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As a longtime fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers (which began when Louisiana Tech quarterback Terry Bradshaw joined the NFL team in 1970), I was feeling a little sadder and a lot older by the end of Monday night’s NFL game between Pittsburgh and Cleveland at Heinz Field in Steel City.
The Steelers still have a slim chance to make the NFL playoffs, but this game was all about the final home game to be played by Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Steeler Nation and his Black and Gold football teammates desperately wanted to win this game for their longtime leader, #7.
Ben Roethlisberger dropped a big hint last week that Monday night would likely be his final home game as a Pittsburgh Steeler. He is now 39 years of age and, sadly, plays even older than that. He’s also called “Big Ben” for a reason. He is 6’5” tall, weighs 240 pounds, and has taken so many NFL hits that he is lucky to be simply standing upright at this point in his career.
Big Ben grew up in northwestern Ohio and played his college football for Miami University (of Ohio – not Florida). I was fortunate enough to see him play college football as a sophomore in 2002 when the Miami Redhawks (as they are now called) visited LSU at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. Miami was thrashed by LSU 33-7 that night, but Big Ben Roethlisberger was quite noticeable with size (he was as large as many of his offensive linemen), his strong arm and toughness at the quarterback position. The following year, Miami would go 13-1 and finish #10 in the final AP rankings.
In 2004, Ben was drafted as part of what is considered as one of the most talented quarterback classes in NFL history. Though Eli Manning and Philip Rivers would be taken before Roethlisberger (at #11 by Pittsburgh), it was Steelers’ owner Dan Rooney who implored Coach Bill Cowher to take Big Ben when he was still available in the first round at the #11 spot.
The selection was love at first sight for Pittsburgh Steelers fans.
Ben Roethlisberger came into Steel City as a rookie looking a lot like Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw – big, strong, and he could throw the ball a country mile. Pittsburgh Steelers fans wanted a quarterback who was capable of leading their beloved team back to the Super Bowl once again. After winning four rings in the 1970’s, Pittsburgh’s fans were hungry to finally win “One for the Thumb” upon Ben’s arrival.
During his rookie year in 2004, Ben Roethlisberger was every bit the player that Steeler fans were hoping for. After earning the starting job early in the season, he went 13-0 and led Pittsburgh deep into the playoffs. In the AFC Championship game played in Pittsburgh, Tom Brady led the New England Patriots to victory (and, ultimately, the Super Bowl) to pop Pittsburgh’s bubble. Roth would win the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award for his success on the field.
The following year, Big Ben and the Steelers rolled past Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Denver in the playoffs to win the AFC title and defeated Seattle 21-10 to win the team’s fifth Super Bowl ring. At just 23 years old, Ben Roethlisberger was the youngest starting quarterback to earn a Super Bowl victory.
Around this time of his life, Ben Roethlisberger had become a celebrity with the fame and money to go along with it. He simply didn’t handle it very well. Ben was quickly becoming a cartoon caricature of himself as he dealt several embarrassing off-the-field exploits which were keeping his name in the tabloids for all the wrong reasons. Years later, Big Ben would admit to having an alcohol addiction problem.
Fortunately, Ben Roethlisberger soon discovered his future wife (Ashley – who was also an accomplished athlete) while living in Pittsburgh. The couple would eventually be married in 2011. Ben credits Ashley with helping him to overcome a number of personal and professional challenges. The couple now has three children.
Back on the football field, the Pittsburgh Steelers had to deal with the sudden retirement of their long-time coach, Bill Cowher, after the 2006 football season. Pittsburgh hired young defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin (who was just 36 at the time) to become the team’s new head football coach. During this same time, Ben Roethlisberger would begin to deal with a variety of injuries which would plague his 18 years in the NFL.
In 2008, Big Ben signed a new long-term contract calling for $102 million to be paid over the next eight seasons. By doing so, he was telling Pittsburgh fans that he was planning to play the remainder of his career in Steel City. By the end of that year, he would forever endear himself to Steelers fans everywhere by taking the team to a record-setting sixth Super Bowl win over the Arizona Cardinals. Roethlisberger rallied the team with two minutes left in the game and tossed a game-winning touchdown to Santonio Holmes with just 35 seconds to go as the Steelers won 27-23.
Big Ben would lead Pittsburgh to one final Super Bowl game to conclude the 2010 season, but Green Bay was able to withstand a late rally to down the Steelers 31-25.
Since that time, Pittsburgh has remained relevant, but the New England Patriots (led by Tom Brady), Denver (led by wily veteran Payton Manning), and Kansas City (led by the young gunslinger Patrick Mahomes) have dominated the AFC over the ensuing decade. Though Ben Roethlisberger’s Pittsburgh Steelers teams would never have a losing record over his 18 years (this year’s team is now 8-7-1 with one game to go), Pittsburgh has struggled to climb back to the top of the AFC.
Ben Roethlisberger has sustained a number of injuries (including three concussions) over his successful 18-year career in Pittsburgh:
2006 – Concussion (helmet-to-helmet contact)
2009 – Achilles injury and another concussion
2010 – Foot fracture and nose fracture
2011 – Foot sprain, ankle sprain, and thumb fracture
2012 – Ankle sprain, Achilles injury, dislocated shoulder on throwing arm, rib injury
2013 – Dislocated finger on throwing hand
2015 – Knee sprain, foot sprain, and concussion
2016 – Torn ligaments in throwing shoulder
2018 – Cracked ribs
2019 – Elbow injury – surgery required
2020 – Knees (both) strained
2021 – Left pectoral strain, hip injury
On a cold 25 degree Monday night in Pittsburgh, Steeler Nation poured out their love for their departing offensive leader in a nationally televised game against arch-rival Cleveland. Thousands of “Thank you, Ben” and “#7 Forever” signs adorned Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. The roar from the crowd when Roethlisberger took the field during the player introductions was simply incredible.
Ben Roethlisberger struggled on the field again Monday night (as he has so often over the past season) by completing 24 out of 46 passes for a woeful 123 yards, but it simply didn’t matter on Monday night. The Pittsburgh defense obliterated the Cleveland Browns quarterbacks with nine sacks, and crowd was as loud as if this game was being played for the AFC Championship. No one in the stadium wearing black and gold was going to let Big Ben lose his final home game in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers prevailed 26-14 thanks to a final minute score to ice the game by talented rookie running back Najee Harris. After the game’s final play, Big Ben had tears in his eyes as he accepted congratulations from the players and took a final lap around the stadium to salute thousands of Terrible Towel waving faithful. Roth would finally be greeted on the field by his wife and three children and depart Heinz Field for the final time in his career.
Ben Roethlisberger epitomized the tough blue collar work ethic which Pittsburgh is known for. I cannot remember any professional football player receiving a more meaningful and heartfelt on-field “Thank you” from his teammates and fans the way Big Ben did on Monday night.
He deserved every minute of it. Thanks for the memories, #7!