Faneca: Ben has taken the team and put it on his shoulders

From Jeremy Fowler, ESPN.com:

This is a big week for Alan Faneca, the former Pittsburgh Steelers guard who’s a Hall of Fame finalist. ESPN.com will have a story on Faneca’s exceptional performance on and off the field later this week, but in the meantime Faneca shared his views on Ben Roethlisberger, his quarterback from 2004-07.

He’s seen an evolution with Roethlisberger, and he’s not just talking about his throwing ability.

“He definitely has taken the organization and the team and put it on his shoulders,” said Faneca, who played for 10 years with the Steelers, six times an All-Pro. “That’s come a long way from when he first got into the NFL, just as we all evolve. He’s definitely grown into that guy. It’s great to see. He’s taken the team emotionally and physically by what he does on the field.”

Not that Roethlisberger couldn’t lead before, Faneca said, but he believes Roethlisberger has “expanded” on his leadership capacity, as evidenced by him calling on Martavis Bryant to “toughen up” after the wide receiver’s slow stretch before the playoffs. Bryant responded with 267 offensive yards and a touchdown in two playoff games.

Roethlisberger has talked about his lack of maturity as a young player. The Steelers had a veteran-laden team that went 15-1 in Roethlisberger’s rookie year, followed by a Super Bowl the next season.

“As he got more years in, he just started assuming more of a leadership role,” Faneca said. “I’ll see him pull guys over during the pregame and circle them up, a ‘Let’s go, get after it’ moment. It’s just nice to see. He seems more motivational, trying to get guys centered, calling out guys. Knowing when to poke and prod is a thing you learn along the way. On top of that, just going out there and playing how he plays, pulling off the quasi-impossible on those third-and-longs to keep them in the game.”


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