Mother’s Day message…
from Benjamin Jr. and Baylee:
Mommy, we know you love us by the way you show you care,
You always hug and kiss us, and when we need you, you’re always there.
Mommy, we’ll love you always, and from our hearts we want to say,
We’re so glad you’re our mommy, HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!
Ben looks ahead
“It’s tough to lose Heath Miller, a guy I think everyone knows is a great friend and one of my favorite, best teammates of all time and a comfort, security blanket for me. It’s going to be tough. It’s not going to feel right going to training camp, or OTAs or minicamps and him not being there. I haven’t quite wrapped my head around what it’s going to be like not having him.
“We have guys that are going to step up. I know Sammie Coates is working his tail off, and really did some good stuff in that playoff game (at Denver). Markus Wheaton has gotten better. We know what we get from A.B. and we hope that there will be maybe a young guy, an Eli (Rodgers), someone that will step up.”
From his interview with Mike Prisuta at Steelers.com:
Moving on without Heath Miller is going to take some getting used to for Ben Roethlisberger. Free-agent addition Ladarius Green has already been penciled in to replace Miller.
And Roethlisberger likes what he’s heard regarding the Steelers’ new tight end.
“We’ve talked, we’ve communicated,” he said. “I know some guys for the Chargers that have told me that he’s a really good player and a guy that has more speed at tight end than I’ve ever seen. I’m just excited because I know he’s excited to help us. He wants to win and wants to win right now.”
Roethlisberger and the Steelers won’t exactly be starting over when OTAs commence this month, he said.
But nor should they perceive themselves as a team that was almost good enough to win the Super Bowl last season based on their near-miss in Denver in the postseason.
“You can’t look at the ‘what ifs?’ in football because there’s too many of them,” he said. “We have a good group that’s coming back, a lot of guys coming back, so we’re not really starting from scratch but we’re starting kind of where we always do.”
As for how long he intends to play, “I feel good,” Roethlisberger said. “I feel healthy. Thanks to the guys around me we’ve been playing pretty well. I turned 34 in March. I’m going to play the season at 34 and I’ll be all right.
“Everyone has a different mentality and mindset on […]
What’s better on a Spring day…
than a little tackle football with Dad?
Big Ben & The Bus
…were this year’s guest captains during the U.S. Open’s Media Day.
“For the third time since 1994, Oakmont Country Club will host the U.S. Open, an event that was kicked off this year by two of the most beloved Steelers of all-time in Big Ben and Bettis.” — Bryan DeArdo, 247 Sports.
USGA asked, “What’s more intimidating: Playing in the NFL or stepping to the tee at Oakmont?”
You can keep up with all the latest news from this year’s US Open here.
From KDKA this evening:
Roethlisberger said he beat Bettis out there on Monday, but still walked off the course knowing what the pro golfers are in store for in two months.
“I think it depends on what they do with the rough. The greens today, they were very firm. They weren’t real fast to putt, but they were very firm and it was hard to hold shots,” said Ben Roethlisberger. “So, I don’t know, it think it depends on if the USGA wants the plus to win or if they want the low scores. They can do whatever they want out here, it’s pretty dangerous.”
You can read more & see video here.
With the 11th pick in the NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers select…
It was on April 24, 2004:
“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”.
Ben arrives at Madison Square Garden that Saturday morning with plenty of supporters in his corner – his family, his agents Leigh Steinberg and Ryan Tollner, and his college coach, Terry Hoeppner and his wife Jane.
At 11:20PM: Ben and four others – Eli Manning, Roy Williams, Robert Gallery, and Kellen Winslow Jr. – are introduced to the crowd.
Green Room waiting –
• 12:25PM: NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue announces that the San Diego Chargers have selected Eli Manning with the No. 1 pick. Eli emerges from stage right and is greeted by unwelcoming chants by the Chargers fans in attendance.
• 12:58PM: NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue announces that the New York Giants have selected NC State quarterback Philip Rivers with the No. 4 pick. Soon thereafter the trade with the Chargers is announced – Eli Manning is headed to New York, Philip Rivers to San Diego. Both fan bases seem pleased with the outcome….as Ben waits for his turn.
• 1:57PM: Pittsburgh is on the clock. “We see Ben Roethlisberger on the phone,” ESPN announces for the television audience. Sure enough, it’s Steelers coach Bill Cowher calling to tell Ben the Steelers are going to select him with the No. 11 pick.
• 2:00PM: NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue announces that Ben is indeed headed for Pittsburgh. Ben arrives on stage and dons a Steelers ballcap and holds up a Steelers jersey.
• 2:01PM: The Steelers fans in the crowd begin to chant, “Ben, Ben, Ben….”
• 2:02PM: Just off stage, Ben does a press conference for television reporters and then disappears from the public room to do a few interviews with the Pittsburgh media.
• 2:43PM: Ben emerges from the players’ party room where a press conference with print media is set up. An ESPN media representative announces, “Call from Steelers owner Mr. Rooney…” Ben takes […]
“Thank you Ben!”
“When Big Ben is at your basketball tournament!!”
Ben stops to pose with Mallory and her friends Abbie, Ashten, Maia, and Emilee.
“We appreciate that he took the picture with us. He was very kind! — Mallory.
*Mallory, thank you for sharing your photo with us!