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Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger (born March 2, 1982, in Findlay, Ohio), is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. He led his team to a victory against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL in just his second year in the league and is the youngest quarterback to do so. Roethlisberger attended Miami University in Ohio.
NFL Career
Roethlisberger was taken 11th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft. On August 4, 2004 Roethlisberger signed a six-year contract worth $22.26 million in salaries and bonuses, with an additional $17.73 million available via incentives. He was touted by Steelers coach Bill Cowher in a press conference as a franchise quarterback.2004-05 Season
He took over from Steelers starting quarterback Tommy Maddox when he was injured during a game against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2. This injury changed the Steelers original plan for Roethlisberger, which was for him to sit on the bench or play very sparingly during the first season or two in order to learn the team's system. Instead he was thrown into the fire immediately. As a rookie, he went 14-0 in the regular season as a starting quarterback, helping the Steelers become the first AFC team to have 15 wins in a single season, surpassing former Steeler Mike Kruczek for the record for the best start by a rookie (6-0), and exceeding the mark for total wins as a rookie set by Chris Chandler and Joe Ferguson. On January 5, 2005 Roethlisberger was unanimously selected as The NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press, the first quarterback in 34 years to be so honored.One of Roethlisberger's biggest games was when he led the Steelers to a 34-20 victory over the defending Super Bowl champion and previously undefeated New England Patriots, ending their NFL-record 21-game winning streak. He completed 18 of his 24 pass attempts, including a 47-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress. He racked up 196 yards, and threw no interceptions. The week after that game the Steelers defeated the also previously undefeated Philadelphia Eagles 27-3. Roethlisberger was just 11 for 18, with one interception.
In the divisional playoffs against the New York Jets, Roethlisberger threw two interceptions. One interception was returned for a touchdown, and the other was thrown with 2:03 left in the fourth quarter, which set up a potential game-winning field goal by Jets kicker Doug Brien. Brien missed the kick as time expired (his second missed kick in the last 2 minutes of the game), and forced the game into overtime. In overtime, Roethlisberger led the Steelers down the field and put them in position for the game-winning field goal, a 33-yard attempt that was made by Jeff Reed, sending the Steelers into the AFC Championship Game for the 4th time in 10 years.
On January 23, 2005 in the AFC Championship Game in Pittsburgh, Roethlisberger completed 14 of 24 pass attempts for 226 yards, but he also threw three costly interceptions. The Steelers lost the game to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots by a score of 41-27.
2006-07 Season
Roethlisberger missed the 2006 kick-off game (the first game of the '06 season) after having an emergency appen..omy on September 3, 2006. Charlie Batch, the team's backup, started and lead the Steelers to a victory over Miami. Roethlisberger played in the following game against Jacksonville. However, he played sub-par that day, throwing two interceptions with no touchdowns (though neither the Steelers nor Jacksonville made a touchdown, a record for Monday Night Football). The Steelers lost the game with a final score of 9-0. In week three, Roethlisberger completed less than half of his passes for three interceptions and no touchdowns in a 28-20 loss to the Bengals. The final interception came in the final seconds of the game, in the end zone, ending Pittsburgh's comeback attempt. In a week 5 game against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday Night Football, Ben Roethlisberger looked sharp throughout the first half, leading 3 scoring drives. However, he began to unravel in the 2nd half and threw two interceptions, both of which shifted momentum away from the Steelers and lead to the Chargers 23-13 win. In week 6 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Roethlisberger had his best game of the season so far. He completed 16 of 19 passes for 238 yards with two touchdowns (his first of the year) and no interceptions during a 45-7 rout of the Trent Green-less Chiefs. In week 7, Roethlisberger had another great game, going 16 of 22 for 238 yards, 3 touchdowns, despite a costly fumble. But during the third quarter, Roethlisberger was helped off the field after suffering a concussion following a controversial hit by Falcon's defensive end Patrick Kerney. Roethlisberger was replaced by Charlie Batch. Batch went on to throw two touchdowns and helped send the game into overtime, following a crucial false start call on Nate Washington that ended regulation. The Falcons got the ball first, and drove down the field, and 46-year old kicker Morten Andersen booted a 34-yard field goal to win the game for the Falcons. On October 29th against the Oakland Raiders, Roethlisberger threw 4 interceptions in a 20-13 loss. The loss was his fifth of the season--two more than he had in his first two seasons combined as a starter, and gave him a total of 11 INTs, versus just 6 TDs, on the season. In a Week 9 rematch of the 2005 AFC championship game, Roethlisberger threw for a career high 433 yards and 1 TD, but had 3 more INTs as the Steelers fell short, 31-20 to Denver. Roethlisberger and the Steelers got back on a winning track in a home game a week later against the New Orleans Saints. Roethlisberger threw for 264 yards on 17 of 28 passing and 3 touchdowns to help the Steelers beat the Saints, 38-31. In Week 11, Roethlisberger overcame 3 first half interceptions by throwing for 224 4th Quarter yards and two touchdowns as the Steelers scored 21 points in the final quarter to comeback to beat the Cleveland Browns, 24-20. Roethlisberger finished 25 of 44 for 272 yards to go along with the 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.Impersonator
In July of 2005, a man from Brentwood, Pennsylvania was arrested for impersonating both Roethlisberger and then-Steelers fourth-string quarterback Brian St. Pierre. Brian Jackson, 31, had posed as Roethlisberger in order to attract the romantic attentions of a woman named Mary Groft. After arriving at her home for a date on July 6, he autographed a jersey for her neighbor, an act which ultimately led to a charge of criminal mischief for ruining the garment. That neighbor uncovered the deception while the couple was at dinner, when he looked at a photo in a news article and noticed that Roethlisberger and Jackson looked nothing alike. Jackson was also charged with two counts of harassment, but as a result of a plea bargain on August 29, 2005, he received only a summary citation for disorderly conduct.Jackson has recently been arrested a second time for allegedly impersonating Steelers Tight End Jerame Tuman.
Motorcycle accident
On Monday, June 12, 2006, at 11:17 a.m. EDT (UTC-4), Roethlisberger was involved in a motorcycle accident near the intersection of 10th Street and Second Avenue near downtown Pittsburgh, in which he was not wearing his helmet. KDKA-TV of Pittsburgh has reported that Roethlisberger did not have a valid Pennsylvania motorcycle license at the time of the accident, only a temporary permit that he had obtained after moving to Pittsburgh. According to KDKA, this permit had expired in March. Roethlisberger was travelling east on Second Avenue when a Chrysler New Yorker made a left-hand turn in front of the motorcycle and onto the South Tenth Street Bridge when the accident occurred. According to an eyewitness, Roethlisberger went over the handle bars of his bike, a 2005 Suzuki Hayabusa shattering the windshield of the car with his head. The eyewitness reports claim Roethlisberger tried to get up, but was bleeding from the head. Reports from the scene and news media indicated that the accident was serious but "not life- or career-threatening", though Roethlisberger would later relate in interviews that paramedics on the scene stopped the bleeding in his throat just in time to save his life. After the accident, the shift commander for the Allegheny County emergency service described Roethlisberger as "alert and conscious". He was transported to Mercy Hospital and was described as being in "serious but stable" condition in the operating room.Police sources have indicated that Roethlisberger suffered fractures to the jaw and left sinus cavity, as well as a nine-inch laceration to the back of the head, the loss of two teeth and many others were chipped. His facial injuries were severe enough that witnesses on the scene did not immediately recognize him, even after he identified himself as "Ben".
Upon arriving to Mercy Hospital he went immediately into surgery where he remained for over 7 hours. The broken bones in his face were repaired. The subsequent news conference with the Mercy Hospital staff was brief but confirmed early reports that the most serious injuries were to the head and face. There was no neck, spinal, nor brain damage found. After surgery, at approximately noon on June 13, 2006, Roethlisberger was upgraded to fair condition.
The most serious injuries to Roethlisberger were a broken upper and lower jaw, and a broken nose. Roethlisberger was expected to make a full recovery in time for the opening game of the season.
In the wake of Kellen Winslow II's crashing of his motorcycle in May 2005, Roethlisberger had been criticized by various NFL members and the media for not wearing a helmet while riding. Even Roethlisberger's coach, Bill Cowher, lectured him about motorcycle safety. Former Steeler Terry Bradshaw warned Roethlisberger personally when he visited Steeler training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and on television, saying "Ride it when you retire." In a segment put together by ESPN following Winslow's accident, Roethlisberger had said he didn't wear a helmet because it was not required by law, adding, "You're just more free when you're out there and there's no helmet on." Transcripts of the interview recall Roethlisberger telling Suzy Kolber that he only rides a Harley, or his chopper with friends, not a sport bike (like the one Winslow was on). He also claimed to have his license. Both statements have been proven false since this accident.
Roethlisberger was released from the hospital at 11:45 PM on June 14, 2006. The next day, he released a statement that apologized for concerning friends, family, fans, and the Steelers organization, and in which he also stated, "If I ever ride again, it certainly will be with a helmet."
On June 19, the Pittsburgh police announced that Roethlisberger would be cited for failure to wear a helmet and failure to operate in his license class. Wearing a helmet is optional in Pennsylvania only for operators who currently possess and have had a motorcycle license for at least two years. The driver of the car will be cited for failure to yield the right of way. July 13th Roethlisberger in his first interview explains that he was told by responding paramedics that he ruptured a major blood vessel in his mouth and was minutes away from dying. Despite the seriousness of the accident, his recovery went so well that he started the first three Steelers 2006 preseason games.
Records
* Most career touchdowns by a Miami (Ohio) University quarterback - 84* Most regular season wins by an NFL rookie quarterback (2004) - 13 games (Roethlisberger did not play in the Steelers' season opener against Oakland or their season finale at Buffalo during their 15-1 season)
* Highest quarterback rating by an NFL rookie quarterback (2004) - 98.1
* Highest completion percentage by an NFL rookie quarterback (2004) - 66.4%
* Longest regular season win streak to start a career for an NFL quarterback (2004-05) - 15 games
* First quarterback to start two Conference Championship games in first two seasons in the NFL (2004 & 2005)
* Lowest QB rating for a Super Bowl winning QB - 22.6 (Completed 9 of 21 passes for 0 touchdowns, with 2 interceptions)
* 32-11 won/loss record (including 5-1 in the playoffs) as a starting quarterback in the NFL (as of 12/07/06)
* Second youngest quarterback to play in the Super Bowl (2005), behind Dan Marino
* Youngest quarterback ever to win the Super Bowl (2005)
* Second quarterback of Swiss descent to play and win a Super Bowl (Jeff Hostetler)
* Achieved the 32nd perfect passer rating in NFL history in a game against the Titans on September 11, 2005.
Trivia
* Has a sandwich named after him, called the "Roethlisburger," which costs $7.00 (because his football jersey number is 7) at Peppi's, a restaurant at several locations in Pittsburgh. The burger is topped with sausage, scrambled eggs, grilled onions, and American cheese on a Portuguese roll. Also has a very large burger named after him at Tony's in his hometown, as well as one in Oxford, Ohio at the bar and restaurant Brick Street. There is also a bagel named after him at Oxford's Bagel and Deli Shop called the "Ben's Best".* Wears #7 to pay tribute to John Elway of the Denver Broncos.
* Grew a beard in his 2005/2006 season after the Steelers lost to the Cincinnati Bengals. He credits the beard as the good luck charm that led him on an 8-game winning streak, straight to Super Bowl XL.
* His surname "Roethlisberger" (Swiss-German spelling: Röthlisberger) is of Swiss origin.
* His sister Carlee will play women's basketball for the Oklahoma Sooners and Coach Sherri Coale.
* Appears in television commercials for Fathead.
PRESEASON
Sunday, Aug. 5 vs. Saints
8 p.m.
NFL Network
Saturday, Aug. 11 vs. Packers
7:30 p.m.
FSN Pittsburgh
Saturday, Aug. 18 @ Redskins
8 p.m.
FSN Pittsburgh
Sunday, Aug. 26 vs. Eagles
8 p.m.
NBC
Thursday, Aug. 30 @ Panthers
8 p.m.
FSN Pittsburgh
REGULAR SEASON
Sunday, Sept. 9
@ Browns
1 p.m.
CBS
Sunday, Sept 16 vs. Bills
1 p.m.
CBS
Sunday, Sept. 23 vs. 49ers
1 p.m.
FOX
Sunday, Sept. 30 @ Cardinals
4:15 p.m.
CBS
Sunday, Oct. 7
vs. Seahawks
1 p.m.
FOX
Bye Week
Sunday, Oct. 21
@ Broncos
8:15 p.m.
NBC
Sunday, Oct. 28
@ Bengals
1 p.m.
CBS
Monday, Nov. 5 vs. Ravens
8:30 p.m.
ESPN
Sunday, Nov. 11 vs. Browns
1 p.m.
CBS
Sunday, Nov. 18* @ Jets
1 p.m.
CBS
Monday, Nov. 26 vs. Dolphins
8:30 p.m.
ESPN
Sunday, Dec. 2* vs. Bengals
8:15 p.m.
NBC
Sunday, Dec. 9*
@ Patriots
1 p.m.
CBS
Sunday, Dec. 16* vs. Jaguars
1 p.m.
CBS
Thursday, Dec. 20 @ Rams
8:15 p.m.
NFL Network
Sunday, Dec. 30
@ Ravens
1 p.m.
CBS
* Times and TV network may change due to flexible scheduling Send Message
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