“It’s been fun. This week in practice I felt a little different. Maybe it’s in part being back here, in part knowing I am going to get to play a little bit. I have had a little juice bolt, whatever you want to call it to get you going. This week has been exciting so far knowing you are going to get some reps, get out there with the guys and have some fun. I definitely feel what they are feeling.” — Ben.

From Ben’s interview with the media today via Teresa Varley, Steelers.com:

Ben Roethlisberger will see his first action of the preseason on Sunday night when the Steelers head to Nashville to take on the Tennessee Titans.

It’s the same path Roethlisberger followed last year, when he didn’t play in the first two games of the preseason, seeing his first game action in the third preseason game in 2018 as well.

Roethlisberger said it will be a good warmup for the regular season, and he sees some value in getting the time on the field, even though he has been there, done that as he enters his 16th season with the Steelers.

“There is some value because every game in the NFL counts,” said Roethlisberger. “In all of the other major sports you can get away with losing some games, you can kind of warm up to it because they are so long. With our season you can’t really afford to do that. If you get out there and get the actual game speed and stuff, it’s definitely beneficial. I do think it’s a fine line you walk of not doing too much for risk of injuries and everything that comes with that. That’s the fine line a coach walks. Even if you play a little bit. Say you play all four games a little bit and you don’t play sharp in the opener, there is always going to be something. You just have to hope if you don’t play sharp in the opener you play well enough to win.”

While Roethlisberger said he will play on Sunday night, he isn’t sure how long he will be out there. That is a decision that will be made by Coach Mike Tomlin.

“He pretty much tells me what he wants me to do,” said Roethlisberger. […]

From Mike Prisuta, Steelers.com:

The final practice of training camp was officially called at 4:25 this afternoon due to weather, but there was still a lot to like about the Steelers’ Saint Vincent College experience from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s perspective.

“We wanted to come in and get some work together, some young guys, new guys,” Roethlisberger maintained. “Worked the no-huddle, worked two-minute, worked red zone, so I think there was some good stuff.

“We got to see what guys were going to do with pads on, too, in terms of physicality, so I think it was good.”

Roethlisberger didn’t participate in 11-on-11 drills in the non-padded practice, other than to run a two-minute drill that covered 52 yards in 1:01 but was ultimately stopped 4 yards short of the goal line and the required touchdown.

But he threw in position drills to wide receivers he maintained are showing the growth he was hoping to notice.

“James Washington, I thought, had a great camp,” Roethlisberger continued. “‘Crief’ (Donte Moncrief) we didn’t get to see a lot of because of the finger but he’s starting to come back. And I think what we’ve seen from JuJu (Smith-Schuster) is what we all anticipated, something special.”

Roethlisberger was also impressed with what he saw from inside linebacker and 10th-overall draft pick Devin Bush.

“In practice it wasn’t anything special, but he wasn’t making mistakes,” Roethlisberger observed. “And then you watch the game (against Tampa Bay), you see the box score. I know he had a bunch of tackles and made some plays, he’s just there. He’s just doing things and he’s doing the right thing and you don’t hear him getting hollered at because he’s doing wrong.

“To me, that’s important for a guy at that position. It may not be all the special and ‘wow’ plays you make, but when you’re not screwing up that’s just as important.”


Photo: Steelers

You can read more from Mr. Prisuta & watch video of Ben’s interview with the media here.

You can also sit back, relax and check out the hard-working Steelers players in “The Best of Steelers Training Camp” album.

This week is not only the last week of Steelers training camp, but the last week of the 2019 open grant season for Ben’s foundation as well!

Police & Fire Agencies, don’t delay!! Applications and supporting documents must be mailed and postmarked by tomorrow, August 15th!!

This year marks the 13th season of grants for his foundation. The majority of the grants distributed will help police and fire department K-9 units to purchase dogs and dog safety vests, but other types of K-9 specific needs will be considered.

The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation plans to distribute grants in the cities and surrounding communities of each regular season away game for the Steelers during the 2019 NFL season including Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Phoenix, New York City and Baltimore.

We invite police and fire departments in these eight communities to submit proposals detailing their needs. In addition, the Foundation will make grants to several police and fire department K-9 units in the Pittsburgh area following Super Bowl LIV.

The mission of the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation is to support K-9 units of police and fire departments throughout the United States with a particular emphasis on support for service dogs in Pittsburgh, PA. In addition, Ben has hosted a number of events to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation, his high school alma mater and other organizations close to his heart. The foundation has distributed in excess of $2.1 million since 2007, $1.7 million of which has specifically benefited K-9 programs.

Full grant guidelines and application cover page are available at https://www.givingback.org/ben-roethlisberger-foundation-application-2019/.


For more information about the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation or The Giving Back Fund, please contact Jessica Duffaut at www.givingback.org.


*Thank you to retired K9 Officer, MPO Gary Brown of the Fairfax County Police Department for sharing the great photo of him and his partner, Zeus!