“I’m going to try. It’s killing me to watch.” — Ben, when asked by reporters after yesterday’s game if he will be ready to play next weekend.

From ESPN‘s Chris Mortensen:

The Steelers quarterback will begin soft-tossing the football early in the week to test his range of motion and work through the pain of his rare rib and shoulder injury, according to team sources.

Roethlisberger slept much better this week, a source said, even with newborn son “Little Ben” in the house.

Roethlisberger’s pain tolerance and range of motion could determine whether he plays next week.

“I honestly have no idea what the plan is,” Roethlisberger, who is no longer in a sling, said after the Steelers’ loss at Cleveland on Sunday.


You can read more here.

And we have a little surprise for Big Ben –























#7’s NUMBER ONE supporters! We love you Daddy! X0X0

Go Steelers!! — Ashley and Benjamin Jr.



You can see Benjamin Jr.’s first photo here.

Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger, Jr.



























Ben’s favorite photo so far…and dad’s new screensaver for his phone!


He is definitely a chip off the old block!


*Thank you to everyone who sent in emails, posted to the site’s Facebook page, and tweeted Congratulations!!

From Ben this Thanksgiving morning:

We would like to let everyone know that last night at 10:06 PM Ashley and I welcomed a healthy, beautiful baby boy into this world.

Benjamin Jr. is 7 lbs. 1 oz., and 19-1/2 inches long. Both mom and baby are doing well.

We want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers, it really means a lot to us. God is so good!

We will have pictures to post this weekend.

We hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving! — Ben, Ashley, and Benjamin

“This Thanksgiving, the men and women of the South Euclid Police Department have something very special to be thankful for. The grant from The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation will allow the K-9 unit to continue the important work we do.” — South Euclid Police K-9 Officer Michael Fink.

Today, Ben announced the sixth grant of the 2012-13 season from The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation at The Giving Back Fund.

The Foundation will be distributing a grant to the South Euclid Police Department just outside of Cleveland, Ohio where the Steelers will play the Browns on Sunday, November 25th.

The South Euclid Police Department recently retired beloved K-9 “Rex” in July, and plans to use the funds to purchase a new canine for their department. The funds will also be used to purchase a ballistic vest for the new dog and other necessary training and safety equipment.

When the foundation contacted Officer Michael Fink to notify him of the grant, he had just called another department requesting K-9 assistance at an active crime scene. The new K-9 addition will fill an obvious void felt by the absence of K-9 Rex after 10 years of dedicated service.

Chief of Police Kevin Nietert said, “On behalf of the South Euclid Police Department, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation for their generous donation to our K-9 program and their continued support of law enforcement.”

In commenting on why the mission of the foundation is so important to him, Ben said, “We’re very fortunate to be in the position that we are able to help these K-9 units. The work that is performed by the dogs and their handlers as well as the bond that is formed is incredible. We’re just thrilled to do our small part.”


You can learn more about Ben’s Foundation here, or contact Stephanie Sandler at The Giving Back Fund!



Also Today:

We’ve added a few more Lil’ Fans to Ben’s photo gallery!

And appropriately enough on Thanksgiving Eve, we even have a “Ben Turkeysberger”!

Erica Bruce tweeted this photo to the website’s Twitter page of her […]

From the Findlay (OH) Courier via Officer Chad McMonigal, Findlay Police Department, and The Giving Back Fund:

The Findlay Police Department’s latest tool for sniffing out drugs, Shadow, doubles as another way for officers to connect with city residents.

Paid for entirely by a grant from the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation, Shadow recently joined the department as its drug-detecting canine. Shadow and his handler, Officer Chad McMonigal, inspect vehicles for illegal drugs, and meet citizens in an effort to prevent crime.

Shadow, a 15-month-old male service dog from the country of Holland, replaces Spike, who retired from the department on Sept. 1. McMonigal and Shadow trained together in Fremont for six weeks in September and October.

He’s a friendly animal who enjoys attention, McMonigal said.

“Every dog there had different drives, characteristic traits,” McMonigal said.

McMonigal described Shadow as the “perfect tool” for both drug work and bridging the divide with those who feel reluctant to meet police.

“They see he’s so welcoming and it changes their attitude right away,” he said.


You can read more about Shadow here.

You can learn more about The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation here.

You can check out photos from the Foundation’s album here, and photos from Ben’s Foundation Invitational here.


*Thank you to Officer McMonigal!