March 25th, 2004 – 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.

Has it really been nine years already?


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.



From NFL.com‘s “Pro Day Workout – Ben Roethlisberger” the day after:

As expected, there was a big turn out here as over 50 NFL personnel people attended.

Roethlisberger’s workout was scripted by Steve Clarkson, who is a former San Jose State QB and currently helps prepare quarterbacks for the NFL. Roethlisberger […]

Big Ben will be at the King of Prussia Mall in Philadelphia in May!


The public autograph signing will take place at the Sports Vault store, at their location in the Plaza of the King of Prussia Mall on May 4th, 2013, from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM.

The Sports Vault is across from the Food Court in the Sears wing.

Photo Ops will be available!

This is Ben’s first autograph signing in PA in over 7 years! Don’t miss out!


You can get more information on pricing and purchase your tickets in advance here.

You can get travel info to the King of Prussia Mall here.


(the photo above is from Ben’s last signing event, which took place in Virginia in April, 2012).


UPDATE from the Sports Vault on Thursday, March 21st:

“Important announcement on Big Ben photo Ops – This is a limited offer due to time and will sell out. The 1st day response was the BIGGEST sales day we have ever seen. This is our warning that this option will sell out, so please do not wait. Thanks for the incredible response to this offer.”

…than a fan story that makes its way straight from Ireland?


This one came to us just this morning from Duncan Purcell, who met “the man himself” last summer during Ben’s trip to Ireland and Scotland!
































Me, Duncan Purcell posing with The Legend!

I am a PGA Golf Professional at Ballybunion Golf Club, Ireland. Last spring on a quiet afternoon, I was in our Pro Shop and in walked Ben and 3 of his buddies. We don’t get much NFL here in Ireland, but I had followed Ben and his Steelers team from their Super Bowl run and win from the previous year. It’s always enjoyable meeting top sports people and personalities.

I had a brief exchange with his golfing partners, and then plucked up the courage to ask Ben for a hand shake. He was very obliging so I asked for a photo with him and he had no problem with this. I’ve met many personalities in my job but I have to say that Ben is so approachable and down to earth.

I have relatives in the States that are HUGE Steelers fans and they were just as happy as I was to meet the man himself.

Great guy. And I shall forever be a fan of his. He’s always welcome back to Ireland, and especially Ballybunion! — Duncan Purcell, County Kerry, Ireland


You can read more fan stories from Ben’s trip to Ireland and Scotland here, here and here!


Thank you so much, Duncan! And a very Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all of Steeler Nation!

to Plaxico Burress! From an interview this week with Steelers.com‘s Teresa Varley:

On Tuesday, the Steelers re-signed Burress just before the start of free agency, keeping the 6-5 receiver as a big target for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

“I get to come back and play with Ben and everyone there,” said Burress. “I am definitely excited. It’s beautiful. I was telling my wife it’s great that I know where I am going to be now. It’s a big stress reliever. We know where we are going to be. She is happy, her family is excited. She gets to go back to Pittsburgh, which is where she is from. We can start making plans for what we want to do.

“For me to get off the board the first day of free agency I think it says a lot about the Steelers and what kind of role they have in mind for me. I want to go in and have fun and fulfill it. I am happy to be back. This is where I wanted to be. I couldn’t ask for more.”


You can read more from his interview here.



And a welcome to…

Bruce Gradkowski! From another interview at Steelers.com:

Playing for the Steelers was something Bruce Gradkowski dreamt about as a kid growing up in the Pittsburgh area, and that dream turned into reality on Wednesday when the free agent quarterback signed with the Steelers.

“To get to learn from Ben and work with him and help this team, I am excited,” said Gradkowski, who played collegiately at Toledo. “I watched Ben since his Miami of Ohio days, playing in the MAC together. He is such a competitor. That is one thing I love to do, compete. He is a winner and I love to see that and am happy to be a part of it.

“I am excited to sit down with Todd Haley and dissect the offense, get in the playbook and learn his system and take it from there. My job is to be ready in a moment’s notice. I am going to support Ben and do what I can to be prepared and if my time comes, do what I need to do to be ready. I will grasp this offense fast. If […]

for fan Heather Scott when it came to finding a way to meet her favorite player! She recently found the website on Twitter and wanted to share her story with other fans:


I’m a lifelong Steeler fan, born and raised in Johnstown, PA. Serving in the Air Force relocated me to Tinker AFB where I also found my second home, Oklahoma, where I started a family and still reside today. I wear my love for the Steelers on my sleeve, meaning after a 15 minute encounter with me you will know exactly how much I LOVE my Steelers.




On March 2, 2011, Ben’s birthday, my son Karsten’s soccer coach messaged me about Senior Night at Oklahoma University (where Ben’s sister Carlee was a basketball star). I thought “if Ben were going to be at a game, THIS was going to be the game”. So I asked my friend Linda to go to the game with me and (of course) had to call my family in PA to tell them what I was up to. Most responses were “Ben doesn’t sign autographs” or “even if Ben’s there, no way you’ll be able to get to him”… but that wasn’t going to slow me down. I was determined and if he was here in Oklahoma, by golly, I was going to meet him!

We sat across from the OU bench, and I scanned the crowd for any sign of Big Ben. I saw a really big guy with a blonde woman on his arm enter the arena from the tunnel and make their way to the press table. I spent the entire first half determining whether that really was Ben, but when I saw him sign a jersey for someone, BAM! I knew it was Ben for sure AND he gave an autograph! (HA! in your face Uncle Jim!) Well adrenaline kicked in and I made my way to Guest Services, where I explained that I was from the Burgh area, had my terrible towel, and asked if they could possibly get it to him to sign. Yeah… Not quite. They didn’t budge and in fact tried to act like it wasn’t Ben. I wasn’t giving up. I asked if they knew anyone else that could possibly help me. Surprisingly they directed […]

“I don’t want to say it’s a transition phase because I feel like I’m still here and ready to rock and roll. I feel healthier, better. I feel like I’m in my prime and ready to play great football. And I feel that we’ve got guys around here who feel the same way.” — Ben

From an interview with Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Ben Roethlisberger delivered some optimistic opinions for a Steelers team bracing for mass departures with the start of free agency next week.

He’s healthy and not overly concerned with the many defections expected when the doors open wide Tuesday for the Steelers’ 17 unrestricted free agents.

“There always will be some new guys, there always will be some guys leave,” Roethlisberger said in a recent interview. “We never like to see anybody go but we know it’s a business and guys have to do what’s best for themselves and their families.

“For me, it’s about getting better and taking the guys we have here and getting better, taking the new guys who are coming in — rookies, free agents, whatever it is — and getting better.”

Roethlisberger, who was on his way to having one of his best seasons before his injuries, acknowledged for the first time that he did not have the arm strength to make either of those throws after returning from a sprained right shoulder and a dislocated rib.

“Sometimes, certain passes just weren’t right. I didn’t trust myself to get enough zip on it to throw it out there. I tried to guide it too much instead of just throw it.

“But that’s making excuses … I’ll be better, health-wise.”

The prospect of losing Mike Wallace, Keenan Lewis, Rashard Mendenhall and others — plus the uncertain status of injured tight end Heath Miller — does not dissuade Roethlisberger from at least sounding as if he is optimistic about 2013 after an 8-8 season.

“We have a great group of guys here and if we happen to lose one or two of them, I have confidence [the front office will] get guys in here who will be ready to compete and play,” Roethlisberger said.


You can read more from the interview here.