Steelers: the “AFC dark horse” this season?
From Peter Schrager at FOX Sports this morning:
No NFL postseason contender — not the Broncos, the Patriots and likely not even the Seahawks —wanted to see the Steelers make the playoffs last year, but Pittsburgh came awfully darn close in the end.
There are high expectations in Steel City, and in the 40th-anniversary season of the 1974 team that won the franchise’s first Super Bowl, the fan base is looking for a much better result than 8-8.
The Steelers enter the season undoubtedly younger and faster than they were a season ago. The team was uncharacteristically active in free agency this offseason, adding veterans Mike Mitchell, Cam Thomas, Lance Moore, and LeGarrette Blount while maintaining a level of consistency by signing deals with veterans Jason Worilds, Heath Miller, Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor. Rookie linebacker Ryan Shazier is expected to contribute right from the start, with recent draft picks Jarvis Jones, Cameron Heyward and David DeCastro expected to take on bigger roles.
Pittsburgh’s roster, solid just about everywhere, has two question marks at the offensive tackle positions. This is nothing new for Ben Roethlisberger, a grossly underrated quarterback who’s played behind questionable offensive lines for the bulk of his NFL career.
Tomlin is one of the best coaches in the league, Roethlisberger is a gamer, and the defense should be faster and hungrier than it was a season ago. The core unit is back, with key additions all over the field. No one wanted to face the Steelers at the end of 2013. I can’t imagine foes wanting to line up against them in 2014, either.
You can read more & watch the roundtable discussion (video) here.
It’s a Throwback Thursday & a “Thank you”
….rolled into one!
Ashley Bright recently became aware of Ben’s website through Twitter, and wanted to not only share a photo, but finally get the chance to thank Ben!
Ashley Bright @ambright6
@_BigBen7 – Chance to say Thank You!! For a lifetime moment for an 8 year old boy! 2010 in Denver, Co.! Thank You!!
And more from his email to the website:
My son’s name is Caden Hines Bright (notice the middle name) – He was 8 years old at the time! It was a pre-season game in Denver, Colorado in August of 2010! Ben was warming up about 20-yards away. After the warm-up, he ran right towards us! I am the man that is going crazy with excitement because he came right up to my son (in the yellow cap)!
The pictures were from the Denver Post as they covered the whole thing! That’s why they are so good!
We are lifetime Steelers fans that live in Wyoming! We have the football in a plastic case in Caden’s room! He was the most popular person that day among all the Steelers fans!! It was his first NFL game, albeit a preseason game!!
Thrilled to reach out and thank Ben for this lifetime moment!! — Ashley Bright
“That day was one of the greatest days in my life and thanks to Mr. Roethlisberger for giving me the football!” — Caden Bright
And a little bit about this Steeler Nation family:
On the day Mr. Bright emailed, he and his family were anxiously awaiting the arrival of a little orphaned boy with special needs from China! They were offering their home and their love to this youngster through an organization called Project 143.
He sent photos when Le arrived!
“Here is a photo of Caden and Le! In the second photo is my daughter Kirsten and son Caden standing with Le. Our family gave him Steelers sunglasses right away!” — Ashley Bright
Thank you to the Bright family for not only sharing their photos and story from 2010, but also the photo of the newest member of their family as well as the Steelers family!
“One of the greatest catches in Super Bowl history”
This is the third of three plays nominated as the most memorable play in team history.
From Scott Brown, ESPN AFC North blogger:
Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes played pitch and catch so effortlessly that it seemed as if they were in a backyard.
The two were, in fact, on one of sports’ biggest stages, and the Arizona Cardinals were powerless to stop them at the end of Super Bowl XLIII.
A Larry Fitzgerald 64-yard touchdown reception had given the upstart Cardinals a 23-20 lead with 2 minutes, 30 seconds left in the game. After a holding penalty moved the Steelers back to their own 12-yard line, Roethlisberger and Holmes went to work.
They connected three times in moving the Steelers to the Cardinals’ 6-yard line with less than a minute to play.
A first-down pass from Roethlisberger to Holmes in the back left corner of the end zone looked like it would give the Steelers the go-ahead touchdown. But a leaping Holmes could not hang on to the ball.
“When I threw it and it looked like he had it, I was celebrating and I just remember, ‘Oh man,’ but coming back to the huddle I was encouraging. He wasn’t down at all,” Roethlisberger said recently. “He was disappointed he didn’t catch it, but there was no worry about going to him on the next play.”
Roethlisberger did just that.
After eluding the Cardinals’ pass rush and going through his progression of reads, Roethlisberger spied Holmes in the opposite corner of the end zone where he had almost made the game-winning catch a play earlier.
Three Cardinals defensive backs were also in the area, but Roethlisberger threw the pass anyway.
“When it came off my hand, I thought the defender (cornerback Ralph Brown) in front was going to turn around,” Roethlisberger said. “I really thought it was intercepted when I let go of it, but it ended up just over his hand and where [Holmes] could make a play.”
Roethlisberger had thrown the ball where only Holmes could make a play on it. And Holmes turned in one of the greatest catches in Super Bowl history when he leaped for the ball and then got both feet inbounds by inches after pulling it in.
You can read more from Mr. Brown, […]
The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation: 2014-15 Guidelines for Grant Requests
This marks the eighth grant cycle for the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation. The majority of the grants distributed will help K-9 units to purchase dogs and dog safety vests, but other types of needs are also considered.
“My department received a grant from your foundation during the last NFL season to purchase a new K9 for our department. I was chosen to be assigned to the K-9 unit and be the dog’s handler. Let me start off by saying that I am extremely grateful and can not describe in words how thankful I am that our department was chosen for this grant.
K9 ‘Ajax’ and I will be completing our first training school (Narcotics Scent Detection) in approximately two weeks. Then in September we will be starting “Patrol School” together. K9 has always been a goal and a dream of mine and because of your foundation I was able to achieve it. Once again, thank you very much for your generosity and for choosing our department.” – Officer John G. Reuter, Fort Lee (NJ) Police Department, in an email to the website on March 27, 2014.
Police & Fire Departments: The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation at The Giving Back Fund grant guidelines for the 2014-2015 grant cycle –
Ben’s foundation will be distributing grants in the cities and surrounding communities of each regular season away game for the Steelers during the 2014 NFL season.
He is inviting police and fire departments in these eight cities to submit proposals detailing their needs.
Also, for each Steelers’ appearance in a playoff game, a grant will be awarded to a non-NFL market city anywhere in the United States that would not otherwise be eligible to apply. In addition, the Foundation will continue to make grants to several police and fire department K-9 units in the Pittsburgh area following Super Bowl XLIX.
The Foundation distributed $157,600 in grants to K-9 units around the country during the 2013 NFL season and has distributed in excess of $1.2 million since 2007.
Eligible departments must apply to The Giving Back Fund by August 15, 2014.
Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
You can view the full grant requirements, eligibility and evaluation process, please visit http://www.givingback.org/documents/RFP_2014_BRF_app.pdf.
You can also […]
One year ago today…
Big Ben spent his 4th of July in Ireland:
Happy Fourth of July Weekend Steeler Nation!
Celebrating Independence Day at the Irish U.S. Embassy with Ambassador Rooney, who is hosting a flag football game today:
Ben, Ashley and Mr. & Mrs. Rooney pose in front of the Ambassador’s residence this afternoon.
Big Ben and Ambassador Rooney pose with Dublin Footballers Eamon Fennell, Barry Cahill, Jason Sherlock and Tomás Quinn this morning at the Ambassador’s house prior to the game.
Ben and Mr. Rooney pose with the parachuters who delivered the Steelers flag as well as the U.S. and Irish flags before kickoff.
You can see more photos here!
*Thank you to Eamon and once again to Mr. Lauten, Steelers.
A Big Night for Big Ben and his Foundation
…at the Third Annual Ben Roethlisberger Foundation Fundraiser!
(Photo credit: WHIRL Magazine)
On behalf of The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation, I am extremely grateful to our sponsors, guests, friends and the Pittsburgh Steelers for their generous support. I was honored to have everyone there to support two worthy causes: Police and Fire K-9 Units and Make-A-Wish of Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia. I hope those that attended enjoyed the evening as much as I did. — Ben
Jergels was the place to be on Sunday evening, June 22nd as Ben’s family, friends, fans and sponsors came out to support The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation in style – with great food, music and wonderful live & silent auction items – all of which found new homes by the end of the evening.
(Photo credit: WHIRL Magazine)
During the 2013-14 grant cycle, Ben’s foundation distributed $157,000 in grants to K-9 units around the country, including $87,000 to police and fire department K-9 units in the Pittsburgh community. Ben’s foundation recently purchased a new K-9 for Officer Lerza, who lost his partner, Rocco, after the K-9 was stabbed while performing his duties for the Pittsburgh Police Department.
(Photo credit: Tommy Iannarelli)
Ben and his Master of Ceremonies, DVE Morning Show host Randy Baumann took the stage for the Live Auction.
Some of the items up for bid during the Live Auction:
Pittsburgh Steelers Game Package for four including four field passes & transportation to and from the game.
The Ultimate Nemacolin Experience – luxury accomodations for a three-night stay with a VIP welcome amenity, breakfast for two, a round of golf for two on both The Links and Mystic Rock, a couples massage, dinner for two at Aqueous and Lautrec, and 100 sporting clays for two at the Shooting Academy.
A Kohler Experience – two-night stay at the American Club Resort Hotel with a round of golf for two on both the Blackwater River Course and Whistling Straits. The American Club is the only Forbes Five-Star resort hotel in Wisconsin and the Midwest’s only AAA Five-Diamond resort hotel.
(Photo credit: WHIRL Magazine)
Strong family support: Ken, Brenda, Ben, Ashley […]