Throwback Thursday: Draft Day Edition
“I was in New York. I had my mom and dad with me, my sister was there and my agent. My college coach at the time and his wife were there. Everyone kind of had their speculations of ‘what number’ and what team. The teams we thought were going to take me didn’t, but it ended up working out perfectly for me.” — Ben, from the video, “Recalling Draft Day”.
Did you miss Ben’s interview with Bruce Gradkowski & Bruce Murray on SiriusXM NFL Radio?
So did I (had a 3 hour trip to deliver supplies to family). But, the folks at Steelers Depot didn’t miss it and have transcribed it perfectly in three different posts:
Segment 1: Roethlisberger: ‘I’ll Know It In My Heart When I’m Ready And I Think I’m Pretty Close’
“[Ashley] liked [the beard] at first, hates it now. I keep saying that she’s going to cut it off in my sleep like Samson. You know, like come in there with clippers and the hair. So, my whole thing was I said it was kind of the whole Samson effect when it happened. We were flying up to the surgery and I’m not sure why, I felt something that said, ‘Don’t cut your hair or your beard until you come back.’
“I said to her, ‘I wanna throw a pass. When I can throw an NFL pass, I’ll shave it.’ And she’s like, ‘Well, is like an NFL pass in the living room to your kid, or what qualifies an NFL pass?’ So, every day I’m out throwing on our throwing days – Monday, Wednesday, Friday, she’s like, ‘That definitely was an NFL pass.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, almost.’ And I’ll know it in my heart when I’m ready and I think I’m pretty close.”
Segment 2: Roethlisberger Excited To Return And Compliment Steelers Improved Defense
“It was tough being on the sidelines last year. It was, because all of us are competitive, right? We all want to be out there. It’s what we love to do. And as a quarterback, you feel like that’s my team out there and I want to be out there leading my guys. And I want to help them and I want to do everything I can and be out there to go through the battle with them. But when you can’t do that, it’s so hard and it just tugs at you.”
Segment 3: Roethlisberger On Steelers Possibly Drafting Another QB: ‘That’s Their Prerogative’
“You know, we’ve got some quarterbacks on the roster, but if they feel like there’s a better one out there, then they got to go get him. And that’s their prerogative. That’s why they are the owners, the GMs and the coaches and we just play. So, it’s not going to change my mindset, my mentality, my motivation.”
Now Steelers Depot […]
The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation at work
K9 Samson is enjoying his view of @ParkCounty. pic.twitter.com/dzHTi7nqHc
— CPW NE Region (@CPW_NE) April 13, 2020
Checking in with our favorite P.E. teacher, Mr. Roethlisberger
“You know, it’s crazy because … we kind of live out in the country a little bit. So out here, you don’t really notice much difference, right? Other than the kids are always here. We love the kids and stuff, but it’s definitely a newfound respect for teachers. It’s not easy doing, literally trying to put together the curriculum and all this stuff that we have to do. You have to team up, right? We tap out every once in a while. Like, Mom’s like, ‘I need to tap out,’ or I’ll be like, ‘Hey, I need to tap out, give me 30, 45 minutes to kind of just unwind.’ So homeschooling and all that stuff is a challenge, but it’s brought us closer together.”
“I’m usually in charge of activities like Gym and Recess…Weather.”
Fun AND Free!
And something to pass the time at home!
The NFL will be offering complimentary access to NFL Game Pass to provide fans the opportunity to relive games and moments from seasons past, including a three-game stretch in 2014 when Ben completed 73.9% of his passes for 1,127 yards, 14 touchdowns with no intereceptions, and a QB rating of 142.9.
OCT. 20, 2013: STEELERS 19, RAVENS 16
DEC. 22, 2013: STEELERS 38, PACKERS 31
OCT. 20, 2014: STEELERS 30, TEXANS 23
OCT. 26, 2014: STEELERS 51, COLTS 34
NOV. 2, 2014: STEELERS 43, RAVENS 23
You can get more info on the games from Bob Labriola here.
You can sign up for your complimentary NFL Game Pass here.