Happy Fathers day to all the fathers out there! Especially all the new first time fathers.

To all you kids out there, listen to your fathers because they know what’s best and they love you, and go give them a big hug and tell them you love them!

Fathers, be the best fathers you can be because you are who we as kids want to be like when we get older – be the best role model you can be.

I hope everyone has a great day!

I love you Dad, thanks for being the best dad any kid could ever ask for, you are my role model in everything you do, if I could be half the man, father and husband you are I’d be so happy. Thanks for being you, love Ben

Terry Hoeppner  (August 19, 1947 – June 19, 2007)

“There are not enough words to explain what Coach Hep was and meant to me. He was a mentor, a father, a coach and an inspiration. He will always be in my thoughts and never far from my heart.” — Ben

From an article that appeared in SI on November 5, 2007 entitled, “This one’s for Hep”:

Ben Roethlisberger keeps one copy of the poem folded in the console of his car. He keeps another framed above the desk in his house. He had a third laminated for the inside of his locker, just in case he ever needs to recite a line before wind sprints.

Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;

And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar,

So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit;
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit

The poem, entitled Don’t Quit, is standard motivational fare, the kind that football teams silk-screen onto T-shirts during training camp. But the words are not nearly as important to Roethlisberger as the man who used to read them aloud. Terry Hoeppner taught Roethlisberger the poem long before either of them really needed it. When Hoeppner was the coach at Miami (Ohio) University and Roethlisberger was his quarterback, Hoeppner would recite it until his players rolled their eyes.

Then, in 2006, the poem took on new meaning….


You can read the rest here.


You can learn about and donate to the Coach Hep Scholarship Fund here.

You can also give to the Coach Hep Cancer Challenge here.

A new book by super agent Bruce A. Tollner!

“As a quarterback, I have played on some championship teams—and I have experienced some painful losses. Regardless of the outcome of any one game, my dad has been there to cheer me on. Whether I throw a winning touchdown pass or an interception, I know my dad is there to say, ‘Good job, Son, I am proud of you!’ My parents have had a major influence on the way I live life, as well as the way I play football. Because of their influence, and that of my coaches and others, I am blessed to be able to live out a childhood dream to play professional football. ‘The C.H.I.L.D. Game Plan’ can help you to help your child live out their childhood dreams. Read this book, and put together a winning game plan for your child. — Ben Roethlisberger, Two-time Super Bowl Champion Quarterback, Pittsburgh Steelers.

About the book:

Life is not always easy. Everyone struggles from time to time and there are times when we all just want to hide. However, it’s during these times that you, as a parent, grandparent, guardian, teacher or school administrator can have the greatest positive influence on the life of a child.

This book is absolutely loaded with ideas for you to use and examples for you to follow to help you develop a winning Game Plan for your child.

The C.H.I.L.D. Game Plan goes in depth to show you how you can help a child develop a winning Game Plan for life that will allow him / her to experience the thrill of being a champion in the greatest game of all… the game of life!

In this book, you will find specific references to five very important areas:

Competitive sports and the body, Heart and social awareness, Intelligence – school – career… and the mind, Life force – spirituality and the soul, and Destiny.

Get ready to have a huge positive influence on your child!

“In 1933, my dad, Art Rooney, purchased an NFL team. Today, the Pittsburgh Steelers organization is not just a family-owned NFL franchise that has won six Super Bowls—we are a family! That is just one of the values given […]

Just in case you missed the re-airing in May on NFL Network….


EA Sports NFL Quarterback Challenge, 2005

The competition tests the NFL’s premier quarterbacks in four different skills competitions, including accuracy, speed and mobility, distance, and ”No Huddle.”

Participants include:

Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, Byron Leftwich, Jake Delhomme, Matt Hasselbeck, Joey Harrington, Carson Palmer, Torry Holt, Joe Horn, Chad Johnson, and Keenan McCardell.

Part I – Sunday, June 12th at 4:00 P.M.

Part II – Sunday, June 12th at 5:00 P.M.

From ESPN’s AFC North Blogger James Walker this afternoon:

On the heels of Roethlisberger being ranked No. 41 by a survey of more than 400 NFL players, Cromartie expressed his thoughts via Twitter and disagreed with the ranking.

First, ESPN’s Skip Bayless tweeted “Big Ben definitely is in my top 10 NFL players.” Then, Cromartie replied “same here skip…whoever did the voting is crazy.”

Cromartie’s respect for Roethlisberger is nothing new. During the playoffs last January, Cromartie expressed his dislike for New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, then did a complete 180 the following week leading up to the AFC Championship Game by saying, “I love Ben, man. Ben’s a competitor.”


You can read the rest of Mr. Walker’s blog here.

More from the 25th Anniversary Jim Kelly Celebrity Classic…


From Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News this evening:

The Hall-of-Fame quarterback, recuperating from recent back surgery, was thrilled with the response to his event, which was held Monday at Batavia’s Terry Hills Golf Course.

Kelly had a fuller-than-normal field of 60 fivesomes on the 27-hole layout and said attendance at the auction and party on Sunday night was a record of about 1,200.

The tournament weekend annually raises more than $200,000 for the Kelly for Kids Foundation and the Hunter’s Hope Foundation.

Roethlisberger is an annual attendee at Kelly’s event. He said he’s in frequent communication with Kelly, even during the season.

“We talk quite a bit. He’s a great guy,” Roethlisberger said. “We talk during the season — good games, bad games. Jim’s to me one of the best to ever play the game. I remember having … I always tease him because I used to have his poster on my wall. He’s a great. That Midwest, Ohio, Western Pa. toughness, we try and pride ourselves on that.”


To read more from Mr. Gaughan on the event, click here.

To learn more about Mr. Kelly’s Foundation, click here.