It’s almost here!
“Thanks Ben for making my son’s training camp visit so memorable! Ben threw his wristband to him today and he has not taken it off yet. My son Keiran is a quarterback and of course wears #7. He can’t wait to take the wristband to practice to show his teammates. Thanks again Ben!” – Jennifer Lippman
The Steelers 2014 training camp begins this Friday, July 25th when the players report, and Steelers.com has all the info you need when you report!
What’s the camp schedule look like?
What’s the weather report for Latrobe?
How do you get there?
Where can you stay if you plan on spending more than the day?
What kind of fan activities are scheduled for Steeler Nation?
What’s the layout of the St. Vincent College and how do you get to the field?
What about parking? Food? and where do you go for medical assistance if needed?
You can find all of that out right here!
“We went to St. Vincent three days – Friday for the night practice, where Kathleen got lots of autographs; On Monday I got Ben’s autograph on my son’s jersey. I told him it was my son’s favorite jersey and that he had passed away December 30th and had been featured on his site. He looked at me and said, ‘I am sorry. (Pause) I am really very sorry!’. It was very nice for him to acknowledge it all in the pandemonium that was surrounding him at the time.
My son, Connor had always wanted Ben’s autograph but never got it. I teared up after and felt like I accomplished something for him. That jersey will be framed with a plaque honoring my son in our basement, which is heavily laden with Steeler memorabilia. Thank you, Mr. Roethlisberger for your sympathy. Thank you also for all the time you spent, in spite of being banged up, signing autographs. You made one little girl’s, and a couple of her buddies’ day.” – Patrick Williams, photo above with Kathleen.
And:
Where do you send your favorite photos and fan stories from training camp?
Right here of course!
Just email them to us at bigben7website@gmail.com and we’ll be happy to share them with the rest of Steeler Nation!
Have fun and be safe!
“Wanted to thank Big […]
A little R&R for the Roethlisbergers
After checking out all the Steeler Nation on Vacation photos, Ben wanted to join in on the vacation photo action as well!
Ben took his lovely wife on a tropical vacation for a little sun and fun before the start of Steelers training camp!
Ben and Ashley are all smiles after arriving in the Bahamas..and no wonder! Ben snapped the second photo of this beautiful spot on the beach that they’d be enjoying before the sun went down!
Hope everyone is having a safe and happy summer, no matter where you’re spending it!
You can see all the photos in Ben’s family album here, and from his personal album here.
Steeler Nation on Vacation!
The July Fan Photos are here…and this summer it’s all about vacationing in style –
Steeler Nation Style!
As fan and longtime follower of the site Bob Tschappat, Jr. said, “It’s always football season, even on vacation!”
That’s Al Stiehler showing his true colors at Stonehenge on the top; Pete Perdaems keeping his Terrible Towel upright at the Leaning Tower of Pisa; and Frank Semple going camo style at the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Ohio Steelers fan Steve Hakin above, in his #7 jersey, poses against the backdrop of Machu Picchu in Peru; and Tom Obenrader showing off his Terrible Towel at the Great Wall of China. Tom and his wife were in China to adopt a daughter, who already had a Steelers jersey waiting for her!
If it’s possible, P.J. “Pete” Perdaems makes Monte Carlo a little more colorful with his Black & Gold; Steelers UK fan Peter Minghella stops to pose “in my colours in Crete” with his son Ethan; and Mike Thoma and his son Chris posing at the Trevi Fountain in Rome.
Jasmine Burt, a Terrible Towel and a rainbow at Niagara Falls in Canada; Closer to home – Bob & Missy Tschappat in Key West where Bob says if they go away, Ben’s “Away Jersey” goes too; and that’s Rob Thaler taking in a summer baseball game in Kansas City (Rays vs Royals) but still reppin’ the Black & Gold in the stands!
You can see more photos of our summer vacationers here (3 pages)!
We also have photos of some adorable Lil’ Fans to share too!
As always, thank you to everyone who shared their photos with us! These were great!
Honoring our four-legged protectors!
The Allegheny County Law Enforcement Officers Memorial (LEOM) is an organization that honors police officers who were killed in the line of duty in Allegheny County.
The Memorial to these brave men and women stands on the North Shore of Pittsburgh, just outside of Heinz Field.
But the LEOM realized that there was one important law enforcement member that was not honored – something that came to light after the line-of-duty death of K-9 Officer “Rocco” in January.
In fact, there have been four Police K-9’s in Allegheny County who have been killed in the line of duty:
K-9 Officer “Jup” in 1991; K-9 Officer “Joker” in 1997; K-9 Officer “Ulf” in 2008; and K-9 Officer “Rocco” in 2014.
“When the original Memorial was designed we did not include a K-9 partner for our officer. That was short-sighted of us. Our K-9 partners are part of our Law Enforcement Family. They live and work with their partners, and serve as members of our Police Departments.
“I truly believe that the K-9 Officers work for the praise and love of their human partners. They are fearless in their actions and protective of their partners to a fault.” — Cmdr. Donna Best, President of the Law Enforcement Officer Memorial.
The LEOM is working with the City of Pittsburgh Department of Art and the Sports and Exhibition Authority to have the addition of a K-9 partner added to the existing memorial on the North Shore.
They are working with local artist Susan Wagner to design a K-9 statue to add to the Memorial. Susan designed the original statue of the officer named, “Ever Watchful” (photo above).
Their hope is to have it completed by early next August for the 100th Anniversary of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) National Conference which will be held in Pittsburgh.
But they need your help in bringing to fruition the addition of a K-9 Officer to the existing Memorial!
You can make your check or money order payable to LEOM K-9 Memorial and send your tax deductible donation to:
Greater Pittsburgh Police FCU
1338 Chartiers Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15220
Please join with Ben in helping them honor our brave K-9’s […]
Thoughts & Prayers
…go out to two of our Steeler Nation families!
In July of 2012, Julia Pollock was delighted to receive a personal video message from Ben. Julia had been battling breast cancer since 2010, which had then spread to her spine and brain. She had been in the hospital for 52 days when she received the surprise message:
“I want Ben to know that his video email meant the world to me not just because I bleed black and gold and watching him every Sunday makes my week but because I’ve ALWAYS known him to be a man with a good heart.” — Julia, July of 2012.
Her father, Alan Nagy, asked us to share his email with all those that had been praying for her:
“My daughter Julia developed cancer two years ago and was given 3 to 6 month to live, while Julia was in the hospital she received a personal video from Ben giving her words of encouragement, she cherished that video and when she was having a rough day she would watch that video and it would always bring a smile to her face, and as parents we were so grateful for that but I’m saddened to say that Denver’s #1 Steeler’s Fan has lost her battle with cancer. Julia passed away on Saturday the 14th [of June], after betting all the odds for her prognosis, and survived two years longer then the Doctors expected. Our daughter Julia was such a sweet and loving person, she touched the hearts of many.
“She will be missed by all who knew her and loved her. This up-coming season will be very hard without her, but when the new season start, I will still see my beautiful daughter Julia in spirit, jumping up and down cheering for her beloved Steelers, so Steeler Nation know that a true Steeler fan in Denver may be gone, but her memory and love for her Steelers will continue for seasons to come. We will miss her so much.”
Rest in Peace Julia.
In February of 2013, Tyler Hallsey was diagnosed with Pontine Glioma – a tumor surrounding the brain stem. On September 3rd of 2013, his father shared his story and photos with us after Tyler had the opportunity to attend a Steelers pre-season game with his family, […]
Steelers: the “AFC dark horse” this season?
From Peter Schrager at FOX Sports this morning:
No NFL postseason contender — not the Broncos, the Patriots and likely not even the Seahawks —wanted to see the Steelers make the playoffs last year, but Pittsburgh came awfully darn close in the end.
There are high expectations in Steel City, and in the 40th-anniversary season of the 1974 team that won the franchise’s first Super Bowl, the fan base is looking for a much better result than 8-8.
The Steelers enter the season undoubtedly younger and faster than they were a season ago. The team was uncharacteristically active in free agency this offseason, adding veterans Mike Mitchell, Cam Thomas, Lance Moore, and LeGarrette Blount while maintaining a level of consistency by signing deals with veterans Jason Worilds, Heath Miller, Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor. Rookie linebacker Ryan Shazier is expected to contribute right from the start, with recent draft picks Jarvis Jones, Cameron Heyward and David DeCastro expected to take on bigger roles.
Pittsburgh’s roster, solid just about everywhere, has two question marks at the offensive tackle positions. This is nothing new for Ben Roethlisberger, a grossly underrated quarterback who’s played behind questionable offensive lines for the bulk of his NFL career.
Tomlin is one of the best coaches in the league, Roethlisberger is a gamer, and the defense should be faster and hungrier than it was a season ago. The core unit is back, with key additions all over the field. No one wanted to face the Steelers at the end of 2013. I can’t imagine foes wanting to line up against them in 2014, either.
You can read more & watch the roundtable discussion (video) here.