From the article entitled, "Roethlisberger: Calm, collected amid chaos":
One vision of the big, strapping dude, viewed through this hard-bitten city's prism of black and gold, is that of a scraggly disheveled Gen-Y quarterback who often seems to scramble from potential trouble, balancing the football chip on his shoulder with the wild-child in his soul.
Yes, Ben Roethlisberger, a risk-taker on and off the field, has a lot of experience trying to flee the rush of life as it pursues him from all sorts of angles.
All swagger, the Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback sometimes stumbles and gets slammed. Other times, he avoids harm's way. Roethlisberger continues to operate in a hurry-up mode this season, often shrugging off would be pursuers - be they hard-charging defensive ends, fawning fans or hovering news media.
Big Ben is even more brilliant as the clock ticks and the Steelers quickly operate their no-huddle offense, something he has done since his high school days in Findlay, Ohio. Roethlisberger, remarkably mobile for his size, seems most effective when a play breaks down and chaos ensues.
The quarterback's deft improvisational skills often enable him to avoid peril but not always. He has been sacked 169 times since the 2006 season, by far the most in the NFL.
"My favorite thing (as a kid) was playing backyard football," he says, looking every bit the college kid with a curly mop of tousled hair and stubble beard. "I've always loved that. I guess that's what I'm doing, just out there playing ball. I try to play the game with a lot of heart and passion. I hope it shows."
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