Ben stopped for an impromptu interview with the media after the first day of OTAs.

“I’m excited to be that guy that is the leader for those guys and to help them, because I’m here to win games!” — Ben on stepping into more of a leadership role this season.



He also spoke about the great team turnout, the plethora of new and returning wide receivers, and his continuing comfort with Coach Haley’s offense. Some highlights:

May212013Was it good to see the turnout today?

Yeah. I kind of expected it on day one. There were a lot of good things. It’s good to be back out here.


Larry Foote was talking about a different feel to this offseason. Do you think it has a different feel?

I can judge off what it was like out here today. Obviously, I’ve been here the last couple of weeks when we’ve been doing things. It’s good to see guys. It’s definitely different because we’ve got a lot of new guys and new faces. I know the guys that are here are ready to rock and roll and the young guys are ready to contribute.


Do you feel different now that you are in year two in this offense?

Yeah, a little bit. There’s a little more comfort. There has been some changes this off-season in some of the offensive philosophies, playbook and some things that I think are good. It’s some compromise from all different position coaches, running back coaches, line, and quarterback coaches. I think we’ve taken a little bit of everything and made it a lot better. You can ask anybody on offense that, including coaches, and they’ll tell you that we all like the way the offense is and where it’s going.


In what way is it different?

You’ll have to wait and see. We can’t tell. You’ll have to wait until the first game. It’s like the review of a movie.


You can watch and listen to the video of his interview here.

You can also check out a full gallery of photos from today’s OTA here!



And yesterday:

May202013_HogeStarksWardBen was on the golf course for the 20th Annual Hoge-Starks-Ward Celebrity Golf Classic.

Merril Hoge, Hines Ward, and Max Starks invited Steelers coaches and players and other local celebrities to play at the Southpointe Golf Club for the annual event..and they came out in force to support The Caring Place!

The Caring Place champions the cause of grieving children by creating awareness of their needs, providing programs for them and their families, and empowering the community to effectively support them.


You can watch video highlights from the tournament here (word to the wise: put on sun glasses before viewing! Maurkice Pouncey’s bright pink and downright groovy ’70’s golf pants may blind you!).

You can view photos from the tournament here.