complete column, click here.
Also, to see a few photos from last night's game, click here.
August 22, 2009
No Worries!
Big Ben traveled with the team to Washington DC, further proof that his foot injury is not serious!
Ben is not expected to play tonight against the Redskins in pre-season action. He was hurt Thursday during the team's final practice.
Both Ben and Coach Tomlin have declined to discuss the injury.
August 20, 2009
GQ Photo Shoot Video
Ben will be featured in the September, 2009 issue of GQ Magazine (see August 18th news below) and while you wait for the new issue...
You can view a video here of the "Behind the Scenes" photo shoot from WPXI.
You can also check out a few screen captures here.
*Thank you to Trish!
August 19, 2009
"Big Ben Bests Shaq"
From WTAE this afternoon:
There's a good reason why No. 7 is so good. When all was said and done, and Shaq took on Ben, Roethlisberger's skills were superior. But according to Ben, the outcome wasn't completely in his control.
"Shaq said he's got the final edit. So, he's going to edit some stuff out," Roethlisberger said.
But Shaq didn't have the heart to edit out Ben's 21-14 victory.
If you missed Shaq's matchup with Ben, catch it again next Tuesday at 8 p.m. The episode airs on WTAE before a new episode where Shaq goes up against beach volley boll champs Misty Mae-Treanor and Kerri Walsh.
To read the rest, click here.
To see a video of Ben's appearance from WTAE, click here.
Photos are here, screen captures are here.
Speaking of Big Ben...
"Ben takes somewhat of a beating because of the way he plays the game. He plays to win and he doesn't back off on certain plays. He's trying to kill people on every play and he puts himself in harm's way because of it, but he also creates a bunch of plays in how he plays the game. I don't equate what happened with him with what happened with the running game. He got sacked just as much in 2007 when we were third in the league in rushing." -- Coach Tomlin in an article on Yahoo Sports tonight.
"You never want to see your quarterback get hit, especially when it's a guy who's so important to this team like Ben. Collectively, we can help that. Me, Willie, Mewelde, the offensive line." -- RB Rashard Mendenhall, from the same article.
August 18, 2009 (*see update below)
Doing my part to "shout it from the rooftops"
And so is the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette:
The right arm of Ben Roethlisberger feels so good the quarterback wants everyone to shout it from the rooftops.
The Steelers quarterback asked the media after practice today to spread the word.
"You guys made such a big deal about my arm being sore like, the first three days of practice that, hopefully, you guys will start writing that my arm's looking better.
"It feels good," he said after a long afternoon of passing drills. "Today, the red zone period, 7 on 7, we completed every pass. I think we completed all but one in the team red zone, so it's really starting to come along ... It just took about a week; that's kind of what we anticipated."
To read Mr. Bouchette's complete update, click here.
Also Today:
Ben in GQ Magazine's September issue -
Ben sat down with GQ Magazine correspondent Jeanne Marie Laskas for an interview entitled, "THE GOAL IS FIVE RINGS".
As the questions tried to get personal, Roethlisberger, for the most part, kept it professional as he has been known to do with the media and with the fans.
"It's just my nature. I'm kind of a reserved person. Some people take that as me being too cocky, like I think I'm too good. No, that's just me being a quiet person. Once you get to know me, you realize I'm still the goofball big kid," Roethlisberger said.
At 27, Ben already has two Super Bowl rings and a $100 million contract with the most storied franchise in football. We know about his incredible success on the football field, but many fans want to know more about his character and his personal life.
"I've tried to stay out of the limelight. I'm not trying to draw attention to myself, because that's not who I am. I think that's why I stay in Pittsburgh. Because Pittsburgh fans respect that. The blue-collar thing. Like I'm not trying to be in movies. To me what's important is winning. Playing football. Winning championships. Winning," said Ben.
Laskas asked Ben if he has already achieved all of his goals.
"I haven't done it all. I want to win more than anyone else has ever won. The most a quarterback's had is four, so my goal is five," he said.
To read the interview, click here.
And don't forget...
Ben will guest-star in the premiere of "Shaq Vs." tonight at 9 p.m. on ABC!
*To see a few screen caps, click here.
August 17, 2009
Ben: "I'm just going to try to be me..."
Excerpts from an article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review today written by Scott Brown:
The specter of what Terry Bradshaw accomplished in Pittsburgh has hung over Ben Roethlisberger after he became the first quarterback the Steelers used a top draft pick on since Mark Malone in 1980.
What Roethlisberger has done as deftly as he sidesteps an opposing pass rusher is embrace the challenge of Bradshaw's legacy and not get overwhelmed by it.
"They were big shoes when I first got here, and I'm still not going to try and fill them," Roethlisberger said Sunday. "I'm just going to try to be me because he is the all-time Steelers quarterback. I'm not saying I'm the next Terry Bradshaw, because he is one of a kind."
Roethlisberger is proving to be an original as well.
He is the youngest quarterback ever to win a Super Bowl. And at age 27 and just entering the prime of his career, Roethlisberger is poised to take aim at the record Bradshaw shares with Joe Montana for most Super Bowl victories (four).
In five seasons, Roethlisberger has engineered 17 fourth-quarter comeback victories, including in the Super Bowl last February.
"It's a dream come true," Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians said of coaching Roethlisberger. "You want to be a coordinator when you have a quarterback who can play like this one and (be) the leader he is. I've been in this situation with guys who didn't have this much talent, and it's hard. If you don't have a quarterback, you're not going to win in this league."
Roethlisberger, whose 51 wins in his first five seasons are the most in NFL history, has been using training camp to play his way into shape. The 6-foot-5, 241-pounder said his arm strength is where it needs to be following an offseason in which he did very little throwing.
"I'm always trying to get better," Roethlisberger said. "For me, it's just learning the offense, learning what plays work with certain defenses."
To read the complete article/interview, click here.
Also Today:
The Steelers #7 is #2 in 2009....in jersey sales!
From USA Today:
The trade that sent Jay Cutler from Denver to Chicago has made the Bears QB's jersey the most popular one sold by the NFL in the past four months.
The league sold more Cutler jerseys than any other player's from April 1-Aug. 7. Following behind Cutler were two members of the Super Bowl-winning Steelers, QB Ben Roethlisberger and S Troy Polamalu.
August 16, 2009
Reminder: Ben's appearance on the premiere of "Shaq Vs" is this Tuesday
Don't forget...
"Shaq Vs.", a new reality show will premiere on ABC this Tuesday, August 18th at 9 p.m.
The series will feature Cleveland Cavaliers center Shaquille O'Neal stepping out of his comfort zone of basketball and challenging other high-profile athletes in competitions in their sports.
The first show will feature Shaq in a visit to Ben's home and then on to a challenge against him on the football field.
This particular competition worked off a 7-on-7 football premise: a skeleton passing formation with receivers and backs with Ben quarterbacking one team, and Shaq quarterbacking the other.
A handicapping system was worked out between the two-time Super Bowl winner and Shaq to make the competition more balanced.
The series will also include Shaq challenging Olympic champion Michael Phelps in swimming, Wimbledon champion Serena Williams in tennis, Oscar de la Hoya in boxing, St. Louis Cardinals' first baseman Albert Pujols in baseball, and two-time Olympic gold medalists Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor in beach volleyball.
For more on Shaq's challenge of Big Ben, see the July 25th news below...
August 14, 2009 - Afternoon Update
"Big Ben helps Beny"
From the Valley Independent this afternoon:
The city's K-9 unit received a grant this week from the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation.
The Foundation donated $8,000 to the Ringgold Rams Booster Club on behalf of the city.
The money will fund care and maintenance of Beny, the city's police dog. Monongahela police Officer Larry Maraldo and dog handler sought the grant, according to Mayor Bob Kepics. Maraldo has completed special training in the use of the patrol dog and will make Beny available for investigations in the local area.
The grant was made through the Ringgold Rams Booster Club to the city because the grants are made through nonprofit agencies.
"We are proud to be able to assist Ben Roethlisberger in accomplishing his goals while simultaneously benefiting the Ringgold School District," said Don Devore, treasurer of the Ringgold Rams Booster Club.
"Ben and Beny will now become honorary members of the Rams Club."
To read the entire article, click here.
Also Today:
"Ravens focused on solving Steelers, Big Ben"
Excerpts from the column of ESPN's Sal Paolantonio:
You can't blame the Ravens for being a little obsessed with the world champion Steelers -- after all, Baltimore lost all three games to Pittsburgh in 2008.
So, it's no surprise that when you ask the Ravens venerable general manager, Ozzie Newsome, what it will take to beat the Steelers this season, he has two quick responses: "Get No. 7 down," and "Be better in the passing game."
"We've got to be more consistent in the passing game, move the chains, control the tempo on offense with balance," said Newsome.
Newsome said that won't matter if the Ravens defense, which finished second in the league to Pittsburgh last season, does not do a better job of sacking Roethlisberger.
"We've got to get No. 7 on the ground," said Newsome, without missing a beat. "We get clean shots at him, but we're not getting him down. I remember we used to have trouble getting to Steve McNair and bringing him down. But Roethlisberger is much tougher. His movement out of the pocket, his ability to throw on the run is what killed us."
In all three games against the Ravens last season, using his creativity to stay alive in the pocket, Roethlisberger hit Holmes with killer touchdown passes that proved to be the margin of difference between the play of the two quarterbacks, and the score.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh insisted that his training camp was focused on many things, but he did admit to this: The Ravens' defense is learning to make sure the quarterback goes down. "We are working here a lot on the scramble drill," said Harbaugh. In other words, when the opposing quarterback starts to move out of the pocket, the defense has certain rules of engagement: engage and, hopefully bring down.
To read the entire article, click here.
August 14, 2009
Pre-Season Game 1
Steelers 20, Cardinals 10
The Steelers and the Cardinals went with their starters for two series, and both starting groups left with the game scoreless.
Ben completed 4 of the 6 passes he attempted for 33 yards. Charlie Batch was 1 of 2 for 45 yards, and both veterans were done before the end of the first half.
"Overall, without looking at film, I think it was OK," Ben said. "I think we had a couple plays with a few breakdowns, but it just felt good to go against someone other than your own guys."
Neither team scored a touchdown until rookie Joe Burnett intercepted a pass by third-teamer Brian St. Pierre, a former Steelers backup, and returned it to the Arizona 3 to end the third quarter. Issac Redman scored on the next play, and scored on a 5-yard run about 7 minutes later to end an 80-yard drive led by No. 3 quarterback Dennis Dixon.
From Ron Cook's column this morning in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
In some ways, it was as if last season never ended.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger looked to be in midseason form when he shook off defensive end Calais Campbell and turned a safety into a 3-yard gain.
Linebacker LaMarr Woodley, who sacked Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner twice in Super Bowl XLIII, tormented him again with a sack to end an early drive. Linebacker James Harrison didn't get a sack, but was all over backup quarterback Matt Leinart enough to scare the heck out of him and force an incompletion that ended another drive.
Did I mention there were no key injuries?
To read his column, click here.
To see video highlight's from the game, click here.
To see photos from the game, click here.
2009
All Archived News Is Deleted After One Year!
To save bandwidth, I delete all news items after (or close to) one year.
Picture of the Week

Happy Birthday wishes to Zeus! He's 6-years old on October 1st!
*If you have a favorite photo you'd like to see as a future Picture of the Week, email me!
Television Alert
The Jay Leno Show
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
9:00 p.m. on NBC
Ben is scheduled to be a guest on Jay Leno's new talk show on Tuesday, October 13th at 9:00 p.m. on NBC.
Also on Leno that night will be actor John C. Reilly (Talledega Nights, Stepbrothers, Chicago).
Ben won't be the only Steeler to sit and chat with Leno this month -- Terry Bradshaw will be a guest tomorrow night.
WWE Monday Night RAW
Monday, October 5, 2009
9:00 p.m. on USA Network
Ben is the guest host...and he won't be alone!
Ben will bring his entire offensive line with him as he hosts an evening of WWE Monday Night RAW action on October 5th!
The fun kicks off at 9pm on the USA Network.
Don't miss it!
To check out their website, click here.
Magazine Alert
Sporting News, October 12, 2009 Issue
Ben and the Penguins Sidney Crosby are featured in a cover story entitled, "Black & Gold mettle: Pittsburgh is Best Sports City", with photos and a story.
The magazine should be available the weekend of October 9th.
Sports Illustrated, September 7, 2009 Issue
Ben is one of four regional cover boys for this week's SI, joining the Falcon's Matt Ryan, the Cowboy's Tony Romo, and the Packer's Aaron Rodgers.
The magazine should be available the weekend of September 4th-5th.
GQ Magazine, September, 2009 Issue
Ben sat down with GQ Magazine correspondent Jeanne Marie Laskas for an interview entitled, "THE GOAL IS FIVE RINGS".
To read the interview, click here.
DVD Alert
NFL Super Bowl XLIII: Pittsburgh Steelers Champions DVD
On February 1, 2009, the Pittsburgh Steelers became the first franchise in NFL history to win their sixth Super Bowl. The title was the Steelers second in four seasons. It was the first under second-year head coach Mike Tomlin. Led by a defense that ranked first in yards allowed per game (237.2), passing yards allowed per game (156.9), points allowed per game (13.9) and second in rushing yards allowed per game (80.3), the Steelers finished the regular season 12-4 to win the AFC North Division title.
After defeating San Diego and Baltimore in the AFC playoffs, Pittsburgh culminated its championship run with a victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII. Relive all the thrilling moments of the 2008 Steelers, from Opening Day right through Super Bowl XLIII. NFL Films tells their story with action highlights and exclusive sideline and locker room sound from Pittsburgh’s record-setting season.
Available at Amazon.com.
NFL Pittsburgh Steelers: Road to XLIII (2009)
Nothing is easy when the season is on the line. Four times during the 2008 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ "fate" hung in the balance. Each time they withstood the challenge. The result: their NFL-record sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy. It was a team that displayed classic Pittsburgh toughness. From quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to a punishing defense led by Troy Polamalu and 2008 Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison, the Steelers battled for every yard from the first snap to the final whistle. Now, in this unforgettable four-disc set, relive the Steelers remarkable championship run with the original network broadcasts of four thrilling games.
Follow Pittsburgh from their exciting Week-15 clash against Baltimore – the game that decided the AFC North title – through their playoff victories over San Diego and Baltimore again, to their breathtaking victory over Arizona in Super Bowl XLIII. Over these four games, the Pittsburgh Steelers became super once again. Now, those games are yours to own on DVD. Disc 1: Week 15 – Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens Disc 2: AFC Divisional Playoffs – San Diego Chargers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Disc 3: AFC Championship Game – Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Disc 4: Super Bowl XLIII – Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals.
Available at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.
Miami of Ohio, Rewriting the Book - A Tribute to a Storybook Season, 2003
Follow the magic of the RedHawks 2003 football campaign with game highlights and never-before-seen interviews with players and coaches. This DVD was released in February, 2007 and though availability is now limited, you can still purchase it online here.
Fan Encounters

Have you met Ben? Had your picture taken with him? Taken a picture of him? If the answer is yes, and you would like to share your story and/or photo, please email me!
Events / Appearances
April 1-2, 2008 - Kraft Nabisco Celebrity Pro Am Golf Championship Mission Hills Country Club Rancho Mirage, California For more info, click here. To see photos from Ben's past participation, click here & here.
April 5, 2008 - Second Annual "Ben Roethlisberger Challenge" Basketball Game Findlay High School, Findlay, Ohio Game starts at 7pm, tickets are $5.00 per person and can be purchased at the FHS Athletic Secretary's office or all day at Morey's. To see photos from last year's event click here (bottom of page 5 through page 6 and a few more on page 7).
June 23-25, 2008 - Ben Roethlisberger Football Camp Mars Area High School, Mars, Pennsylvania For ages 7-14, focusing on fundamental football skills The cost for the three-day camp is $249 per camper. For more info, click here.
July 8-13, 2008 - American Century Golf Championship Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course Highway 50 at Lake Parkway South Lake Tahoe, Nevada For more info, click here. To see photos from Ben's past participation, click here.
Steelers Game Schedule
The Coach Hep Scholarship Fund

The Miami University Athletic Department, with the blessing of the Hoeppner family, has established the "Coach Hep Scholarship Fund" in memory of former head football coach Terry Hoeppner, who passed away June 19, 2007 after battling brain cancer. For more information and to donate, click here.
Book - Hep Remembered: Memories of Terry Hoeppner From Those Who Knew Him

By: Terry Hutchens
Foreword by: Ben Roethlisberger
Available October, 2007 - To pre-order, click here.
Ben on the Cover - click on cover for article, book info or complete version.

















































