The 2012 NFL Combine begins next week, February 22nd through the 28th. More than 300 top prospects for the upcoming NFL Draft will be invited to participate at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

It was eight years ago this week (February 18th-24th) that another top prospect emerged in the 2004 NFL Combine…

“There are plenty of hesitations within the league when it comes to expecting early results from a highly rated junior quarterback, and the track record of such picks is less than comforting. Yes, Ben Roethlisberger was the exception to the rule in 2004. But for every Big Ben — and there’s only one — there have been an Alex Smith, a Tim Couch, a Ryan Leaf, a Heath Shuler or an Andre Ware.” — Don Banks, from his column on the NFL Combine, Sports Illustrated.

From an article written by Jeff Zillgitt that was featured in USA Today, February 19, 2004:

About six weeks ago, Roethlisberger moved to Newport Beach, Calif., and began a rigorous workout regimen. He trains six days a week, three times a day, working with a quarterback coach, a strength coach and a conditioning coach.

“My agent is the only one I can listen to,” Roethlisberger said. “I can be No. 1. I can be in the top 5. But I still have to work as hard as I can.”

The 6-5, 245-pounder possesses the qualities teams want in a quarterback: size, arm strength, accuracy, some mobility, smarts.

Roethlisberger and Manning are at the six-day NFL combine in Indianapolis, where prospects show off their physical and mental skills. It also gives teams a chance to interview and get to know the players.


It might determine where Roethlisberger and Manning go in the draft.

San Diego, Oakland and Arizona pick 1-2-3 in the draft. All could use a quarterback. The Chargers aren’t sold on Drew Brees. Rich Gannon is at the end of the road. Arizona released Jeff Blake, and no one is sure Josh McCown is the answer.

“This is all really hard to believe,” Roethlisberger said. “April 24 will be a dream come true.”


You can read the rest here.

“In 2004, Big Ben entered the draft as a junior and did not have the benefit of postseason All Star […]

“I’m hoping that I’m just starting in my prime. I’ve already been working out with [Garrett Giemont], our strength coach, already. I’ve never worked out this early. It’s not like high-intensity, out killing myself, but I’m working out, I want to come to camp lighter than I’ve ever come, in better shape, because as you get to a certain point, a certain age in this football thing, your body doesn’t recover like it used to.” –Ben.

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

Ben Roethlisberger already has adjusted his game, and it has nothing to do with old or new coordinators, old or new offenses, things Art Rooney did or did not say.

It has plenty to do with his 30th birthday March 2.

“That’s why I’m working out already,” Roethlisberger said.

He began training at the Steelers facility on the South Side last week, days after he returned from an extended Pro Bowl stay in Hawaii. He talked to coach Mike Tomlin about where he is in his career and about the future.

“When I talked to Mike, I said I don’t know how much longer I have to play, no one does; it could be two years, three years, it could be eight years. Who knows?” Roethlisberger said during an extensive interview Thursday.


You can read more here.



Also Today:

From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review this morning:

Two of the Steelers’ highest-paid players are apparently willing to help the team with the salary cap.

The agents for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and outside linebacker James Harrison said their clients are agreeable to restructuring their contracts before the start of the NFL’s new year. Teams have to be under the 2012 salary cap by 4 p.m. March 13.


You can read more here.



And:

Ben was a guest on WDVE’s Morning Show with Mike Prisuta.

He talked about his meeting with Mr. Rooney, his new offensive coach Todd Haley, and the state of the Steelers offense.


You can listen to the podcast of the highlights of his interview here.

You can keep up with Mr. Prisuta on Twitter (and read some of Ben’s quotes) here.

A sweetheart of a contest on February 14th!

And an easy one…

All you have to do is be the 214th emailer and you will win an autographed pink and black Steelers baseball cap from Ben!

This is the same style baseball cap that was worn by the Steelers players during October’s NFL Breast Cancer Awareness month (see photo)…except this one has been signed by #7!

Win it for yourself or that special someone in your life!


Send emails to: bigben7website@gmail.com

Don’t worry, you haven’t missed your opportunity to email – contest didn’t start until 5:00 P.M. (ET).

*Please, just one email per email address only (subsequent emails from the same address will be discounted).


UPDATE: We have a winner! Congratulations to Anita Rodriguez of Houston, Texas! She was our 214th emailer!


Thank you to everyone who entered! We’ll have more contests in the coming months!


Happy Valentines Day!


Also Today: Happy Birthday to HOF’er Jim Kelly! He is celebrating his 52nd!

“People made such a big deal because they thought I was going to go in an uproar – ‘What do you mean?’ – it’s going in and asking questions.” — Ben

Ben sat down for an interview at the Steelers training facility yesterday with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette‘s Ed Bouchette:

Roethlisberger has remained in town and working out at the Steelers facility. He had hoped to see Steelers president Art Rooney II there Thursday but Rooney was not in. Roethlisberger wants to talk to him about his opinions about the offense and the quarterback, including Rooney’s statement that Roethlisberger needs to tweak his game. The quarterback said people misinterpreted his comments from the Pro Bowl that he wanted to talk to Rooney about such things.

“People made such a big deal because they thought I was going to go in an uproar — ‘What do you mean!’ — it’s going in and asking questions.

Roethlisberger said such questions might include: “What do you mean by tweak my game, tweak the offense? As one of the oldest guys on offense, what do you see for our offense, where do you see us going, what do you want us to do?”

“Things like that,” Roethlisberger explained, “because when guys on the team come and ask me questions, I want to be able to have answers for them instead of ‘I don’t know.’

“If I can go in and talk as one of the older guys and one of the captains and leaders on this team, I feel that’s my duty every year.”


More from Ben…

Roethlisberger also said people have it wrong about his relationship with Arians. Yes, he said, they were and remain friends, but they had their disagreements and arguments, just out of the public eye.

“People made such a big deal about, ‘I had it too easy because we were friends,’ or whatever. I think anybody in sports should understand, you and your position coach should have a good relationship. Now, if you’re buddy-buddy with the head coach, that might be a little issue. You should, as a quarterback, with the guy you work with every day, you should have a relationship with him even outside of football because if we […]

Marine Corp (USMC) Gunnery Sergeant Daniel Trower and his brother, John attended Pro Bowl practices, the “Players Welcome Party”, and the Pro Bowl itself in Hawaii two weeks ago. They also had the opportunity to talk with Ben and have their photo taken with him.

From GySgt. Trower’s email:

“We met Ben at the ‘Players Welcome Party’ for the 2012 Pro Bowl at their hotel.

I went up and introduced myself, told him I was in the Marine Corps, I gave him a coin and he was very cool. He is a great person and took the time out to talk to us. Very professional guy!!”


You can read more from his email and see a larger version of their photo here.

More fan stories and photos can be found here.

FEBRUARY 11TH UPDATE: More players announced for the Chantilly Show!

Ben is scheduled to appear at the Collector’s Showcase of America‘s Chantilly Sports Show held at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, VA on April 1, 2012.

The three-day show (March 30-April 1) will feature autograph sessions with Ben and teammates Antonio Brown, Hines Ward, Mike Wallace, Ryan Clark, Cameron Heyward, and Lawrence Timmons (all on Sunday); Jerome Bettis (Sunday), Rocky Bleier (Sunday); NFL HOF’ers Joe Greene (Sunday), Deion Sanders and Joe Schmidt (both on Saturday); seven-time Pro Bowler Jason Witten (Saturday); Miles Austin (Saturday); Matthew Stafford (Sunday); Sam Bradford (Sunday); NBA Top 50 players Bob Cousy (Saturday) & Dolph Schayes (Saturday); and MLB Rookies of the Year Wally Moon (Sunday) & Albie Pearson (Sunday).

More athletes will be added to the weekend in the coming months.


Before and after getting your item(s) signed, you can wander through the Show’s many sports dealers booths.


Please check out their website to read about pricing for autograph tickets and to purchase yours online!


The Dulles Expo Center is located in Fairfax County, VA. For a map and directions, click here. For a list of hotels in the area, click here.

Ben’s appearance is courtesy of the Sports Emporium, Gamebreaker Sports, and The Jersey Source.




And just in case you missed the post in November….


Ben will be the guest speaker at the Blair County Sports Hall of Fame banquet on April 28, 2012.

The event will take place at the Blair County Convention Center in Altoona, PA.

“With it being our 25th anniversary, we thought it would be appropriate to get a blockbuster name,” Blair Hall president Dave Andrews said. “And we have that with Ben Roethlisberger.”

Mr. Andrews continued, “Ben’s agent went to Hines, and he spoke highly of our event,” Andrews said. “It was something that interested Ben’s agent, and Ben accepted right away. He wanted to speak for an organization that honors student athletes and local sports heroes. We invited him to bring his wife as well.”

Set for induction […]