I wanted to thank everyone for the wonderful birthday wishes! There were so many left for me on Facebook & Twitter and in emails to my dad’s website that I felt just like a princess!


My first birthday has been so much fun, especially the cake-eating part (naturally, I was a much neater eater than my brother!!) A girl could really get used to this.


I’m really excited for my birthday party this weekend, but Steeler Nation made today feel like a party too – a big one! XOXOXO — Baylee

with the spotlight on Baylee Marie Roethlisberger, born March 19, 2014.

This adorable little girl turns one…


…and boy, has her first year been fun!!!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY BAYLEE!

Highlights from Scott Brown’s column at ESPN.com this afternoon:

Art Rooney, Dan’s father, paid the NFL a $2,500 franchise fee to found the team in 1933, according to the Steelers. In 1975, he officially turned over day-to-day operations to his oldest son, Dan, who became Steelers president.

Art Rooney passed away in 1988 and passed the Steelers down to his five sons — 18 percent each — with the McGinley family owning the other 10 percent. Dan Rooney continued to run the team as president and two decades after his father’s death he kept the Steelers in the only family that has ever owned them.

Ownership philosophy: Puts a premium on stability and building through the draft. Strong drafts led to the Steelers playing in three Super Bowls, winning two of them, from 2005 to 2010.

Playoff appearances: 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014

Super Bowl appearances/championships: Lost to Cowboys 27-17 in Super Bowl XXX (1995 season), beat Seahawks 21-10 in Super Bowl XL (2005), beat Cardinals 27-23 in Super Bowl XLIII (2008), lost to Packers 31-25 in Super Bowl XLV (2010).

Defining moment in ownership tenure: The Steelers were leaning toward taking Arkansas offensive lineman Shawn Andrews with their first-round pick in 2004 after quarterback Eli Manning and Philip Rivers were selected before No. 11 overall. Rooney did not want the Steelers to pass on a potentially great quarterback, something they had done with Dan Marino in 1983. Rooney steered the conversation toward Ben Roethlisberger as he recounted in his book, “Dan Rooney: My 75 Years with the Pittsburgh Steelers and NFL.” The Steelers drafted the Miami (Ohio) quarterback, who became a starter in the third game of 2004 because of an injury to Tommy Maddox and went 13-0 in the regular season. Roethlisberger has been entrenched as the Steelers’ quarterback since and led them to a pair of Super Bowl wins — Pittsburgh’s first world championships since the 1970s.


More from Mr. Brown here.

Kevin Cundiff, a four-tour U.S. Army veteran, sent us an email after viewing last week’s Warrior Wednesday post and told us he wanted to “add to the collection” with his own photos:

“These were all snapped in Afghanistan in 2011. Except the flag, that was Iraq 2010.” — Kevin

*Thank you so much for sharing these photos Kevin, and a bigger THANK YOU for you service to our country! God Bless you!!

“Ben is our general. Any time he is in the huddle, you always know game on and he is on the verge of being special and doing things to make guys around him better. He is one of the best to do it. When he shows up, we know what time it is. It absolutely amazes me every time he makes a huge play. He is back there shaking off defenders, being able to throw the ball down the field. He just continues to get better, evolve, play hungry and be motivated.” — Antonio Brown.

From Teresa Varley at Steelers.com today:

Some of Roethlisberger’s teammates shared what Roethlisberger means to the offense and what makes him the franchise quarterback that he is.


More from wide receiver Antonio Brown:

“Ben is the ultimate leader. He makes guys around him better, just with the little things, being prepared, and challenging the offense. He is always encouraging everyone to get better.”


Running back Le’Veon Bell:

“He means everything. He is the guy that makes us go. In the huddle, in practice, you see him put everybody on the same page. He is the starter, he is the leader of the offense and we all follow him.

“For me personally, there are a lot times during games he has told me not to get frustrated. He understands I might have the first eight carries and only get two yards on each carry. He always tells me to stay patient, my runs will come and things like that. He is a leader and he helps me become a leader.”


Guard Ramon Foster:

“Ben means everything to the offense. He says most games the offense goes as the offensive line goes. Ben puts us, the offensive line and the offense in general, in the right position. He commands the field. When he is calling the plays he is great at putting us in the right place.

“I am glad to have him as my quarterback and I think he is one of the elite guys in the league. It’s fun playing on the line with him as the quarterback. A lot of teams don’t have that luxury of having an experienced quarterback and Ben has won two Super Bowls. He knows how to win, he knows it was just a matter of us catching […]

“There is no question Ben has grown over the years and truly has become a leader of our team.” — Art Rooney II

“It’s home. It’s family. As much as my wife and kids are family, so is the Rooney family and my team and coaches.” — Ben, on why he wanted to stay with the Steelers.

From Bob Labriola this evening:

Corny, maybe, but it was a family affair late in the afternoon on a Friday the 13th at the Steelers practice facility.

On hand were Ben Roethlisberger and his family – wife Ashley, son Ben Jr., and daughter Baylee – and the news conference was called to mark the occasion of the team’s franchise quarterback remaining a part of the Steelers family through the 2019 NFL season.

Just minutes before Steelers President Art Rooney II walked to the podium with a big smile on his face, Ben Roethlisberger officially had signed a new five-year contract that binds him to the team through the 2019 NFL season.

“We are excited to announce today that we’ve agreed on a new contract, a five-year deal,” said Rooney. “We are looking forward to the future, and we certainly know that Ben has a number of great years ahead, and he will continue to lead our team. Right now, as you all know, he owns most of our (passing) records, but there are still a couple of important records that we are going after in the next few years.”

Roethlisberger turned 32 on March 2, which means he will be 37 when this contract is set to expire. Entering his 12th NFL season in 2015, Roethlisberger will have played 16 NFL seasons come the conclusion of the 2019 season, all of them with the Steelers, the team that selected him on the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft.

“It’s kind of hard to contain my smile when I’m excited to be at a place like this, to be home, and to be able to be here for my whole career,” said Roethlisberger. “I know most of you have heard me say for a long time that this is where I have always wanted to be and where I have wanted to spend my whole career. This organization has given me an opportunity to do that. I just feel […]