Ben in New York
…today to help Nike and the NFL with the unveiling of their new uniforms!
“It is not the old mesh, it breathes really well.” — Ben, on the lightness of the new material.
While he was there he obliged the media in attendance with interviews – questions ranging from his thoughts on the upcoming season, on the retirement of Hines Ward, on his new OC, on horse-collar tackles, and on the new uniforms, of course.
From the blog Steelers Gab:
Ben Roethlisberger has always been the center of attention in the Steel City, and Tuesday in New York City he along with 31 other NFL players were on hand to debut their teams new Nike NFL uniforms.
While the Steelers uni didn’t change much, Ben said that he liked the fact it’s a little lighter than that of the old Reebok unis.
“It’s a lot lighter and more comfortable in games, so late in games your going to feel like your not wearing anything,” Roethlisberger said.
You can read more here.
From Clifton Brown, Sporting News:
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger says he looks forward to working with new offensive coordinator Todd Haley. Reports of a chilly start between them are “overblown,” he says.
“People have made such a huge deal of (Todd) and I not communicating. He’s got to move, he’s got five or six kids. It was just a simple comment — I haven’t talked to him yet — and it was blown way out of proportion. There is no ill feeling, or hard feelings or anything between us.”
Roethlisberger said he was fine with tacklers still being allowed to horse-collar quarterbacks in the pocket. NFL owners voted against disallowing horse-collar tackles in the pocket at the league meetings last month.
“People try any way they can to get me down, and that’s been a popular way sometimes,” Roethlisberger said. “But as long as I don’t get hurt I’m OK with it.”
You can read more here.
You can read another interview with Ben from the New York Post here.
More of Ben’s comments can also be read at ESPN.com.
You can watch a video of the uniform unveiling with interview clips of Ben at NFL.com.
And back in […]
Thank you!
Just want to say thanks to all the amazing fans that were at the signing today! You made my first signing like this a very memorable one! Thank you all for the support and love, I love you all! I always say that Steeler fans are the best in the world and you proved it today, especially fans like this guy. — Ben
Ben points to the tattoo of himself on the back of fan Danny Winslow, who traveled from Newport News, VA to attend the Collectors Showcase of America Show in Chantilly, VA. Ben signed Danny’s back beneath his tattooed likeness and Danny plans on getting the autograph tattooed to his back right away!
You can see all of Ben’s photos here.
You can see fan photos from today’s event here (pages 1 & 2).
If you would like to share your photo(s) from the event, just send them in an email! (BigBen7website@gmail.com)
Some fans who attended the show sent their Thank You’s to #7:
“Thanks for signing my football Ben and taking a picture with us! All the Steelers I met today were awesome. Especially you! Thanks again!” — Rolf Blankenfeld
“What a great time! Thanks so much for coming. We love you, Ben!” — Wendy Bennett, Washington, DC
“We had an awesome day! Thank you for making my daughter in the wheelchair feel so loved,we had so much fun today. Thanks so much.” — Kathy Duncan, East Orange, NJ
“#1 QB in the league! Big Ben is the #BOSS!” — Muhammad Usman
“I just missed you today! You were behind the signing area hugging a young girl in a wheelchair! Normally I would of risked getting attacked by security to approach you but felt your time with her was a little more important!” — Konnie Kordish, VA
“Love you Ben. You were really getting in touch with your fans at this weekend’s event. You’re the best.” — Paulette Pelletier, PA
“My son and I had a great time meeting Ben today! It’s great that so many of the Steelers come to Northern VA for all the Black and Gold fans here.” — Kimberly Martino
“I was there and I saw you Ben sure wish I could of hugged you. attending […]
Out on the town…
At Jergels Rhythm Grille in Warrendale listening to my boy Chris Higbee, it’s a great show, awesome fun! — Ben
“Backstage with Chris Higbee.”
You can see all of the photos in Ben’s album here.
You can keep up with Chris Higbee on his official website.
New fan photo…
“It’s a great feeling when Roethlisberger introduces himself to you and thanks you for your service. Great guy! It was incredible to have him come up to me…I really appreciated it.”
Friday: News, Notes & Quotes
When asked about Ben’s role as far as leadership, Rooney said he already considers Ben a team leader, “He will be somebody that perhaps is looked to more now than in the past. Maybe that leadership role will grow as we move forward.” — From Scott Brown, Pittsburgh Tribune Review, on twitter after his interview with Mr. Rooney today.
More from Scott Brown’s interview with Mr. Rooney:
The Steelers want to sign wide receiver Mike Wallace to a long-term contract, though team president Art Rooney II said today that he doesn’t know when a deal might get done.
“The sooner the better as far as we’re concerned but there’s two parties to it,” Rooney told the Tribune-Review.
“We’ll have to see what we agree on so I don’t want to put any particular time frame on it or restrictions on it because these things take time and I wouldn’t want to box myself in on it.”
You can read more here.
What does Ben think of Wallace returning to the Steelers?
From his interview earlier this week with the DVE Morning Show:
“I communicate with Mike, I wake up every day and I’m like, ‘Mike, please don’t go anywhere. I’m begging you.’ I’m going to say right now over the radio ‘Don’t go anywhere Mike.’
“Mike is too good of a player, but Mike’s an even better person. He’s a great teammate, he’s a great guy, and he’s someone that we need to have here. I’ll be disappointed if he goes somewhere. I’ve got a good feeling that he’s not. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve just got a feeling he’s not going to go anywhere, but I’m still begging every day and praying that he doesn’t go anywhere.”
If you missed his interview you can listen to it here.
Mr. Whitfield and his use of lawn tools…
From Ann Killion, Sports Illustrated, on the quarterbacks coach’s odd training regimen:
Andrew Luck showed he could do it all at Stanford’s Pro Day on Thursday: throw a 70-yard pass, throw the out pattern, hit a receiver in stride, even avoid the pass rush.
A pass rush […]
Wednesday: Ben on WDVE Morning Show
Ben was a call-in guest on the WDVE Morning Show today at 9:15 A.M.
Some highlights from his interview:
On Hines’ decision to retire as a Steeler –
“I’m actually kind of shocked and surprised, but glad. When he came out and said he had years left, I believed him! He’s a competitor, he can ‘go’. I thought he was going to go somewhere else, that would have been really tough to see. But for him to end it this way, as a Steeler – it’s very fitting because that’s what he is, he IS a Pittsburgh Steeler.”
On the effect Steeler Nation has on the players –
“You’ve heard me from day one say that I want to be a Steeler for life. Hines was so lucky to be a Steeler for life. So few players nowadays get to stay with one team their whole career, if it’s a long career. As I’ve said many times, we have the best fans in all of sports – that’s every single sport, not just the best fans in football, that’s a given – but in all sports. We go out and play for the fans. Hines said it the best, we play for the fans.”
On the expectation as a Steeler to win Super Bowls –
“From knowing guys around the league and hearing them say, ‘Man, I just wish I could get to a Super Bowl’. Obviously everyone wants to win a super Bowl. So many people just want to get to one. We don’t want to just get to a Super Bowl, we want to win it. We feel disappointed…maybe we’re spoiled that way, but we’re not happy just to get there, we want to win it.
“If we don’t win it, it’s not, ‘Oh yay, we went to a Super Bowl. Congratulations.’ No! We’re [ticked], we can’t sleep. We thing about it, we have nightmares! We demand the best from each other and the fans demand it. We demand the best of our fans and that’s who we are.
“I think it starts at the top. We want to make Mr. Rooney and the Rooney family proud.”
To listen to Ben’s full interview which includes more talk of […]