Reminder: Ben will speak at the 2014 Lou Holtz HOF fundraising dinner
The dinner will take place on Monday, June 16, 2014 at St. Florian Hall in Wintersville, Ohio. You can pre-order your tickets until January 15th!
“In an effort to handle what we expect will be a huge interest here in the heart of the Steeler Nation, we’ve taken a couple of unprecedented steps,” Hall of Fame director Robin Webster said. “We have begun taking ‘pre-orders’ for tickets, which will go on sale Jan. 16, 2014. So you can guarantee the availability of your ticket by calling to get on that list, giving us your name and a number where you can be reached.”
Additionally, Webster said, the Hall of Fame has made special arrangements with the venue to be able to seat 650 for the 2014 banquet, which will be served buffet style.
Plans are also under way to “live feed” the activity at the speaker’s podium onto eight wall-mounted flat-screen televisions, so those seated all around the room will have a close-up view of the guest speaker, as well as inductees.
The 2013 event saw the highest ticket sales in the hall’s 15-year history, with more than 530. Unfortunately, dozens interested in seeing the induction and hearing guest speaker Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer were turned away in the weeks just prior to the event, because it had sold out well in advance.
“We’re making the announcement for next year’s event months earlier than usual in the hopes that we can accommodate ticket sales for all of our loyal supporters as well as those drawn to this rare opportunity to see and hear Roethlisberger at an off-the-field appearance,” Webster said.
Tickets are $110, which covers admission, the meal, commemorative gifts and a chance at prize drawings held during the event. Of that cost, $50 is tax deductible.
To pre-order tickets, find out how your business can sponsor the event, or for general information, call 330-386-5443 and ask for Robin Webster or Rosemary Mackall, Director of Development.
You can read more about the Lou Holtz Hall of Fame here.
*Thank you to Weirton Daily Times!
“Steelers Style”
The 2013 Steelers Style Fashion Show was held Friday night at East Club Lounge at Heinz Field. The event is held each year and benefits local charities. This year’s event will benefit UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program and the Cancer Caring Center.
From Teresa Varley, Steelers.com:
Players and their families modeled fashions from American Eagle Outfitters, NIKE, Moda Pittsburgh, Michael Kors, Robert Graham, Nordstrom and Kiya Tomlin, who has her own custom couture designs and had an extensive line in this year’s show.
Tomlin had designed dresses for the show in the past, many with the Steelers logo on them. This year’s show was labeled Steelers Nation Black & Gold Style, and while the logo might not have been there, the team colors were.
The show started off with a bang, with the University of Pittsburgh dance team and cheerleaders and the Pittsburgh Steeline setting the stage and firing up the crowd. It was then all about the players as they hit the runway, many with their kids, in their jerseys dancing and having fun to their own musical selections. Among the choices were Ben Roethlisberger and his son Ben to “Just the Two of Us,” by Will Smith, Shaun Suisham to his country’s National Anthem “O Canada,” and Bruce Gradkowski and daughter Liliana to the Temptations “My Girl.”
The show came to an amazing end with the Suit & Tie scene, as rookies worked the runway styled by Tuxedo Junction, and the veterans, many accompanied by their families, wearing their own personal custom designs.
You can read more from Ms. Varley here!
You can see more beautiful photos, courtesy of Dr. Ronald Cypher, here!
The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation: Grants to two NJ Police Departments
Today Ben announced the second and third grants of the 2013-14 season from The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation at The Giving Back Fund.
“The Fort Lee Police Department is honored to be the recipient of the Roethlisberger Foundation grant. This grant will enable Fort Lee to expand our K-9 unit and enhance the safety of our community through proactive patrols which combat drugs and criminal activity.” — Chief Keith Bendul, Fort Lee Police Department.
The Foundation will be distributing grants to the Fort Lee Police Department and the Fairfield Police Department, both in New Jersey, where the Steelers will play the Jets on Sunday, October 13 at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford.
Fort Lee PD will apply the grant funds to purchase a new K-9 dog for their unit while the Fairfield Police plan to use the funds to properly outfit a K-9 vehicle with a rear seat insert, automatic door opening system and fan, all for the dog’s safety.
During the 2013-14 NFL season, The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation will be distributing 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 and will consider a grant to a non-NFL market city in the United States for each playoff game in which the Steelers compete. Ben invited police and fire departments across the country to submit proposals detailing their needs.
This marks the seventh season that Ben’s foundation has distributed grants to K-9 units. The mission of The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation is to support K-9 units of police and fire departments throughout the United States with a particular emphasis on support for service dogs in Pittsburgh, PA. Ben also strives to support Make-A-Wish through his foundation as well.
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.
You can learn more about Ben’s foundation here.
*Photo: Fanfare Magazine, 2008 – Ben poses with his beloved dogs, Hercules and Zeus (courtesy of Duane Rieder).
Wednesday’s Q&A with the media
Big Ben met with journalists and reporters today before practice. Among the topics he was asked about was his bye, the Jets defense and Coach Rex Ryan, the mood in the Steelers locker room, his injured finger, the offensive line changes, and teammate Ryan Clark’s comments on ESPN’s “First Take”.
Some of the highlights:
Did a week off help?
Yeah. It was nice to kind of get away and forget about football for a little bit. Kind of recharge the battery.
Did you have a chance to watch the Jets Monday?
A little bit, until I fell asleep. I watched a really good team go down to a tough place to play against, what I think, is a good Falcons’ team and good Falcons’ offense. The Jets’ defense is very good.
Re: The Jets young defense:
It reminds you a lot of a defense that I’ve played a lot against, ours and the old Baltimore. Mixing things around, showing all kinds of different looks, blitzing, just anything you can draw up. Coach Ryan is a very intelligent defensive coach, and sometimes you look at things and you’re like, “Did he just draw that up, literally on the sidelines?” He’s that good. They’re ranked number-two for a reason.
Are they also a group that can overpower you?
Oh yeah. It’s not just finesse and confusion. I think it is finesse, confusion and power. I think they have a bunch of different things that can get to an offense, and that’s what makes them so talented.
Not a lot of teams put 10-11 defenders across the line of scrimmage. Do you almost welcome that? If they’re going to leave the deep part open, do you sense opportunity there?
If you have time to get it off. That’s the issue you come across when you see a zero-blitz and everyone is up, and everyone is going. It’s not easy. If you can just get a little bit of time and get the ball off, you’re good. But the key is blocking it up and giving yourself just a second of time.
Do you look at the standings and think that you are still kind of in this?
Not really. For us, it’s about breaking the season down into quarters and the first quarter is over. It didn’t end the way we wanted it […]
93.7 The Fan: The Ben Roethlisberger Show
The #1 Cochran Ben Roethlisberger Show features an in-studio visit from the Steelers’ quarterback himself, his lovely wife Ashley AND Benjamin, Jr!
From today’s appearance with Vinnie & Cook on Sportsradio 93.7 The Fan:
Although Roethlisberger has seen improvement from the team from week to week, the Steelers are still looking for their first win of the year.
“It doesn’t make you sleep any better at night saying you were close,” Ben said. “A loss is still a loss, if you ask me. But we do feel like we’re in games and we’re being competitive. We just need to find a way to get over that hump.”
“I am always their number-one supporter, no matter what,” Ben said of his offensive linemen. “And I tell them this. But there comes a time where if you’re not playing up to par, coach has to make a decision. He’s doing that with Mike.”
“If you’re Mike Adams you’ve got to take the approach of, ‘Wow, I’m now third on the depth chart. I need to probably pick it up a little bit,'” Roethlisberger said. “Maybe this is exactly what he needs to get to that next level, to be that high-profile guy. I know he can be that guy, and I’ve got confidence in him that he can be.”
Ben is also encouraged by rookie running back Le’Veon Bell’s debut, “He showed me some glimpses of what Adrian Peterson can do.”. He also reacts to Ryan Clark calling his shot for the playoffs, looks ahead to this Sunday’s matchup against the surprising New York Jets, and the amazing Pirates!
Hear Ben’s entire chat with Vinnie & Cook here (bottom of page)!
*Thank you to KDKA, 93.7 The Fan, and Vinnie Richichi of the Vinne & Cook Show!
Make it a Black & Gold Halloween!
Say “Trick or Treat” STEELERS-style this October 31st!!!
If you have a Big Ben going out for Halloween or attending a costume party this year and you’d like to send us their photo, we’d love to post it in Ben’s Steelers Halloween Album.

Buddies Ben & Troy out on Halloween night (when they’re not Ben and Troy, they are Denise Blanton’s 3-yr old twins Donovan and Silas Blanton)!
Now what if your Trick or Treater is heading out for treats dressed as Troy Polamalu, Brett Keisel, or maybe Heath Miller or Maurkice Pouncey?
That’s fine too!
Snap their photo, send it via email and we’ll post ’em all in Ben’s Halloween Album!
Did we mention that Big Kids are welcome too?

“My sister and I are huge Steeler fans, especially Big Ben fans. We travel every year to training camp, and as many games as possible throughout the season. This year during Halloween we decided to dress up as Big Ben and Troy! We thought it was a fun picture, maybe you can share it. P.S. – Check out the tape on the left finger.” — Gina and JorDana Trani
You can also send photos of your Steelers-themed Halloween decorations, like this Big Ben carved pumpkin! And don’t forget your four-legged Trick or Treaters!
The Trick or Treaters were out in force at the Roethlisberger house the past two years and Ben shared their photos too!

They were showing up at the door as fast as Ben was sending the photos!
Ben and Ashley were busy handing out candy and snapping photos to share of a few of the scary, the spooky, the funny, the pretty, and the down-right cute kids that showed up at their door!
You can see their collection of photos in Ben’s album here (bottom of page 3 & top of page 4) and here (bottom of page 6 & top of page 7).
*If you would like to share photos this Halloween, send them in an email to: bigben7website@gmail.com