From Ben’s post-game interview:


From 0-4 to 8-8 –

Proud of the fight! Obviously we started really tough, but there was no quit, like we said there wouldn’t be.

I’m really proud of what has happened. We started 0-4 and things aren’t looking so good, and we have one of the worst records in football.

Guys continued to fight and never quit. I will look at satisfaction as happy and proud of the fight and no one quitting.



On what he’s seen from the offense as the season progressed –

Just a lot of guys playing really well and stepping up for each other…we were on our fourth center, our line was playing great. I think it’s been great to see everybody kind of grow -whether it’s huddling or not huddling, hurrying up or slowing down – whatever it is it’s just been growth and getting better every week.


As to the future –

We’re going to build on this whether we’re getting ready for next week or whether we’re getting ready for next year. I think we put together a good foundation,the team is playing well so whatever we are preparing for, building on, we’ll be ready.


You can watch & listen to his interview here (video).


*Steeler Nation – thank you for all your support this season!! Best fans in the world!!

After both a Ravens and a Dolphins loss today, the waiting game begins…


From Scott Brown, ESPN.com’s NFL Nation blog:

As the Steelers’ players scattered after their most improbable ending to a regular season in recent memory, there was palpable hope that Pittsburgh could overcome its first 0-4 start since 1968 and make the playoffs as an 8-8 team.

Most telling of this season was what happened outside of the Steelers’ locker room not long after they had beaten the Browns in Pittsburgh for a 10th consecutive time. Theodora Polamalu hugged someone in her group after hearing that the Chiefs had gone right down the field on their first possession of the game to take a 7-0 lead.

The Chiefs are resting a bunch of key starters making them a long shot to beat the Chargers in San Diego. But the way everything has broken the past two weeks, fate appears to be smiling on the Steelers.

“We’re still hanging on,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said after the Steelers’ 20-7 win at soggy Heinz Field.

One sentiment that prevailed in the home locker room after the game: The Steelers had no business to call out the Chiefs for resting players.

“It sucks you’ve got to depend on other people but we put ourselves in this position,” Steelers strong safety Troy Polamalu said. “We made this bed.”

Roethlisberger agreed.

“We got ourselves in a deep hole early,” the 10th-year veteran said. “We knew that and you knew it was going to be tough getting out.”

Whether it was tough or impossible will be known in a couple of hours.


You can read more from Mr. Brown here.

You can see a few game photos here.



Congratulations are in order:

For Lawrence Timmons, the Steelers Digest Player of the Week, and for Le’Veon Bell, who broke Franco Harris’ record for the most yards from scrimmage by a Steelers rookie running back!

80-year old Betty married Herb Luke, the man of her dreams on her birthday four years ago and they’re still going strong – Steelers strong!



According to Betty’s friend Lisa Proctor, weddings guests wore their Pittsburgh Steelers colors or the colors of whatever their favorite team is – as long as they had a good time! Afterall, not everyone can be a Steelers fan or we’d have no one to root against! Betty even sent an invitation to the Steelers front office (unfortunately they did not RSVP). The local news showed up to broadcast the event on the evening news – just like Ben & Ashley’s wedding – making Betty & Herb quite the celebrity couple!

They had a Steelers-themed wedding cake, and black & gold everything: bouquets, floral arrangements, even her garter belt! And as the bride & groom made their honeymoon getaway, the message, “Steelers Fans 2-Gether 4-Ever” was scrolled on the back window of their car!

They are known to all their friends and family as ‘Aunt Betty and Uncle Herbie’, and Lisa says, “Betty’s personality is like no other I have known and if you didn’t know her, you would never guess her age. She is just a joy to be around.”

Betty and Herbie still go out dancing on the weekends and never miss a Steelers game!

Betty tells us that she has a whole room in her house dedicated to the “Black & Gold Boys” and she loves every one of them. She also wanted us to add that she, “Loves her Big Ben win or lose!”.


*Thank you to Lisa Proctor for sharing their story with us, and to Betty & Herb for sharing their wedding photo. May you have a wonderful life together!

“It’s amazing the good things that happen to you when you grow up a little.” — Ben

From Mr. Cook’s interview with Ben for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

On Sunday, Ben Roethlisberger did what he does best as an elite NFL quarterback, throwing for two touchdowns and running for another, leading the Steelers to an unlikely, season-sustaining win against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

But on this Thursday night, he is at his North Hills home, doing some nice work as a father, changing a dirty diaper. Wife Ashley is off to the Penguins-Minnesota Wild game, the highlight of a girls night out. Roethlisberger is alone with Ben Jr., who turned 1 Nov. 21. The two are having a blast. Roethlisberger does the diaper thing with the same precision he threw the touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes to win Super Bowl XLIII.

“I love being a father,” Roethlisberger said. “I love the responsibility. I love the patience it teaches you.”

It makes for a wonderful holiday picture, Roethlisberger, such a big man, holding that baby boy in his arms. Soon, there will be another face in the family team photo. The Roethlisbergers are expecting a girl in March.

“I like the path I’m on,” Roethlisberger said, “and I like who I’m on it with.”

You think the Steelers might be on the verge of an amazing comeback, from an 0-4 start this season to a spot in the playoffs? The team has nothing on Roethlisberger, who has climbed out of a much deeper, darker hole. Wasn’t it just yesterday that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended him for conduct detrimental to the league? Now, Roethlisberger is a finalist — one of 32 — for the NFL’s most prestigious annual honor, the Walter Payton Award.

He is the Steelers’ nominee, not just because he’s having, arguably, the best season of his career, but because of his community service. The award celebrates what really is important. Former Steelers Franco Harris, Joe Greene, Lynn Swann and Jerome Bettis won it, as did former Pitt and Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino. The Payton Award will be presented at Super Bowl XLVIII Feb. 2 in New Jersey.

“I knew who I was and how I was raised,” Roethlisberger said. “I also knew who I wasn’t, if that makes any sense. I knew […]

Merry Christmas to everyone out there from the Roethlisberger family, hope everyone has a blessed holiday. — Ben, Ashley and JR

“The goal is always to get better. Coach Hep always said, ‘You either improve or you deteriorate, you never stay the same.’ I want to keep getting better physically, mentally. I still feel like my best football’s ahead of me.” — Ben

Ben spoke to the media this afternoon before practice and was asked about the Steelers season finale against the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field:

We’re going to give it everything we have and play every play like it’s our last!


On playoff teams (the Kansas City Chiefs in particular) resting starters –

They have the right. If a team goes undefeated and [starters] don’t have to play the last two or three games then they shouldn’t have to. It’s up to them. I think a lot of players would want to play unless they aren’t quite healthy and want to get that extra rest. Every team, every situation’s different. Some people take the mentality of let’s let some guys rest. If you’re pretty banged up it’s a good opportunity to get rest. If you’re playing pretty well it’s a momentum thing. You can keep going and build your way into the postseason.


On his health this season –

I haven’t missed a day of practice I don’t think, have played every snap, knock on wood. I give credit to the line they’ve done such a great job of keeping me clean and I think that extra working out I did this offseason really paid off as well.


Christmas Eve or Christmas morning present opener?

We’ll do Christmas Eve with my family tonight and Christmas with ourselves and [Ashley’s] side of the family tomorrow!


On whether Christmas means more now that his family is starting to grow –

Yeah, it’s neat. I think next year will be a little bit better because right now all he cares about is the boxes and the wrapping paper! Once he starts liking presents it will be a little better! (laughs).


Ben is also is asked about those hurdles from Le’Veon Bell, scoreboard watching, sacks, holding the ball “too long”, and jokes about his running touchdown in the Packers game!


You can watch video of his full interview here.



Did you miss Ben’s radio show today on 93.7 The Fan?

After a win over the Packers and a […]