…at the Phoenix Open Annexus Pro Am this week!

Ben not only got into the swing of things with Jerome Bettis, Bruce Arians, Larry Fitzgerald, Emmitt Smith, Marcus Allen, Urban Meyer, Randy Johnson and Ken Griffey, Jr., but also took time out to mix & mingle with the fans:

James Shimkus @james_shimkus
Ben signing and taking pics with fans at every hole. Taking his time and talking to everyone. #steelers @_BigBen7

James, who is a life-long Steelers fan and a long-time follower of Ben’s website, also wanted to add –

“It was absolutely amazing! Such a class act!”


WM Phoenix Open @WMPhoenixOpen
Ben Roethlisberger takes time to sign autographs for fans before entering the #16thHole Stadium!


Jeanette Rosiek @Jmr72072
@_BigBen7 Big thanks to Ben for stopping for picture today! #WMPhoenixOpen #SteelersNation


Lindsay Czarniak @lindsayczarniak
I’ll never complain about starting my day on a golf course. Ben Roethlisberger off to a respectable start.


Michael Collins @ESPNCaddie
Tour players can’t throw stuff to the crowd but Ben Roethlisberger is throwing signed sponge balls! #HOORAY #FUN



You can see the full-size photos (and a few more) here!

the NFL Films special feature on The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation last month, they have made the show available online!

“I was on a vacation down in South Carolina and had a gentleman walk up to me and shake my hand, and tell me he was a K9 officer and that he had received one of our dogs, and it really meant a lot to him. I was really touched by that. Then he said, ‘I live in Baltimore’, and he’s a Ravens fan! So for a Ravens fan to say that to a Steeler was kind of….it was pretty special!” — Ben, from his interview on the show that first aired on December 4th.

The segment, entitled, “NFL Films Presents: Big Ben Loves Dogs”, explores Ben’s foundation from it’s inception in 2006 to the present, including interviews with Ben, and his father Ken, who oversees the foundation with the help of Jessica Duffaut at The Giving Back Fund.

NFL Films producer John Weiss also takes us back to the tragic story of Pittsburgh Police K9 Rocco, who was killed in the line of duty one year ago this month, and how Ben and his foundation stepped forward to give Rocco’s partner, Officer Lerza, a new K9, which he named, “Benny”. Included in the segment is a touching interview with Officer Lerza on the loss of his partner and how deeply it affected him.

This marks the eighth season that the Ben’s foundation has distributed grants to K-9 units. The Foundation distributed $157,600 in grants to K-9 units around the country during this past NFL season and has distributed in excess of $1.2 million since 2007.

As with any NFL Film, there are also plenty of great football highlights as well.

B Max @Fallenheroes21 Dec 4, 2014
I hate the @steelers but I’m a Ben Roethlisberger fan now. Great piece on @NFLFilms – Ben donating K9′s to police depts. #GoBrowns

And from Facebook today after viewing the feature:

“As a fellow dog lover and with family in the police departments, I commend Ben for all he does to help ! Amazing job Ben – So proud to be part of Steelers Nation!!! — Terri Gow Benedict

“My department just received a Police K9 from Ben. I am […]

Today, Ben announced the 13th grant of the season from The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation at The Giving Back Fund. The Foundation will be distributing a grant to Summers County Sheriff Office in West Virginia.

The Summers County Sheriff’s Office will use the grant to expand their K-9 unit with a second dog.

“Although Summers County has multiple law enforcement agencies, the Summers County Sheriff’s Office has the only K-9 unit in the county. This gift will allow us to add another narcotics detection K-9 so that we can provide much needed support to other local agencies including, but not limited to, Hinton Police Department, local detachment of the West Virginia State Police, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, West Virginia Department of Corrections, National Park Services, and more. Working in unison with these other agencies, we believe we can substantially reduce not only the drug activity in our community, but also other crimes that go hand-in-hand with drug abuse and trafficking.” — Garry E. Wheeler, Summers County Sheriff.

During the 2014-15 NFL season, The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation distributed grants to K-9 units of police and fire departments in the cities and surrounding communities of each regular season away game for the Steelers.

The Foundation will also distribute several grants to the Pittsburgh area after the Super Bowl. The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation invited police and fire departments across the country to submit proposals detailing their needs.

Fans can support future K-9 grants by purchasing candy on Sarris Candies’ website, (www.SarrisCandiesFundraising.com), using a special purchase code (77-7777). Sarris will donate 25 percent of the purchase price to the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation.


You can learn more about the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation here, or by contacting Jessica Duffaut at www.givingback.org.

“I want to thank Ben and Ashley for their support of Miami Athletics. This gift continues our vision to make a difference in the lives of our student-athletes and that includes winning MAC Championships. I am thankful that both Ben and Ashley share in that same vision.” — Miami Athletics Director David Sayler.

In October of last year, Ben and Ashley agreed to donate $1 million towards the Indoor Sports Center at Miami University.

The Indoor Sports Center, which is almost complete, features a full-length 120-yard playing surface that will be called “Ben Roethlisberger Field.” According to the Miami Redhawks site, the new facility “will positively impact all 19 of Miami’s sports programs and allow teams to train year-round”.

“This gift is a huge thank you to everything, on and off the field, that Miami University provided me. Attending Miami was one of the best decisions of my life and I am happy to play a small part in helping to rebuild this football program.” — Ben.

More from the Miami Redhawks:

In his time at Miami, Roethlisberger completed 854-of-1,304 pass attempts for 10,829 yards and 84 touchdowns from 2001-03. His junior campaign was one for the ages, throwing for 4,486 yards and 37 touchdowns, leading Miami to 12-consecutive wins, including a Mid-American Conference Championship and GMAC Bowl victory. That season alone, he captured third-team All-America honors and was just the third player in Miami history to garner the Vern Smith Award as the Mid-American Conference Most Valuable Player.

Roethlisberger to this day still ranks first in Miami history in completion percentage (.655) and touchdowns, and is second in pass attempts, completions, yards and total offense (11,075).


Take the tour of Ben Roethlisberger Field, with Kyle Kron (@kylekronMiami):





*Photo courtesy of Taylor Housewright (@Coach_House_MU)

…while hangin’ out with a future NFL legend!


Jill Kelly @HJKforever
Just two QB’s hanging out and getting some snowmobiling in during the off-season! #brotherhood

…have been nominated for the FedEx Air & Ground Players of the Year!


Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

Roethlisberger had 32 touchdown passes this season and led the Steelers to an AFC North Championship. Roethlisberger tied Saints QB Drew Brees for the most passing yards this season (4,952 yards). He received his third Pro Bowl nod and with 39,057 career passing yards, he currently sits in 16th place on the all-time leaders list.

Roethlisberger was nominated for FedEx Air Player of the Week six times, winning four times.


Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers

Bell finished the season as the AFC’s leading rusher and second in the NFL with 1,361 yards. Bell also had 854 receiving yards, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk (1999) as the only players in NFL history with 1,350-plus rushing yards and 850-plus receiving yards in the same season.

Bell was nominated for FedEx Ground Player of the Week five times, winning three times.


If you’d like to cast your vote, you can do so here.


FedEx will announce the 2014 FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Year winners at the “4th Annual NFL Honors” awards show in Arizona, a two-hour primetime special to air nationally on January 31st on NBC, the night before Super Bowl XLIX.