From the article, “Steelers players share thoughts on their dads” by Teresa Varley, at Steelers.com this Father’s Day morning!




“My dad is my hero. I want to be half the father he was to me. He means everything to me. I am very lucky to grow up with the father I have.” — Ben.



You can read more & see photos of Ben’s teammates with their fathers here!



*Thank you to Ms. Varley!

From Teresa Varley, Steelers.com:

The Steelers will officially kick off their 2013 season when the team reports to training camp on Friday, July 26, at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa. This will be the 48th year the Steelers will train at Saint Vincent College.

The first open practice to the public is scheduled for Saturday, July 27. The first practice in pads for the Steelers is scheduled for Monday, July 29. All practices that are open to the public are scheduled from 3-5 p.m.

The Steelers annual night practice at Latrobe’s Memorial Stadium will take place on Friday, August 2, at 7 p.m. Additionally, the Steelers will hold an evening practice at Saint Vincent College on Wednesday, August 14, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

The last scheduled practice open to the public will be on Saturday, August 17. The team’s 2013 training camp will break on Sunday, August 18, one day prior to the Steelers’ game at Washington.

The complete schedule for the Steelers’ 2013 training camp will be released in the upcoming weeks.


For the most up to date information, please visit www.steelers.com.


*Thank you to fan Marilyn McClellan for snapping this photo of Ben taken during last summer’s training camp!

Would you like to win free tickets to the Kenny Chesney concert at Heinz Field next weekend, June 22nd?




Just follow @heinzfield for details on how you can enter!! That’s right, Heinz Field has it’s own Twitter account! You’ll get updates for all the happenings at the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the University of Pittsburgh Football Team!


*Thank you to the Steelers for the use of the photo!

“People said why not earlier. Well, we wanted to try to see if we could manage. I’d come in on Tuesday to practice and it would feel good, and by Thursday, it was almost like a tire was slowly losing air. It kind of hurt me on Thursday. We figured it was time to get it done. Doctors agreed and said let’s do it now.” — Ben

Ben was at Steelers mini-camp this morning and answered a few questions from the media about the surgery on his knee:


How does the knee feel?

It feels great. I saw Dr. (Jim) Bradley this morning, and he was pleasantly surprised with the range of motion and where we are at, and the swelling. So, it feels great. I’ve been off crutches for a couple of days now. I’m moving around good. I think I could play Sunday if I had to.


Is the discomfort gone?

It’s still too early to tell. According to Dr. Bradley the surgery went really well. My knee is in great shape. They took care of the little problem. It had been bothering me a little last year, and we decided now is the time to take care of it.


More cleanup than repair?

Absolutely. There was no repair. It was just clean up.


Re: Same cleanup on the other knee:

The same knee. There were some reports but it was the same knee. So it was a very similar thing.


What will you do this week?

Watch. I’ll ride the bike a lot. That’s pretty much it. I will be here to support the quarterbacks, offense and coaches. I’ll do whatever I can do just to add moral support.


Are you broken up that you will miss minicamp?

It’s killing me, actually. It tears me up [Laughs].


Did you get enough work in during the last couple of weeks?

Yeah, I was here for every practice. I felt good. Honestly, I don’t ever like to miss practice but I’ll be ready for training camp.


You can read more from Ms. Varley at Steelers.com here.

You can also watch the video of Ben’s interview here.

This marks the seventh grant cycle for the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation. The majority of the grants distributed will help K-9 units to purchase dogs and dog safety vests, but other types of needs are also considered.


The Foundation will be distributing grants in the cities and surrounding communities of each regular season away game for the Steelers during the 2013-14 season.

The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation invites police and fire departments in these eight cities to submit proposals detailing their needs. Also, for each Steelers’ playoff game, a grant will be awarded to a city anywhere in the United States that would not otherwise be eligible to apply. In addition, the Foundation will continue to make grants to several police and fire department K-9 units in the Pittsburgh area following Super Bowl XLVIII.

As part of the NFL International Series, the Pittsburgh Steelers are set to meet the Minnesota Vikings on the turf of Wembley Stadium in London on September 29, 2013. The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation will mark the inaugural occasion of the Steelers playing a regular-season game overseas with its first international grant to support law enforcement in the London area.

The Foundation distributed more than $135,000 in grants to K-9 units around the country during the 2012 NFL season and has distributed in excess of $950,000 since 2007.

Eligible departments must apply to The Giving Back Fund by August 15, 2013.

Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.


You can view the full grant requirements, eligibility and evaluation process, please visit http://www.givingback.org/documents/RFP_2013_BRF_app.pdf.

You can also see the guidelines on Ben’s Foundation page here.

You can enjoy viewing photos in the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation album here.

Ben will be presented with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America “National Champion of Youth Award” during their 36th annual Golf Classic at Sewickley Heights Golf Club on Monday, June 10th.


From Larissa Dudkiewicz, editor at Sewickley Patch:

Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is often recognized for the work he does on the field.

But the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania has plans to recognize Roethlisberger next week for the work he does off the field.

The organization and its 7,000 members are pleased to present Roethlisberger with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America “National Champion of Youth Award” for his commitment to youth and all the work he has done for them.

For the past four years, the organization said hundreds of inner-city children had a dream come true when they found themselves on a football field with “Big Ben.”

Roethlisberger financed the cost of mini-camp experiences and took time to make each child feel special.

”For many of the children in attendance from the Boys & Girls Club, this became their only summer vacation, and Ben provided them with memories that will last a lifetime” said Mike Hepler, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania.

Hepler said the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western PA wants to focus on the impact Roethlisberger has had on young people in the community.

From the onset of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he said Roethlisberger and his teammates have provided generous support for the Boys & Girls Club Dapper Dan Flag Football Program and NFL Play 60 Program that reaches more than 1,000 young people annually. The goals of these programs are to promote fitness, healthy lifestyles and good sportsmanship.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania is not alone when it comes to recognizing Roethlisberger.

Make-A-Wish, Ronald McDonald House, Special Olympics, Alliance Against Highly Addictive Drugs, American Library Association and numerous other human service charities also have been touched by his work.

Through his love of animals and respect for the challenges the law enforcement community faces, Roethlisberger also works to provide resources through his foundation to purchase K-9 units for police and fire departments throughout the country.


You can read more here.