From Mike Prisuta today at Steelers.com:

It’s not often that perhaps the most emotional and most memorable moment of a game occurs prior to the opening kickoff.

But the Steelers’ hosting of Minnesota on Sunday afternoon at Heinz Field wasn’t just another game.

The Steelers paid tribute to Dan Rooney prior to the home opener, and the ceremony and celebration included quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sprinting from the tunnel as the offense was being introduced carrying a flag bearing Rooney’s initials, “D.M.R.”

Roethlisberger eventually passed the flag to linebacker James Harrison, who waved it in front of the crowd.

“Mike Marchinsky (of the Steelers’ marketing department) bought it to my attention early in the week, said we might do it, would you be OK with it?” Roethlisberger explained. “I said absolutely, and then it kinda got nixed for some reason later in the week. And then on Saturday morning I went to Thomas Tull (of the Steelers ownership group) and told him, ‘Hey, we gotta talk to Mr. (Art) Rooney (II) about this because it’s too important not to do it.’

“I think Art was just nervous that it would be a burden to me or to whoever carried it. I was like, absolutely not, it would be an honor to honor him. And it just was, I think, very appropriate.”

Rooney passed away on April 13.

“He was a father, a grandfather figure to everybody,” Roethlisberger said. “He treated everybody the same. It didn’t matter who you were, where you came from, what you did, everybody was important to him. Always had time to shake your hand, look at you, talk to you.

“And obviously, he drafted me, took a chance on me. I know he went into that draft room and said, ‘We’re not passing him up,’ and so I wouldn’t have been here if it wasn’t for him. Just a lotta love for him and the family.”

Art Rooney II received the game ball following the Steelers’ 26-9 victory.


You can read more here.

Ben and AB on NFL FOX Sunday before the game.



How well do Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown really know each other? Find out here!


#7 with the BIG BRO HUG for #99 during pregame warm-ups.



A team prayer.



Win it for Mr. Rooney!!



Week 2: Vikings vs Steelers

On a day Pittsburgh honored the late Dan Rooney in their home opener, Big Ben threw two touchdowns to help the Steelers beat the Vikings, 26-9.


With this game, Ben became the 7th player in NFL history to record 125 wins as a starter in the regular-season.



Ben now has a touchdown pass in each of his last 45 home games – 3rd longest streak in NFL history and longest active streak.



Another win in the books!



“I had tears in my eyes running out of the tunnel with the ‘DMR’ flag”.



“We did what we had to do!”

You can watch & listen to Ben’s post-game interview here.


Photo credits: BrettKeisel.com, Justin K. Aller, Peter Diana, Matt Freed, the Steelers, Dom Rinelli & Jeremy Fowler.

It’s Team Photo Day!


Mike Tomlin @CoachTomlin
These are two good men we have as our captains this year.


You can see all the behind-the-scenes photos here.



Also this weekend:

“That smile will never go away”

From Teresa Varley, at Steelers.com:


The smile on Jerardo Lopez’ face might be there for a long, long time.

“It’s not ever going away,” said Lopez, the smile growing bigger by the second.

It’s easy to understand why. Lopez, a 17-year old from Oxnard, California, had his dream come true on Friday, thanks to the Steelers and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Lopez, who has battled leukemia, was at Steelers practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Friday and will attend Sunday’s game at Heinz Field. For him, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime.

“I really like the Steelers,” said Lopez. “I have been a big fan since I saw Troy Polamalu play. When I got diagnosed, my dream was to come and meet the Steelers.

“It’s been everything I hoped for. Everyone has been so nice to me.”



And from what Lopez said, it was even more than he hoped for. After practice the players surrounded Lopez on the field, signing his jersey and football, and posing for pictures. And then he went inside the facility, where he had the chance to talk with some of his favorites, including Ben Roethlisberger, Bud Dupree and Antonio Brown.

“It was amazing when I got to see them, and having a conversation with them was even better,” said Lopez. “I am really grateful for that. They were asking me questions and greeting me. I thought they would just pass by me and say hi, but they all stopped, took pictures, and had a conversation with me. It was amazing.”

And with that, the smile continued.


You can see more photos from Jerardo’s day here.

Regios de Acero‘s “#7 jersey portrait” has become a tradition around here at the start of every football season, so it’s only natural that we would start with them!

“The photo is full of 7’s, another tradition of our Steelers Fan Club, and it is in honor of Ben ’cause he was the first to share with Steeler Nation worldwide our stories and photos. Thank you! #InBenWeTrust” — Roger Saucedo, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

Take a few minutes and stop by Regios de Acero’s Facebook page to see all of the fun photos from their annual Steelers Photos Day!



Now it’s on to Switzerland to meet a future hockey star (and possible Penguins #1 Draft pick?) with a great name & a great jersey number:

“My name is Ben Roethlisberger too. I just received my new Ice Hockey Jersey, with of course the number 7. I am very proud to have the same name and number as you!” — Best regards from Switzerland, Little Ben.

And somewhere in the middle of the Caribbean…

Jess @SoyJessDeLeon Sep 10
My new hubby watched the game on our honeymoon cruise. He is happy, so I’m happy! @steelers @_BigBen7

Congratulations to Jess & Alan!



And we’re going to end this one right back here in the USA in a place called Latrobe, PA!

“Hi Ben! I wanted to take the time to thank you for your kindness when I had my grandson, Blaze Pierce, at Steelers camp this year. You called him ‘big guy’ and he says that’s his new nickname – we all have to call him that now. Lol. You truly made a little boy’s day, and he still talks about it! So from a Pittsburgh fan from Day One I wanted to let you know how appreciative we are that you take the time to show these young fans attention. He’s impatiently waiting to be old enough for your camp. He just turning 5 in October.” — Jody Claypool.

Thank you to everyone for sharing your photos with us!! Have a great weekend!! Go Steelers!!!

On August 27th, we received an email from David Pilon asking where to send a donation to Ben’s foundation. After a bit of discussion back & forth (Hurricane Harvey got in the way of David’s responses), it was learned how this donation of $200 came to be, and we just knew it was worth sharing with Steeler Nation!

David not only sent us the background story, but also a rather creative “group” photo of the whole group “together” in one picture!

The Jentlemens League was a fantasy football league formed in 2004 by a group of childhood friends. Thirteen years later, with life taking each member into different seasons of adulthood and different locations, a new idea was formed by the league’s founder. The commissioner, David Pilon aka The Commish TM, as recognized throughout the fantasy football world, proposed the idea of using a portion of the league fee to be donated to the winning franchise’s charity of choice.

All league members were in agreement and it was decided the winner of the 2016 Jentlemens League Championship would get to choose their preferred charity. The Jentlemens League motto is “Use your energy for consideration” and what better way to exemplify this than giving back to an organization that is using their energy to consider others and contribute towards a better world.

The Jentlemens League XIII saw a battle where The Potato Mashers (Sean Pilon and Nolan Misch) came out victorious. The Potato Mashers year after year had been known to draft Steelers players. The likes of Hines Ward, Heath Miller, and Antonio Brown were all part of this team throughout the years, heck they would have drafted Dick LeBeau if allowed! However, no Steelers player could compare to Ben Roethlisberger. Not only did Big Ben propel the team throughout the season, his Week 16 279 yards and 3 touchdowns performance against the Ravens were the ultimate deciding factor in the coveted Jentlemen’s League title.

It is with great honor we give back to The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation and the work Big Ben is doing with the police and fire departments in the United States. The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation is perfectly aligned with The Jentlemens League motto of “Using your energy for consideration” by contributing to make this world a better place […]

Ben talks Vikings & more…

From Teresa Varley at Steelers.com this afternoon:

Last week the Steelers faced a Cleveland Browns defense that came out strong, ready to show the improvements they have made.

“That is a really good defense,” said Ben Roethlisberger. “That team is going to surprise a lot of people. I am glad we played them game one.”

This week, Roethlisberger knows it won’t get any easier when they play the Minnesota Vikings, who are coming off a 29-19 win over the New Orleans Saints, keeping them out of the end zone until the final two minutes of the game.

“We know going in how good their defense is,” said Roethlisberger. “If you slow down that offense that they did, it’s pretty impressive.”

Roethlisberger said the Vikings defense has similarities to the Cincinnati Bengals from the past, and that comes as no surprise. Vikings Coach Mike Zimmer served as the Bengals defensive coordinator from 2008-13, and Zimmer’s defenses were tough in Cincinnati, and that hasn’t changed in Minnesota. Last year the Vikings had the third-ranked defense in the NFL, and they are looking equally impressive.

“They have a lot of similarities (to the Bengals),” said Roethlisberger. “They do the same sort of fronts and coverages. That’s what we talked about this morning. When you think of these guys, think of Cincinnati.

“They have some personnel guys they move around. They don’t do as much double barrel. It’s early in the year so we are not exactly sure what we are going to see.”

While Roethlisberger isn’t sure what he is going to see from the Vikings, what he hopes to see in the Steelers’ home opener at Heinz Field is the type of crowd he has seen take over games and have an impact on the outcome.

“I expect it, and hope it will be loud, crazy,” said Roethlisberger. “We need to bring back that home field, Heinz Field kind of mystic. It was always that way when I first got here, the first few years. I am not saying we lost it.

“Teams need to fear coming into Heinz Field, one because of the fans and the craziness, and two because of our play.”


You can read more & check out the video of his interview here.