It’s a Warrior Wednesday
…and a fan story all in one!
“This photo was taken in June, 2012 at the PNC Big 33 Football Classic.
Our organization (Air Force Recruiting) based out of Pittsburgh, was comprised of 100 active duty personnel spread across Eastern Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, Northern West Virginia and Western Maryland. The organization’s members come from all types of Air Force Service, working to recruit the nation’s finest to be a part of our team.
Ben was such a great guy. He insisted on taking pictures with all of us. We rallied the troops for the photos and a short chat with Ben (made all my Steeler buddies outside of PA super jealous). One of our staff presented him with our organization’s challenge coin. .
We all came away from the experience in awe at what a great, personable, and down to earth guy Ben was. Super experience! Ben, thank you for all you have done for us.” — Shawn, retired US Air Force Steelers fan.
Shawn, thank you for sharing your photo with us, and especially, for what you do for our country!! God bless!
A rematch is in the cards
…or rather in the paddles!
From at Jacob Klinger at Penn Live today:
James Conner has started a comeback against Ben Roethlisberger.
Playing ping-pong with the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback at their agent’s headquarters in Irvine, California last month, Roethlisberger won their first match.
But the Pitt running back who is at the Combine this week after beating Hodgkins Lymphoma and rushing for 1,092 yards and 16 touchdowns last season snagged the following game, he said.
Only for Roethlisberger to have to leave with the scored tied, 1-1.
“He had to run,” Conner said. “His family, they had some food waiting, so Game 3 is on the way.”
Conner and Roethlisberger have shared a practice facility, the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Pittsburgh’s South Side, since 2013. And as the Pitt running back prepares for the NFL Draft, Roethlisberger has given Conner little pieces of advice, in addition to ping-pong games.
“Just be yourself, have fun with it, enjoy the process,” Roethlisberger told Conner, Conner said. “He knows I overcame a lot, too. So yeah, me and Ben, cool.”
But there will be a rubber match, Conner said.
You can read more here.
Big Ben’s Annual Birthday Contest
UPDATE: WE HAVE A WINNER!!! Congratulations to Mikel Molina! He was our 302nd emailer. Thank you to everyone who emailed for the contest, and to send all the wonderful birthday wishes!!
Today (Thursday) is Ben’s 35th birthday, and one lucky fan will win a gift from him!
To celebrate…
The 302nd emailer today (that number is from 3/02 – his birth date) will receive one of Ben’s game-used, autographed Nike cleats.
It’s just that easy: No quiz to take, no caption to think up, no questions to answer…just be the 302nd emailer!
However, before you email, please follow these two rules:
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, just one email per email address only (subsequent emails from the same address will be discounted).
Send emails to: bigben7website@gmail.com
Winner will be notified via email, and their name will be posted here in an update this afternoon! Good Luck!
The 2017 NFL Combine begins this week…
From Steelers.com today:
Who will stand out this year? Who will make a sudden impression? And what will we learn when the NFL Combine descends upon Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis Feb. 28-March 6?
Over 300 players will take part in what is football’s biggest job interview, participating in an array of activities, including on-field workouts, medical testing, interviews with teams, and media interviews.
You can follow the Steelers during the NFL Combine here.
“When you have a franchise quarterback, it increases your chances of winning a championship. To me, it’s that simple. If you have a great one, you’re fortunate because not everybody does. We’re fortunate. The franchise guys are so scarce in the draft. Most veteran guys don’t become available. You never want to pick high enough to get one, but if you have the chance you should take one.” — Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert on finding his franchise guy in 2004.
We’re looking back at the 2004 NFL Combine, when Mr. Colbert found his “franchise guy” –
“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.” — The late Joe Stein, NFL Draft expert for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
From Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports, February 19, 2004:
The inquiry at the top of everyone’s list?
“Ben, where do you think you’ll be drafted?”
It’s a question he can’t answer. He knows where he wants to be drafted.
The 6-5, 245-pounder possesses the qualities teams want in a quarterback: size, arm strength, accuracy, some mobility, smarts.
Roethlisberger and Manning are at […]
Throwback Thursday
“It’s a Pittsburgh thing”
It was Big Ben vs Pitt RB (and NFL Draft prospect) James Conner in a serious ping pong match last week.
The two men faced off across the table at Rep 1 Sports in Irvine, California last week, while visiting their agent, Ryan Tollner. Rep 1 tweeted a photo of the friendly competitors:
Rep 1 Sports @Rep1Sports
We snapped Ben Roethlisberger & James Conner on the sticks @ headquarters last week! It’s a Pittsburgh thing. #rep1fam
And speaking of NFL Draft Prospects…
Eastern Washington WR Cooper Kupp on his visit to Irvine, California last week:
“…in between visiting with Jared [Goff] and Carson [Wentz], I also had the privilege of throwing with Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers. Big Ben’s reputation speaks for itself, and it was clear from the start that his success over the past 13 seasons is a result of the seriousness he brings to the practice field. When it’s time to work, it’s time to work, and I really respect that in a quarterback.
Ben’s goal, from the second he steps on the field, is maximizing his work. He knows exactly what he wants and how he wants it done. He’s been slinging the football for a long time now and he’s seen everything. He’s worked with every kind of receiver, and he’s thrown every route imaginable.
He’s also seen the issues guys have, and it would have been a mistake if I didn’t try to absorb as much as I could about what makes the NFL’s most successful receivers so good at what they do.
It’s clear that there’s more to being a good pro than simply being talented and productive in college.
For starters, in the NFL every route is a little deeper. The 15-yard bench route you ran in college is now a 20-yard route in the pros, so timing is absolutely critical. Fortunately, when you’re working with a passer like Ben, you can always count on his timing being perfect. It’s not just, ‘I’ll hit you in the chest.’ It’s, ‘I’ll hit you in the chest, off your seventh step, every time.’ And as a receiver, that consistency makes things easy. You know when you turn your head that the ball is going to be where it’s been every time.”
You […]