for that little Steelers fan on your list?


How about a ProCamps gift package under the tree or in their stocking:

You can sign your youngster up now for the Ben Roethlisberger ProCamps Football Camp in June!

Register now through December 16th using the code HOLIDAY2014, and you’ll receive our exclusive holiday package.


Each package includes a t-shirt, personal greeting card, individualized participation certificate, and 2014 camp tuition!

The Camp is open to boys and girls, grades 1 through 8.

Ben will be joined by a selection of the top prep and college coaches from the area.

Each day, the campers will experience various stations, specializing in fundamental skills of football.

Individual groups will be small to assure that each camper gets maximum instruction.

“Took my grandson last year from the eastern shore of Maryland. We both had a terrific time !!! Looking forward to coming again this June.” – Karen Scearce

Ben will give daily talks highlighting the finer points of the game of football and beyond. Parents and guests will be able to listen to camp guests in designated areas at each location.

Kids that attend Ben’s Camp also have had the opportunity to meet and get instruction from some of Ben’s teammates too, like Brett Keisel, Charlie Batch, and don’t be surprised if Coach Tomlin makes an appearance!


Dates: June 16th & 17th, 2014

Times: 09:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Place: Seneca Valley High School, Harmony, PA

Cost: $199.

“I would like to express my thanks to Ben for hosting his camp the last 2 days! He made a dream come true for my son (and myself). I would also like to extend a very special thanks to Brenda (Ben’s mom). My son, who’s only 7, was very nervous and too scared to go on the field. Brenda was walking by and noticed us and stopped. She talked to him and then noticed her shoes were the same color as his and they compared shoes. This helped very much to eased his nerves. After that, he had the courage to go out on the field and had a wonderful time both days! Again – thank you Brenda!” — John Fasick

Each camper will receive –

• Camp T-Shirt

• Autographed Camp team photo with Ben

• 7 Hours of expert instruction

• Opportunity to win contests and prizes


A […]

“To watch the way he works, makes plays and makes the guys around him better, it’s cool to see. It’s what you like to see. That’s what your quarterback has to do. That is what he has been doing for years and makes him so special.” — Bruce Gradkowski

From Teresa Varley at Steelers.com today:

The numbers definitely tell the story when it comes to the way Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is playing right now. Roethlisberger, who was the AFC’s Offensive Player of the Month in November, has continued with the hot hand, completing 102 passes for 1,190 yards in the last four games.

“He is taking on the challenge of getting the offense better week in and week out and is flourishing right now,” said receiver Antonio Brown. “He has been spot on. Anytime he is on it everyone benefits.”

Through 13 games Roethlisberger has thrown 24 touchdown passes, with 11 of them coming in the last four games and no interceptions during that four game stretch.

“You don’t want to talk about that stuff,” said quarterback Bruce Gradkowski of a quarterback’s mentality during such a good streak. “You just want to continue playing. You just have to stay consistent and keep making plays and that is one thing he just continues to do.

“It’s great when you find the nice rhythm with your guys on the field, the receivers, the offensive line, the play caller. To be in the zone, you are having fun playing and making plays. That is one thing he has always done, make plays. It’s cool to see, he is doing a great job. He is running the show. He does a great job doing that, getting guys lined up, making the right calls, and he has been doing a great job this year.”

Gradkowski said he enjoys watching Roethlisberger, and is one of the biggest cheerleaders for the offense when he is on the sidelines.

Receiver Jerricho Cotchery, who has been a dependable target for Roethlisberger, marvels at the way his quarterback is playing.

“We use the saying ‘he’s on fire’ and that is exactly what he is right now,” said Cotchery. “He is throwing the ball really well, he sets the tempo when he gets in the huddle, and he is putting guys in the […]

This week’s Warrior Wednesday post features a young man who long-time BigBen7.com readers have come to know – Richard Culliver!

We updated you on this tough little guy and his battle with an inoperable brain tumor called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma back in September. Well, as you can see, nothing can stop Richard, who lives life to the fullest every day!

Last week, some of our Nation’s warriors, members of the South Carolina Army National Guard gave him another one of those days to remember!



On December 4th, Private Culliver visited McEntire Joint National Guard Base to be a South Carolina Army National Guard Pilot for a Day. He was given the opportunity to sit in multiple rotary wing aircraft, fly an aircraft simulator, and was honored with a set of aviator wings making him an honorary pilot…oh, and he was also awarded the Combat Infantry Medics Badge!

“I can not express adequately with words my gratitude for our service men and women and their families for selflessly serving our country! Then to allow Richard to participate on top of all that just overwhelms me with emotion! These are the faces of the men behind organizing this amazing couple days for Richard and for your taking the time to do it, I am eternally grateful!

“Richard has taken a lot of pride in his opportunity to be a part of ‘serving’ his country and especially the coins he’s collected. Definitely an experience of a lifetime!!” — Private Culliver’s mother, Stephanie.

Thank you to these men and women of our awesome military force for making this 7-year old boy’s Make-A-Wish come true!

And thank you to Sgt. Jorge Intriago for the photo!


You can check out some more great photos and a video on their Facebook page.

You can also stop by and try and keep up with Richard on his Facebook page!


How is Richard doing?

“Richard still has a tumor but it’s MUCH smaller than even at diagnosis. We are currently going through physical, occupational, and speech therapies. Hopefully, he well regain the ability to walk but only time will tell. He should be going back to school next month. There’s always the possibility that the cancer decide to grow again but for the first time in a year that’s […]

“It was disappointing to be that close at the end, but yet feeling like it shouldn’t have been that close at the end. It was definitely a tough, disappointing, frustrating loss.” — Ben

Ben called in to the Vinnie & Cook Show at 93.7 The Fan this morning for his weekly #1 Cochran Ben Roethlisberger Show while he and his family were on their way to select a Christmas tree.


Some of the highlights:

Ben threw for three touchdowns in the loss to the Dolphins, and Le’Veon Bell added 61 yards rushing. He told Vinnie & Cook that he feels that the offense is making progress –


“I’m really pleased with where this offense is. I think we’re getting better every week. Obviously we’re not winning the football games, which is our ultimate goal. But it’s hard to argue with the way the offense has been playing, the success that we feel like that we’re having.”


On any “disconnect” with using Le’Veon Bell and the running game in the second half –

“I disagree with that. I know that seems to be a hot topic right now about running the ball, but you know, we came out in the first half with a game plan, but the weather kind of dictated what the game plan was going to be. We ran the ball, we threw the ball, we had a big play to Heath in there, we had a touchdown pass. So we moved the ball well the first half. Then in the second half the weather let up and we felt like we were behind a little bit and we felt like we had to get back into the game a little faster. We threw the ball, we moved the ball. We went to a lot of no huddle with me calling the plays.

“I felt like we mixed in some run plays in there, but I don’t think by any means we got away from the run, or we didn’t want to do it and ‘it worked so well’. You know, it also worked well throwing the ball and scoring and mixing the run in here and there. In the third quarter we put up a lot of points and also in the no-huddle there were runs I mixed in […]

Final score: Dolphins 34, Steelers 28

Ben completed 23-of-39 for 349 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a QB rating of 114.2, but in the end it wasn’t enough to get the win against the Miami Dolphins.


His post-game Q&A with the media:


Did you guys practice that last play?

No, that’s just trying to make something happen.


This kind of puts you in a pretty tough spot…

Yup. But we’re not going to quit, we’re going to keep playing, come back tomorrow and get ready to go!


What was the difference in the second half? You scored once in the first half, and the second half you kept going up and down the field!

I don’t know. You know, I think the weather early dictated that we had to run the ball a lot. But we were still able to do some good running of the ball early, and the second half it kind of died down a little bit with the snow, so we felt that we could throw the ball and I thought we did a good job of doing that. We just didn’t make enough plays.


Ben, this is the first time in your career you’ve gone two consecutive non-winning seasons. Do you think, like this team needs to be ripped up in the off-season?

I’m not going to answer that question. We’re just going to give it everything we have everyday, and there’s going to be no quit from anybody!


Ben, was that final play all improvisation?

Yes.


Did you think Antonio scored [that touchdown at the end]?

Wasn’t sure. Thought it was but then obviously saw the ref wave his arms.



You can watch video of Ben’s interview here.

You can check out a few game photos here.



*And though it did happen in a loss, CONGRATULATIONS are still in order for Ben once again – he surpassed Terry Bradshaw’s record (212) with his first touchdown of the game (1st quarter to Emmanuel Sanders) for the most touchdowns in franchise history!

“Crowd roars for Ben’s milestone. Ben raises arm to crowd. Haley comes over to congratulate him. Quality moment.” — Dejan Kovacevic, via Twitter.

…to share your Black & Gold Christmas photos with us!!

If you are decorating it Steelers Style this year, we’d love to post your photos in Ben’s gallery! We’ve already some great ones sent in, but are always looking for more!

You can check out last year’s submissions of Steelers Christmas trees, wreaths, greeting cards, pups, and of course, the best fans in the world, big & small, all right here.

We’d like to do it again this year, so get ’em in to us! They’ll be posted later this month!


Send your photo to us at bigben7website@gmail.com! We’ll post ’em all later this month!


Did you see this amazing handmade ornament in Ben’s Christmas album:



Die-hard Red Sox fan (yes! Red Sox fan) and friend Anna Harkey carved this ornament, by hand, from a lump of clay while watching the AFC Championship Game between the Steelers and Ravens on January 18th, 2009! She wandered through the photo gallery and found a close-up photo she thought would be a perfect model – from the Steelers vs Chargers game on January 11, 2009. Then she went to work on her creation.

A surprise package arrived a few days later with this incredible ornament inside. The photo does not do it justice! The towel over Ben’s shoulder is actually textured to look just like a real towel and the Steelers logo on his cap is perfect! Anna, thank you so much….again! — Erin