Ben was one of the speakers last night in Lynchburg, VA at this event, “where men, God, life and the outdoors come together“.

After giving his testimony to the more than 7,000 in attendance, who will now enjoy two more days of workshops and exhibits, some took a moment to tweet and post their thanks to Ben for sharing his message –


“I’m at the event Ben was great with humility and grace. He has really grown on the Lord and his heart is tender. Thanks Ben!” — Robert Ellenberger.


“Great Job at Ignite Men’s Impact last night. Great to hear Big Ben open up about his faith and family!” — Chris Hrabosky.


Charlie Elkins‏ @chuck_elkins
@_BigBen7 your presence tonight was amazing! I prayed for you brother! I wish you the best in your journey!


“Ben ended the evening by asking for our prayers, noting that he is far from perfect, and daily seeks the Lord for help. You got it, Ben.” — Nick Bonnett. (Photo)


“I’m at the event Ben was great with humility and grace. He has really grown on the Lord and his heart is tender. Thanks Ben.” — Robert Ellenberger.


Travis Spencer @87Gronk
Thank you @_BigBen7 for telling your story.


“I had the blessing of hearing you in Lynchburg tonight. It’s great to see you share your joys and struggles with others. We all face them and you certainly have our prayers as you strive to be a Godly husband and father. When my son, Ben, was little he asked for a 7 jersey and kid sized football helmet. He wore them with pride. Ben is 16 now and tonight we sat together and got to see you describe the way The Lord has brought your faith to a higher level. Thanks for courageously sharing. You’ll never know how you blessed others. Have fun hunting in NZ.” — Tim Alcore.


Retro Kid @GrundySpundy
As a Dallas Cowboys fan you earned a lot of respect for @_BigBen7 tonight. Thank you for sharing with us men last night.


Tony Price‏ @tonprice
@_BigBen7 Awesome testimony last night at Ignite Men 2017. Genuine from the heart.


“There were probably 15-20 of us at breakfast this morning talking about how moving Ben’s […]

…and a fan story all in one!


“This photo was taken in June, 2012 at the PNC Big 33 Football Classic.

Our organization (Air Force Recruiting) based out of Pittsburgh, was comprised of 100 active duty personnel spread across Eastern Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, Northern West Virginia and Western Maryland. The organization’s members come from all types of Air Force Service, working to recruit the nation’s finest to be a part of our team.

Ben was such a great guy. He insisted on taking pictures with all of us. We rallied the troops for the photos and a short chat with Ben (made all my Steeler buddies outside of PA super jealous). One of our staff presented him with our organization’s challenge coin. .

We all came away from the experience in awe at what a great, personable, and down to earth guy Ben was. Super experience! Ben, thank you for all you have done for us.” — Shawn, retired US Air Force Steelers fan.


Shawn, thank you for sharing your photo with us, and especially, for what you do for our country!! God bless!

…or rather in the paddles!


From at Jacob Klinger at Penn Live today:


James Conner has started a comeback against Ben Roethlisberger.

Playing ping-pong with the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback at their agent’s headquarters in Irvine, California last month, Roethlisberger won their first match.

But the Pitt running back who is at the Combine this week after beating Hodgkins Lymphoma and rushing for 1,092 yards and 16 touchdowns last season snagged the following game, he said.

Only for Roethlisberger to have to leave with the scored tied, 1-1.

“He had to run,” Conner said. “His family, they had some food waiting, so Game 3 is on the way.”

Conner and Roethlisberger have shared a practice facility, the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Pittsburgh’s South Side, since 2013. And as the Pitt running back prepares for the NFL Draft, Roethlisberger has given Conner little pieces of advice, in addition to ping-pong games.

“Just be yourself, have fun with it, enjoy the process,” Roethlisberger told Conner, Conner said. “He knows I overcame a lot, too. So yeah, me and Ben, cool.”

But there will be a rubber match, Conner said.


You can read more here.

UPDATE: WE HAVE A WINNER!!! Congratulations to Mikel Molina! He was our 302nd emailer. Thank you to everyone who emailed for the contest, and to send all the wonderful birthday wishes!!


Today (Thursday) is Ben’s 35th birthday, and one lucky fan will win a gift from him!


To celebrate…

The 302nd emailer today (that number is from 3/02 – his birth date) will receive one of Ben’s game-used, autographed Nike cleats.

It’s just that easy: No quiz to take, no caption to think up, no questions to answer…just be the 302nd emailer!


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).


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


Send emails to: bigben7website@gmail.com


Winner will be notified via email, and their name will be posted here in an update this afternoon! Good Luck!

From Steelers.com today:

Who will stand out this year? Who will make a sudden impression? And what will we learn when the NFL Combine descends upon Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis Feb. 28-March 6?

Over 300 players will take part in what is football’s biggest job interview, participating in an array of activities, including on-field workouts, medical testing, interviews with teams, and media interviews.

You can follow the Steelers during the NFL Combine here.

“When you have a franchise quarterback, it increases your chances of winning a championship. To me, it’s that simple. If you have a great one, you’re fortunate because not everybody does. We’re fortunate. The franchise guys are so scarce in the draft. Most veteran guys don’t become available. You never want to pick high enough to get one, but if you have the chance you should take one.” — Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert on finding his franchise guy in 2004.

We’re looking back at the 2004 NFL Combine, when Mr. Colbert found his “franchise guy” –

“It’s remarkable how far he has come in such a short time. Until his senior year in high school, he was a receiver. Yet, he was talented enough to take the Mid-American Conference by storm. That might not seem like a ringing endorsement on the surface, but remember that the last two MAC quarterbacks to do that were Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich, both of whom appear to have bright NFL futures. Roethlisberger, who declared himself eligible for the NFL draft after his junior year, has a good pro arm, is more athletic than Eli Manning and Philip Rivers and sees the field well. Scouts generally believe he has the highest upside of this year’s QB crop, but also represents the greatest risk because of his limited experience.” — The late Joe Stein, NFL Draft expert for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

From Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports, February 19, 2004:

The inquiry at the top of everyone’s list?

“Ben, where do you think you’ll be drafted?”

It’s a question he can’t answer. He knows where he wants to be drafted.

The 6-5, 245-pounder possesses the qualities teams want in a quarterback: size, arm strength, accuracy, some mobility, smarts.

Roethlisberger and Manning are at […]