Foundation: Ben announces first grant for the 2012-2013 season
“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.” — Ben
Today, Ben announced the first 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 Denver Sheriff’s Department in Denver, CO where the Steelers will play the Broncos this Sunday, September 9th.
The department is seeking financial assistance to purchase a canine trained in explosives detection and the necessary training and certification for the handler. Recently, the department’s existing K9 was used to sweep the theaters after the Aurora shooting tragedy.
During the 2012-13 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 grants to any two non-NFL market cities in the United States if the Steelers make the playoffs. The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation invited police and fire departments across the country to submit proposals detailing their needs.
This marks the sixth season that Ben’s foundation has distributed grants to K-9 units. His foundation not only supports K-9 units of police and fire departments throughout the United States with a particular emphasis on support for service dogs in Pittsburgh, PA , but also supports other charitable organizations, such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Denver Sheriff’s Department Division Chief Marie Kielar said, “The benefits to public safety by adding a bomb dog to our team are immeasurable. This dog and his handler will participate in daily sweeps of Denver’s two courthouses; as well as, courtrooms holding high-profile trials, and jury assembly rooms.” Chief Kielar added, “In addition to providing enhanced security for the judiciary, their staff and the public, our new acquisition will serve as a good-will ambassador between the Denver Sheriff’s Department and the citizens we serve.”
You can read more about Ben’s foundation here.
You can check out his Community […]
Big Ben on being a dad, being 30, and being in his football prime
“I’m not missing the birth of my child. There’s no chance. I know some fans probably don’t want to hear that, but there’s no chance.”
More from Ben’s interview with Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Steelers fans know by now their quarterback will become a father this year. What he did not divulge, and still has not, is when his baby boy is due. The delivery is expected sometime this fall, perhaps even on the first Sunday of December when the Steelers visit Baltimore.
“We’ll do everything we can to make sure it doesn’t happen,” Roethlisberger said of trying to avoid a game-day birth.
But if that’s not enough? Oh, well, Byron Leftwich and Charlie Batch will just have to take care of business that day. This is not your 2010 Big Ben. He’s 30. He’s married. He has a college degree. He’ll be a dad. He’s different.
“It’s exciting,” Roethlisberger said of impending fatherhood. “There’s a lot of things you don’t think about. It’s kind of like when you’re younger and you want to play quarterback in the NFL, all you think about is playing quarterback, you don’t think about the interviews and the little things you have to do. It’s kind of the same thing.
“When you’re going to be a father, all you think about is having this little baby, you don’t think about the registry, the room, the diapers, all the little things that go along with it. It’s exciting and it is a little bit scary, too. It is. Before long, you’re going to have this little life that you’re taking care of. But I’ve heard nothing but great things from people [about] just how it will change your life. I’m just so excited for that challenge.”
“I feel great. When I’m on the field, I feel great mentally, I feel sharp, I don’t feel I’ve lost any of my arm strength, I don’t feel I’ve lost any of my movement. I feel sharper than ever.”
So, 30 is a big deal for him or not?
“Yes and no. I look at it as, OK, this is my ninth year, which is a blessing in itself for a football player, especially a quarterback. How much longer will I play? […]
Wednesday’s chat with the media
“I’m just going to play the game the way I know how to play it. I’m not going to change anything.” — Ben, on whether he has “tweaked” his game.
More from Ben this afternoon:
On Peyton Manning –
“I enjoy watching a guy like that who is a future Hall of Famer and one of the best to play the game, you can learn things. You just have to be in awe of the guy that he is.”
On the growth he’s seen in Antonio Brown’s game –
“He’s had growth in his route running, his understanding of the offense, understanding of the defenses, when he needs to look back, and things like that.”
When asked to give the “hierarchy” of his receivers, Ben joked –
“I think we have 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D and then put Heath Miller at 1E.”
Watching Peyton Manning’s full control of the offense –
“It would be a lot of fun to do all that stuff all the time. But I think we’ve been pretty successful with what we’ve done and I’m not complaining about the offense that we have or what we’ve done in the past.”
You can watch video of Ben’s interview here.
Big Ben and Da Beard named 2012 Team Captains
The Pittsburgh Steelers announced this afternoon that team captains for the 2012 season have been named – Ben for the offense, and Brett Keisel for the defense!
Ben shared the duties of captain with Hines Ward in 2008, 2009, and 2011.
“It means a lot to be a captain of this team,” Ben said of the honor in 2011. “With all of the past captains and great players that have played here on this team.”
The Steelers did not select a special teams captain this season.
You can see a list of former captains from Steelers.com.
And while you’re on the team’s website, you can watch video of Ben’s interview with the media! You can read a transcription of it here.
Also Today:
“At age 30, Steelers QB in his prime”
From Alan Robinson, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
Ben Roethlisberger looks to be in the prime of his career, throwing the ball with as much zip and accuracy as he ever has during his nine-season career, according to Steelers wide receivers. Mike Wallace didn’t need much time to notice.
“I haven’t been with Ben in a while, and his arm is stronger than when we left last year,” said Wallace, who practiced Monday for the first time since ending his offseason holdout. “He was throwing it pretty far.”
Roethlisberger passed for 4,077 yards last season — second in his career to his 4,328 yards in 2009 — and he might have the best and deepest cast of receivers he has had yet in Wallace, Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery. While he didn’t predict one Monday, he expects a big season.
“I hope so. I don’t think by any stretch of the imagination I’m on the down slope and the end of my career,” Roethlisberger said. “ I hope not, geez. The game keeps slowing down, and you keep figuring things out. I’m just blessed to have a great group of young guys around me that can make plays, so I don’t have to do as much as I used to.”
You can read more here.
Steelers Fan Saturday
As we get ready for the start of the season next week, here are a couple of Steelers fan moments from this summer for your holiday weekend viewing!
You may remember the story from August 11th of Jeffrey Metz, a young man with cerebral palsy who traveled 4,200 miles just to attend training camp in the hopes of meeting #7…
Well a fan in the crowd by the name of Michael Hershey, of Wheeling, WV began to videotape the interaction between Ben and Jeffrey after Ben signed the young man’s football. He sent it to Mickey Metz, Jeffrey’s uncle, who posted the video to Youtube for others to see:
Now what the video doesn’t show is Ben getting in the driver seat of the golf cart himself and taking Jeffrey and the Metz family back to their car.
You can read the story from Mr. Metz here, and from the perspective of another Steelers fan, Mr. Kevin Davis here, titled “Happy ‘Training’ Campers”.
After meeting Ben at training camp and receiving an autographed Nike from him before they left, Jeffrey Metz insisted he was going to take his new prized possession with him to Disney World and pose with Mickey Mouse…and the shoe! Jeffrey is a man of his word! After returning to his uncle’s home in Orlando, Jeffrey took an unscheduled visit to Disney World.
“I feel extremely blessed to be a part of that. Meeting Ben made all the traveling I did worth it. He has been my favorite player for a long time. I never thought he would do what he did for me. It is something I will never forget. If I could talk to Ben one more time, I would tell him that day brought so much joy into my life. I can never thank him enough for that. Go Steelers!!!” — From Jeffrey Metz, after seeing the video on the website today.
And:
Remember Julia Pollock? She received the video from Ben that he made for her during his Kids Camp in June after her long stay in the hospital.
Julia’s father, Alan Nagy had this to share with those who sent so many well-wishes to her after seeing her story:
We’re so very grateful for your thoughts and prayers, […]
Interview with KDKA this evening
“Ben Roethlisberger On Playing Surfaces, Refs & Life After Football”
Ben sat down with KDKA‘s Bob Pompeani:
One more preseason game and then it all begins – the quest for a 7th Lombardi Trophy. That road already has some potholes as we have seen injuries to both David Johnson and No. 1 pick David DeCastro.
KDKA’s Bob Pompeani spoke with Ben Roethlisberger about a lot of topics, including DeCastro’s injury which in his mind had a lot to do with the condition of the turf in Buffalo.
“Natural grass is so much better to play on – players love playing on the natural grass compared to an artificial surface,” he said. “The NFL nowadays is doing so much to ‘protect players’ and players’ health and concussions and all these injuries – well, that artificial surface is a harder surface. I think guys when they slam their heads seem to get more concussions than on natural grass….I saw a study the other day that 88 percent of injuries occur on artificial surface – knee injuries – occur on artificial surfaces compared to grass,” Roethlisberger continued. “I don’t think people really realized that. I know I was shocked when I saw that number. So, I’m just thankful that the Rooneys are all about grass and that we’ll stay on it.”
You can read more from his interview here.
Also Today – some MU News:
From Alex Rieger, at the Western Courier:
Head coach Mark Hendrickson saw something special when he hired Jared Elliot to coach the Western Illinois quarterbacks.
Recruited to Miami of Ohio in 2003 on a scholarship, Elliot played quarterback and wide receiver for the Redhawks while he earned a degree in kinesiology and health with a minor in coaching. That same year he played behind future two-time Super Bowl champion and two-time pro-bowler Ben Roethlisberger. Even though he didn’t know him well, just playing behind “Big Ben” and watching his demeanor helped him develop as a young quarterback in the Mid-America conference.
“Whenever you’re with one of those elite athletes, it makes your game better,” he said.
This was in 2003 when Elliot wasa freshman and Roethlisberger, then a senior, was in his last year before getting drafted to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2004.
“Just watching a guy like […]