The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette‘s Ron Cook filled in on 93-7 The Fan this morning and had the opportunity to interview HOF quarterback Joe Namath.

Among the topics discussed were the New York Jets and his concerns about their offensive line, his Super Bowl III win, and his opinion on the top tier quarterbacks in the league right now:

“There are several guys that are terrific man, including Ben Roethlisberger.  It is a team game and if you don’t have the team you are not going to perform as well as you probably could…

“You guys all know the top 5, 6, 7 quarterbacks and they have good teams to work with – Brady, Manning, Rogers, Rivers, Brees, Roethlisberger. That is the cream of the crop right there.”

More on Ben:

“Sensational! Sensational! Anyone, any football person certainly would love to have him as part of their organization. I don’t have enough good things to say about Ben Roethlisberger as a football player and a leader out on that football field as well. I’ll take Ben on my side every day of the week.”


You can listen to Mr. Namath’s interview here.



Also Today:

Highlights from Ben’s meeting with the media

On the offensive line replacements –

“The Houston media – I just got done talking to them and they asked me how I have confidence in guys we ‘pull off the street’. I was trying to figure out who we pulled off the street. Those are guys I’ve known for a long time and have been here for a long time. I have all of the confidence in the world in those guys that they will step up for whoever they need to step up for. To me that’s what’s so impressive. Last week Trai played right tackle, he played left tackle, he probably played guard at some point. Those guys can do it and it’s awesome to watch.”


On the question of cohesiveness –

“That’s always the key. I feel like we lose linemen around here more than any other team. I don’t know why or what it is. It’s hard for those guys […]

Ben made his first NFL start!

On September 26, 2004, Ben and the Steelers played the Miami Dolphins in Miami during Hurricane Jeanne, which was labeled the “deadliest hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season” as well as the 13th costliest hurricane in U.S. history.

Officials decided on the Saturday before the game to push the starting time back 7-1/2 hours to avoid the hurricane, but the game still caught the outer bands of the storm.

The Steelers won 13-3.

“It wasn’t pretty at times,” said Ben. “But we got the win.”

He finished 12-of-22 for 163 yards and one score.

The driving rain left standing water on the field, which made footing especially treacherous. The start of the second half was delayed so the grounds crew could apply additional bags of dirt.

“That was the worst weather I ever played in,” Hines Ward said.


To commemorate Ben’s memorable first NFL regular-season start, we are having a contest….

The 26th emailer with the correct answers to “Ben’s firsts” will win an autographed 8×10 photo of Ben from that game (the photo above)!

The questions (all related to the regular season):

1. What player caught Ben’s first touchdown pass?
2. What player caught Ben’s first touchdown pass in Pittsburgh?
3. What team did Ben get his first win against?
4. What team was Ben’s first win in Pittsburgh against?
5. What team was Ben’s first 4th-quarter comeback against in Pittsburgh?
6. What team was Ben’s first 4th-quarter comeback against on the road?
7. What team was Ben’s first playoff win against?


Send emails to: bigben7website@gmail.com


However, before you email, please follow these two rules:

1. Emails for the contest WILL NOT be accepted until 12 NOON ET and after (this gives fans in different time zones a chance to participate). If you email before that time, your email will be discounted.

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


A winner will be announced on this post later this afternoon. The winner will also be notified by email.


You can read more about that September game here.


*Thank you to fan contributor Keith F. for the contest questions!



UPDATE: We have a WINNER!

Congratulations to Calvin Coleman of Dwight, Illinois! He was our 26th emailer with all the correct answers:

1. Antwaan Randle […]

“Roethlisberger played a game part brilliant, part under siege.” — Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

More from Ed Bouchette:

The Steelers could not run, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger could not hide and the Indianapolis Colts, heavy underdogs, kept things close Sunday night right up to the end.

In the very end, though, the Steelers pulled it out 23-20 when Shaun Suisham kicked a 38-yard field goal with four seconds left to end a 60-yard drive that began at their 20, and a wild finish over the final five minutes of the game.

Roethlisberger played a game part brilliant, part under siege. He threw for 364 yards, including 169 in the first quarter when the Steelers ran out to a 10-0 lead. But he also threw an interception and lost two fumbles, all in the second quarter that led to three Indy scores of 13 points.


You can read the rest here.

“You have to bounce back. and have a short memory. It’s tough because on the sack/fumble you don’t see the guy coming. You say protect the ball, but when you don’t know a guy’s there, it’s kind of hard. Just have to take care of it. The pick, I had a guy open, but just overthrew him and that’s how it goes.” — Ben, post-game.

From George Bremer, the Indiana Herald-Bulletin:

In the end, the Indianapolis Colts simply ran out of miracles.

A wild prime-time showdown at Lucas Oil Stadium ended Sunday night with a 38-yard field goal from Shaun Suisham that gave the Steelers a 23-20 victory and dropped the Colts to 0-3.

Steelers linebacker James Harrison hit Colts backup quarterback Curtis Painter from the blind side early in the fourth, and Troy Polamalu returned the ensuing fumble for a touchdown that gave the Steelers a 20-13 lead.

Ben Roethlisberger, who completed 25-of-37 passes for 364 yards and one touchdown, led a frantic Steelers drive back down the field to win it.


You can read the rest here.

“Our defense, they’re fun to watch. They make exciting plays when they need to, and I’m glad they’re on my side.” — Ben, post-game.

From Rotoworld:

Roethlisberger lost his left tackle, right tackle and right guard in a game that was […]

Ben was a guest on 93.7 The Fan today. A few highlights:

Q: Is it open season on quarterbacks?

Ben: It’s always open season on me (laughs). It’s part of the job, part of the position. We can’t always protect ourselves. We’re exposed a lot when we go to throw the ball, that’s just kind of the way things are sometimes.


Q: Could you see yourself playing with a broken rib and a punctured lung (during discussion of Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo)?

Ben: Yes. Yes I could. I played in a Super Bowl with a fractured rib. It is what it is, you just got to tough it out sometimes.


Q: Is that the mentality of a starting quarterback?

Ben: That’s my mentality….I want to be out there with my guys. Obviously, I think when you start talking about concussions, then you have to back off a little bit. But if it’s anything else with the body I want to be out there.


You can listen to full interview here.



Also Today:

Ben did an interview this morning with WPXI‘s Bill Phillips which can be seen on Sunday at 6:00 pm during the Steelers vs Colts Pre-Game Show.



And:

This weekend’s match-up: Steelers vs. Colts

From The Sports Network:

The Steelers are 13-6 in their all-time regular-season series with the Colts, though Indianapolis has won each of the last two non-playoff encounters between the teams.

The Steelers have never lost to the Colts in five postseason matchups, including a 21-18 road stunner over top-seeded Indy in a 2005 AFC Divisional Playoff.

Pittsburgh’s calling card may be on defense, but the team is doubly difficult to overtake when quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is on top of his game.

Provided Roethlisberger has adequate time to survey the field, he should be able to dissect an Indianapolis defense that’s allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete nearly 70 percent of their throws, though the secondary is adept at limiting big plays. He’ll be tested, however, by the prowess of edge rushers Robert Mathis (4 tackles, 1 sack) and Dwight Freeney (2 tackles, 1 sacks), two of the game’s top pressure producers who’ve combined for over 20 sacks in each of the last […]

Today, Ben announced the second grant of the 2011 season from The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation at The Giving Back Fund.

The foundation will be distributing a grant to the Lafayette Police Department, in Lafayette, IN, just outside of Indianapolis where the Steelers will play the Colts on Sunday.

The Lafayette Police Department will use the grant to increase the size of their existing K-9 corps, purchasing a dual purpose narcotic detection K-9 that is pre-trained with both patrol and tracking capabilities. This addition will bring their total number of K-9 units up to five.

Lafayette Police Department Chief Don Roush, acknowledging the 2011 police K-9 grant, stated: “The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation’s support of police K-9 programs around the country clearly demonstrates the Foundation’s commitment to law enforcement and our K-9 partners. I would like to thank the foundation for its leadership role and for partnering with the Lafayette Police Department to enhance our ability to provide the very best police K-9 services for the citizens of Lafayette.”

The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation is distributing grants to police and fire departments in Pittsburgh and in the cities and surrounding communities of each regular season away game for the Steelers in the 2011 season. Last summer, Ben invited police and fire departments in the local areas of those nine cities to submit proposals detailing their needs.


For more information:

Check out Ben’s Foundation page here and the Giving Back Fund’s website here.



From K-9’s to Colts…

Colts.com writer Craig Kelley on their team’s biggest challenge this weekend:

Pittsburgh visits Indianapolis this Sunday and among the factors the Colts will attempt to counteract will be a familiar foe who stands under center, or, perhaps, towers over it.

Ben Roethlisberger is in his eighth season, and his 6-5, 241-pound frame has become one of the signature presences in the NFL.

His physical nature and outstanding accomplishments cast a shadow in every game in which he participates, and Colts personnel are aware of the challenge that awaits.

“Ben makes so […]

Join Willie on Saturday, October 1st for Pittsburgh’s 16th Annual Lupus Loop at the Great Lawn at North Shore in Pittsburgh!


Willie Colon is the Honorary Chairman of this worthwhile event in honor of his mother, Jean Davis.

Now if walking is just not your style, you are invited to run or skate the Lupus Loop!

You can even bring your dog and enter him/her in the Dog Jog!

Registration is at 8:30 am.

Runners and skaters start the Loop at 9:00 am, and walkers start at 9:45am.

An awards presentation and lunch begin at 11:00 am.

The registration fee is $25.

All pre-registered participants will receive a Lupus Loop long sleeve T-shirt.

The Dog Jog is only $5.00 and registered dogs will receive a gift and treats!


You can read more information, click here.

You can get a printable pre-registration form here.

You can also check out Willie’s “Youth Team Challenge” Facebook page here.



Also Today:

Highlights from Ben’s meeting with the media…

On whether he thought he would be playing this Sunday after his knee was injured during last weekend’s game:

“No. It was very scary. Very scary. It’s sore, but it’s doing a lot better.”


On whether he would consider Mike Wallace a “one-trick pony” as he was described by Coach Tomlin:

“He’s two tricks now! I trust him to know what I’m going to do and I trust in what he’s going to do…every year, we’re adding a lot more for Mike, and he’s getting a lot better. He still has a lot of work to do. He’ll admit that. But he wants to get better at it and he works really hard at getting better at it. He’s able to do things in and out of breaks, just run deep. So he’s doing a lot of great things.”


On Colts’ pass-rushers Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis:

“They’re built for that turf, and the crowd noise. When you have to use silent counts and stuff like that, they can get off the ball. They’re basically like linebackers who are big and strong. They’re so fast. It’s such a huge challenge for these guys [Marcus Gilbert and Jonathan Scott] this week.”


On whether he is practicing his “one step pass […]