Let’s Go Bucs!!!

August 28th, 2013: Benjamin Jr. enjoys his first Pirates game.
Wishing the best of luck & success to the Pittsburgh Pirates throughout the 2014 season!

And with just a couple more days to spare…

We’re starting off with a story from last summer’s training camp because we couldn’t pass up this big smile – or the reason it was put there:


Christan Melnik is a second grader at Center Township Elementary School in Butler, PA.

2013 was our third year going to training camp. We always try to make it to the night practice at Latrobe Stadium and have never even got close to getting Ben’s autograph. But last summer, with the last open practice moved to St. Vincent, it gave us a better opportunity. We had just arrived at the field, and were sitting along the fence line when I saw Ben headed our way. I encouraged Christian to squeeze his way along the fence and hold his ground and just hold up the football as high as he could. There was a lot of pushing by the bigger kids, but Christian scored an autograph from his favorite player, #7. He clutched that ball all day, it now sits on our mantel above the fireplace.

I keep promising Christian we will make it to a football game at Heinz Field some day before he gets too much older, I’m not exactly getting any younger either. Hopefully, it’ll be one of those lifelong memories between grandfather and grandson that we will never forget. — Tom Melnik, proud grandpa.



Christian is joined this month by some other Lil’ Fans – of the very lil’ variety:


From left to right is RJ Brim, Veronica Roden and Ruby Oakes! Oh, and we also have a #7-wearing dog named “Ben RoethlisBeagle”! You can see him here!



We also have a couple of big fans who made Steeler Nation worldwide during their March travels:


Jasmine Burt showed her Steelers spirit while traveling by boat on the Seane in Paris, and Matthew Leach showed his while traveling by camel in the country of Oman!


You can see all the latest fan photos in Ben’s gallery here, including more fans representing #7, some great artwork, birthday wishes for Ben, and a lucky NFL fan’s day at the Bruce Arians Inaugural Arizona Celebrity Golf Classic!

Just want to send out thoughts and prayers for Jim Kelly and his family during this tough time. I hope that everyone else out there can say a prayer for him. Stay strong JK we all know how tough you are!! — Ben

February 25, 2011: Posing with Jim Kelly in Buffalo, NY after dining at “Pete’s Place”.
You can post prayers for Jim Kelly on Facebook here, and on Twitter here.

March 25th, 2004 – Ben’s Pro Day workout

“It’s a dream come true. I’ve always wanted to play in the NFL. Everything I get to do, meet all these coaches, see Al Davis, visit with Warren Moon, it’s a dream coming true. It’s hard to believe. I have to pinch myself and make sure it’s true.” — Ben, on both the experience and the opportunity to play in the NFL, March of 2004.

From the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Mark Curnutte:

QB Ben packs ’em in for pro workout –

Scouts or assistant coaches from nearly all 32 NFL teams made their way to Oxford. Two head coaches, Green Bay’s Mike Sherman and the Giants’ Tom Coughlin – along with Giants’ general manager Ernie Accorsi and three of the club’s scouts – were there, too.

Charting each of the players’ moves with stopwatches and clipboards, scouts watched them lift weights, jump, sprint and run agility drills before congregating in Yager Stadium for the main event: Ben throws.

And Roethlisberger, a sure-fire top-five pick rated along with Mississippi’s Eli Manning as one of the top two quarterbacks in the draft, did not disappoint.

He threw long and short, soft and hard, down the middle and toward the sideline – showing off his impressive arm and timing on the deep out pattern.

Roethlisberger ran 4.76 seconds in the 40-yard dash. And he clocked an 11.8 – considered fast for a quarterback – on a three-cone agility drill.

“He’s probably going to be gone before we pick, but I always want to cover our bases in case something happens – he falls or we move up,” Sherman said. “I thought he had an excellent workout. He did everything here he does on tape. You have to watch the game tape to really appreciate what kind of quarterback he is and what kind of leadership skills he has.”


You can read the rest of Mr. Curnutte’s 2004 article here.

“Whatever team gets him is going to be enlisting an athlete who can throw and move. His strength is throwing on the run. They talk in Oxford about the time last season when the quarterback scrambled to his left, shucked off a tackler, and scrambled in the opposite direction. A tight end was sprinting across […]

And getting a warm “rookie welcome”!

Baylee is spending some quality time getting to know her big brother, Benjamin, Jr….and the other way around!

“I could be a good brother right from the start and give her a ‘welcome home’ kiss….”

“Hey Mommy & Daddy? Is it okay if I just wave to Baylee instead?”

“Hmmmm…I’m not so sure about this…how long is she staying here?”

*You can see more of our family photos in Daddy’s album here!

At 1:11 this morning we were blessed to welcome into this world another beautiful gift from God!

Very pleased to introduce our daughter, Baylee Marie Roethlisberger!

She weighed in at 6lbs, 12 oz and is 19.5 inches long. Mom and baby are doing great! — Ben & Ashley and big brother Benjamin Jr.