“Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger shows his caring side when it comes to kids and animals”


From Teresa Varley at Steelers.com today:

Steelers’ fans see Ben Roethlisberger the football player, the guy on Sunday afternoons throwing touchdown passes, eluding defenders and making incredible plays on the football field.

But what they don’t often get to see are those tender moments when Roethlisberger is at his best, making kids smile, bringing happiness to a sick child who through the Make-A-Wish Foundation wants to meet the Steelers and Roethlisberger in particular.

“When a person has a last wish, or one wish to be granted, and they want to hang out with me, or hang out with the Steelers,” started Roethlisberger, pausing for a minute as he realizes the enormity of what it means. “For all of the things they could do and they want to do that …it’s pretty amazing.”

He also has a soft spot in his heart for those that protect and serve the community, in particular the K9 units as his love for animals has grown into a passion for helping law enforcement through the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation.

Each year Roethlisberger provides a grant to a law enforcement agency or fire department in the Pittsburgh area, as well as to one in the cities where the Steelers play. The grant is to be used for the K9 units, bomb sniffing dogs or rescue dogs.

“I don’t think the service people get enough recognition and credit for the things that they do and the tireless efforts that they put in,” said Roethlisberger. “If I can do just a little bit to help them, then I am happy about that.”

The foundation, which started awarding the grants in 2007, has donated in excess of $1.2 million. He was honored by the Amen Corner last year at Senator John Heinz Law Enforcement Awards Luncheon, becoming the first non-law enforcement individual to be honored by the organization, receiving an award for his contribution to K9 units of police and fire departments in the Pittsburgh area and throughout the country (photo above).

Last year the loss of K9 Rocco, who died from injuries in a stabbing attack, struck the Pittsburgh community hard. Roethlisberger knew he had to do something to give back, and the foundation purchased a new dog, Beny, […]

…you missed Ben’s One-on-One sit-down interview with Sally Wiggin last night prior to the game, you missed her look back at Ben’s first One-on-One interview with the rookie quarterback in 2004!

“To be like somebody, somebody like a Joe Montana that won a ton of Super Bowls. That’s obviously the ultimate goal.” — Ben, from that first One-on-One.

From Ms. Wiggin:

10 years ago when the Steelers drafted a young Miami of Ohio quarterback, it had been 24 years since they had taken a quarterback in the first round. Quite frankly, that Ben Roethlisberger was none to happy he was the third quarterback taken in the Draft after Eli Manning and Philip Rivers.

Then, during the season, the starter, Tommy Maddox, went down and was injured, and [Ben] became the first rookie quarterback to go 13-0 in a season. That quarterback said he was motivated by a chip on his shoulder.

Now that it’s a decade later, what advice would the 32-year old Roethlisberger have for the 22-year old rookie?

Ben: Enjoy it. It goes fast. I remember when I got here, I tell the story all the time – Jerome pulled me aside at one point, and said, ‘Enjoy this because it goes really fast’. I remember thinking to myself, ‘right, okay whatever.’ Now, It’s amazing it’s been ten years. I tell the young guys the same thing Jerome told me.


Sally: In that time, there was the glory of winning two Super Bowls, the pain of injury, the humiliation of scandal, and the start of a family. How would you analyze your evolvement?

Ben: I would answer your question with, ‘Yes, people can change, and people can grow up.’ I think it’s to each individual what they want to do. I’m thankful for the freedoms we have in this country, that I’ve got a loving family. You can make smart choices and decisions when it comes to your life.


Sally: That loving family, with wife Ashley, grew in the off-season. Daughter Baylee was born in March, joining her big brother Ben Jr…

Ben: Life is fun, especially when you go home! I tell my son, come here and give me a hug! Can I get a hug? ‘Yep’, he will run […]

Watt a game!!

“I feel like offensively we still left a little bit out there. But we scored enough.” — Ben.

Ben was 23 of 33 for 265 yards, two TDs and no interceptions as the Steelers rallied to beat Houston 30-23 and improve to 4-3. Ben threw his two TD’s while the Steelers were taking advantage of two Texans turnovers to score 21 points over the final 87 seconds of the first half.

Antonio Brown threw for a touchdown during the scoring flurry and had nine catches for 90 yards.


From Will Graves, AP:

One dizzying sequence, and the Pittsburgh Steelers were in complete control against J.J. Watt and the Houston Texans.

Ben Roethlisberger passed for two touchdowns and wide receiver Antonio Brown added another on a gadget play during a decisive surge late in the first half, helping the Steelers rally for a 30-23 win over the mistake-prone Texans on Monday night.

Pittsburgh (4-3) needed just over a minute to turn a 10-point deficit into an 11-point lead as the Texans self-destructed while losing their third straight.

Roethlisberger finished with 265 yards passing. Le’Veon Bell racked up 145 yards of total offense and rookie wide receiver Martavis Bryant caught a momentum-swinging touchdown pass in his first NFL start.

Arian Foster ran for 102 yards for Houston (3-4), but just 29 over the final three quarters.

Ryan Fitzpatrick was 21 of 32 for 262 yards with two touchdowns and an interception but the Texans were undone by three turnovers.

Watt recovered a fumble and picked up his third sack of the season but was neutralized for most of the second half.

By then, the Steelers were on their way to the win.

One frantic stretch turned the tide.

Pittsburgh was listless for the first 25 minutes, letting Foster and Fitzpatrick do whatever they wanted as the Texans raced to a 13-0 lead that seemed larger.

A 44-yard Shaun Suisham field goal with 3:08 left in the half gave the Steelers a minor boost.

A strike from Roethlisberger to Bell provided a much larger one shortly after the 2-minute warning. Roethlisberger hit the versatile back for a 43-yard gain — Pittsburgh’s longest pass play of the season — to move the ball to the Houston 35.

Roethlisberger then hit Bryant, who struggled staying healthy in the preseason and spent the first […]

Ben sat down for an interview today at Steelers HQ with ESPN’s Monday Night Football crew.



The interview will air during the Monday Night Countdown Show, which starts at 6:00 PM (ET).

“Dad’s got the kids tonight and it’s dinner time! Man, this isn’t easy! Moms, you guys are the best!!!” — Ben

From Scott Brown, ESPN.com’s AFC North Blog:

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has been patient with Markus Wheaton but that might be running a little thin after the second-year wide receiver caught just four passes last Sunday in Cleveland despite getting targeted 11 times.

He and Ben Roethlisberger seemed to be operating off different scripts, something that became painfully obvious to the Steelers on a critical third down early in the second quarter.

Roethlisberger said before the Steelers’ first practice of the week that Wheaton is still adjusting to the speed of the NFL game after playing just 152 snaps as a rookie and missing four games because of a broken finger.

“In college you can kind of wait for a receiver to come out of a break before you throw it,” Roethlisberger said. “Here you have to throw it before they come out of their break. He’s working hard to make sure he gets the proper depth, to get his hands around with his head and make the play. I know he will.”

Wheaton followed through on a promise he made after the Steelers’ 31-10 loss to the Browns. The 5-foot-11, 182-pounder showed up at the Steelers’ practice facility early Wednesday morning so he could watch film of the game with his quarterback.

“I think that speaks volumes about him wanting to get in there, wanting to learn, to be corrected,” Roethlisberger said. “I broke down every single pass play that he did and told him what I thought he did right and what he did wrong. He’s the type of guy that’s going to take that and make him better. I have all the confidence in the world that Markus will come out and be better than ever.”


You can read more here.

You can watch Ben’s regular Wednesday interview with the media here (video).