FOOTBALL SUPERSTARS

Ben Roethlisberger
FOOTBALL SUPERSTARS

Tiki Barber
Tom Brady
John Elway
Brett Favre
Peyton Manning
Dan Marino
Donovan McNabb
Joe Montana
Walter Payton
Jerry Rice
Ben Roethlisberger
Barry Sanders
FOOTBALL SUPERSTARS

Ben
Roethlisberger

Rachel A. Koestler-grack
Ben Roethlisberger

Copyright © 2008 by Infobase Publishing

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Koestler-Grack, Rachel A., 1973-
Ben Roethlisberger / by Rachel A. Koestler-Grack.
p. cm. -- (Football superstars)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-7910-9837-0 (hardcover)
1. Roethlisberger, Ben, 1982---Juvenile literature. 2. Football players--United States--
Biography--Juvenile literature. I. Title. II. Series.

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 contents

1 Big Ben Delivers an XL Win 

2 Rise Above the Rest 13

3 First-Round Pick 22

4 Big Ben Emerges 34

5 Best Rookie Ever? 45

6 “One More Year” 62

7 Lucky No. 40 

8 Looking for a Replay 0

9 A New Era 101

Statistics 113
Chronology and Timeline 114
Glossary 11
Bibliography 122
Further Reading 12
Picture Credits 12
Index 130
About the Author 136
 1

Big Ben Delivers

an XL Win
O n February 5, 2006, the crowd at Ford Field in Detroit,
Michigan, was ready to burst. Even though the Pittsburgh
Steelers were far from home, the sea of yellow “Terrible Towels”
in the stands told them otherwise. For one Steeler—running
back Jerome “The Bus” Bettis, this was home. He was born
and raised in Detroit, and he had come home for his final NFL
game—Super Bowl XL. The only trouble was that second-year
quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, aka Big Ben, had not been
putting on the show the fans had hoped to see. Instead, he was
playing more like the 23-year-old quarterback he was.
The Seattle Seahawks had dominated the first quarter.
Roethlisberger finished the quarter with a string of incomplete
passes, and Pittsburgh was behind 3-0. In the second quarter,
however, the pendulum started to swing. It was a seemingly


 Ben Roethlisberger

modest play that changed the course of the game. With a little
less than nine minutes left in the half, Steelers cornerback
Deshea Townsend cut down Seattle fullback Mack Strong on
a swing pass six inches shy of a first down. Pittsburgh got the
ball back but only gained four yards on the first two plays. On
third and 6 at the Steelers’ 45-yard line, Roethlisberger tucked
the ball down and ducked under a defender before spotting his
favorite wide receiver—Hines Ward. He tossed a shovel pass to
Ward for a 12-yard gain. Two plays later, Cedrick Wilson found
an opening downfield, and Roethlisberger connected with him
for another 20 yards.
After a penalty and a sack, the Steelers were sitting on
third and 28 at the Seattle 40 when they pulled out the biggest
and craziest play of the first half. In all common sense, a safe
10-yard play would have put the Steelers in comfortable field-
goal range. The play they ran, though, took a slightly different
spin. Flushed out of the pocket, Roethlisberger seemed to be
on the verge of scrambling the distance. Just inches short of the
line of scrimmage, though, Roethlisberger ran sideways. He
spotted Ward streaking downfield and launched the football
across the field. Beating strong safety Michael Boulware to
the ball, Ward grabbed the pass for a 37-yard gain to Seattle’s
3-yard line. Two handoffs to Bettis left Pittsburgh one yard
short of a touchdown. On the next play, Roethlisberger rolled
left, faked a pitch to Bettis, and kept the ball. He cut back toward
the middle and leaped to the end zone, crashing into line-
backer D.D. Lewis. Even though Lewis knocked Roethlisberger
backward, the play was ruled a touchdown, because the ball
had crossed the plane of the goal line. With 1:55 remaining in
the first half, the Steelers took a 7-3 lead.

STILL MORE THEATRICS

As it turned out, Pittsburgh’s made-for-the-big-screen offense
had an encore planned in the second half. Clenching a 14-10
lead in the fourth quarter, the Steelers had the ball on Seattle’s
 Big Ben Delivers an XL Win 

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger dove in for a one-yard touchdown in

the second quarter of Super Bowl XL on February 5, 2006, in Detroit. The touchdown gave
the Steelers a 7-3 lead over the Seattle Seahawks. In only his second season in the National
Football League, Roethlisberger had led his team to the game’s biggest stage.

43-yard line. Roethlisberger handed off to Willie Parker, who

quickly handed the ball to wide receiver Antwaan Randle El as
he was rushing right. Meanwhile, Ward had looped downfield
into the open, and Randle El, who was a record-setting col-
lege quarterback at Indiana University, hit Ward in stride for a
43-yard touchdown with 9:04 remaining in the game. The
score was all the Steelers needed. The Seahawks had no answer
for Pittsburgh, who made Super-Bowl-winning history with
their 21-10 victory.
10 Ben Roethlisberger

For the fifth time in franchise history, the Steelers had

taken a Super Bowl title, tying them with the Dallas Cowboys
and the San Francisco 49ers. It was an extra-large—XL—win
for the Steelers and the Rooney family (the owners of the
Steelers), bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to Pittsburgh
after 26 years of waiting. In only his second year in the league,

History of the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are part of the North Division of the
American Football Conference (AFC North). They are the old-
est franchise in the AFC and have also won the most cham-
pionships—appearing in six Super Bowls and winning five.
Originally named the Pirates, Pittsburgh joined the NFL in
1933. The Steelers are descendents of the first-ever pro-football
team, as Pittsburgh hosted the world’s first pro game in the
1880s. That early franchise, though, fell victim to Pennsylvania’s
“blue laws,” which (before 1933) prohibited sporting events
from being played on Sundays.
In 1940, the franchise was reformed and renamed the
Pittsburgh Steelers, because of the city’s prominence in the steel
industry. A fan had suggested the name in a contest held by
the team and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. For several decades,
the Steelers were a mediocre team that rarely made the play-
offs. In 1970, when the American Football League merged with
the National Football League, the Steelers were one of three
NFL teams to switch to the newly formed American Football
Conference, which consisted of the original AFL teams.
During the 1970s, under head coach Chuck Noll, the
Steelers finally became winners. Noll had a knack for spot-
ting football stars and making remarkable draft selections,
 Big Ben Delivers an XL Win 11

Roethlisberger became the youngest quarterback in NFL

history to win the Super Bowl. On top of that, the Steelers
were the first team ever to enter the postseason as a No. 6
seed in the conference playoffs and win three road games en
route to the Super Bowl. They defied the odds to get there and
came out on top.

such as taking Hall of Famers “Mean” Joe Greene in 1969, Terry

Bradshaw and Mel Blount in 1970, Jack Ham in 1971, and
Franco Harris in 1972. In 1974, he picked a Hall-of-Fame buffet
by drafting Mike Webster, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, and
Jack Lambert all in one year. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 1974 draft
has gone down in NFL history as the best ever. No other team
has ever drafted four future Hall of Famers in one year. These
players formed one of the NFL’s greatest football dynasties,
making the playoffs in eight seasons and becoming the only
team to win four Super Bowls in six years, as well as the first to
win more than two.
As those players retired, the Steelers suffered a bit of a
slump in the 1980s. When the Chuck Noll era ended after the
1991 season, the Bill Cowher era began. Cowher took the team
to the playoffs in each of his first six seasons. The Steelers lost
Super Bowl XXX to Dallas but 10 years later, won Super Bowl XL
over Seattle. After 15 years with the team, Cowher stepped
down as coach at the end of the 2006 season. Current coach
Mike Tomlin has big shoes to fill and high expectations to meet.
But he is off to a promising start, making the playoffs during his
first season. Someone else in Pittsburgh started out the same
way—he is known by most as Big Ben.
12 Ben Roethlisberger

Roethlisberger did not play his best game, completing only

9 of 21 passes with two interceptions, but he helped make
plays when the Steelers needed them most. “We got the win,
and that’s all that matters,” he said after the game, as quoted
by the Associated Press. The Steelers had not been a one-man
team. Roethlisberger shared his offensive duties with a killer
running game and competent receivers. Likewise, the Steelers
defense was its usual hard-hitting force. Time and time again,
Roethlisberger displayed humility and gave credit where credit
was due. After the Super Bowl, Big Ben was asked if he was
thankful that his supporting cast had played well enough to
win. “They’re not my supporting cast,” he answered, as quoted
in The Washington Post. “I’m their supporting cast. Two
interceptions—that’s the recipe for disaster—yet we won. I’ve
bragged on these guys all year and always will.”
The season before, when veteran Tommy Maddox was
sidelined with an injury, Roethlisberger—a fresh-off-the-draft
rookie—slid into his position as the starting quarterback with
incredible ease and a confidence that quickly earned the respect
of his teammates. With a calmness that typically comes only
with age, Big Ben led the Steelers to the AFC Championship
Game that year. Pittsburgh’s loss to the New England Patriots
that day was Roethlisberger’s first loss in 15 games as an NFL
starter. Roethlisberger finished his rookie season as the No. 5
quarterback in the NFL, with a passer rating of 98.1. He was
voted the Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
and the Sporting News Rookie of the Year.
Big Ben hit the NFL blazing, and he intends on continuing
as one of the league’s top quarterbacks. The clean-cut kid from
the small, blue-collar town of Findlay, Ohio, now has sand-
wiches named after him at local Pittsburgh diners. Teammate
Hines Ward said the words that everyone in the NFL had been
thinking ever since Roethlisberger rolled into Pittsburgh, “One
game away as a rookie and he wins the Super Bowl in the sec-
ond year? Imagine that—and there are so many years left.”
 2

Rise Above
the Rest
O n March 2, 1982, in the small Ohio town of Findlay,
Ben was born to Ken and Ida Roethlisberger. When Ben
was about two years old, Ken and Ida Roethlisberger divorced.
Young Ben lived primarily with his father, who quickly remar-
ried. Ben loved his new stepmother, Brenda, and the family
soon grew bigger when his sister, Carlee, was born. When Ben
was 8 years old, tragedy struck as his mother, Ida, was suddenly
killed in a car accident. Surrounded by a loving family, Ben
learned to deal with the pain of losing his mother, but he never
forgot her. Even today, he still points heavenward after each
touchdown, knowing that his mom is up there watching him.
At a young age, Ben became active in sports, and he had
exceptional talent in basketball and football. He and his friends
got together in one another’s yards to emulate their NFL

13
14 Ben Roethlisberger

heroes. Pretending it was the Super Bowl, they would throw the
ball as Joe Montana and catch passes as Jerry Rice. Ben’s biggest
idols were Montana, the 49ers quarterback, and John Elway, the
Denver Broncos quarterback. Whenever he could, Ben would
take Elway’s uniform number—No. 7—in any sport he played,
all the way up to the pros. Ben’s athletic gifts and natural abili-
ties were apparent to anyone who watched him play. “Some kids
just rise above the rest, and Ben was one of them,” commented
Tony Iriti, the mayor of Findlay, on Roethlisberger’s Web site,
BigBen7.com. Iriti was Ben’s fifth- and sixth-grade football
coach and a volunteer assistant at Findlay High School. “You
usually don’t expect a kid to make every play, but Ben always
seemed to make things work,” he said.
A thin and lanky teenager, Ben played wideout for the
Findlay High School Trojans. It was not until the fall of 1999—
Ben’s senior year—that he finally earned the chance to be the
No. 1 quarterback after the previous starting quarterback grad-
uated. His years as a receiver helped him understand coverage
schemes from the defense. Ben did not let his years backstage
slow him down. In the 1999 season, he led the Trojans to a 10–2
record and to the second round of the state playoffs in Ohio,
before losing to Grove City. During the regular season, Ben
passed for 4,041 yards and 54 touchdowns, both state records.
That year, he participated in the Ohio North-South and Ohio-
Pennsylvania Big 33 games, in which he threw for two touch-
downs, including the game-winner in the North-South game.
He was named the Ohio Division I Offensive Player of the Year
for 1999 and was runner-up for the 1999 Mr. Football honors
in Ohio.
During his high school years, Ben was not just burning up
the field in football. His talents glittered in other sports as well.
He was named an all-league player in baseball and basketball.
In all three sports, he served as team captain. As a point guard
in basketball, he averaged 26.5 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists
a game during his senior year. Ben also set the school’s career
 Rise Above the Rest 15

A giant poster of Ben Roethlisberger, featuring his high school team picture, was put
up on a building in downtown Findlay, Ohio, just before Super Bowl XL in 2006. In high
school, Roethlisberger had to wait for three years behind the starting quarterback. He did
not get the chance to be Findlay High’s No. 1 quarterback until his senior year.

scoring record in basketball. As shortstop for the Findlay base-

ball team, he was a .300 hitter.
Even though his quarterbacking talent had remained hidden
for his first three years of high school, Ben was able to attract
attention from college football teams. Just before his senior year,
his explosive abilities became apparent to the football staff at
Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, who invited him to summer
camp before his senior year. At camp, he performed well but left
without a scholarship. After all, Ben had not yet played one game
as a starting quarterback. Miami head coach Terry Hoeppner
worried that some people might think he was foolish to offer a
scholarship to a kid who had not even played one game at No. 1.
In Ben’s first game as quarterback at Findlay High, he threw six
touchdowns. “That’s good enough for me,” Hoeppner said.
16 Ben Roethlisberger

After seeing what Ben could do, Ohio State University, from
the more prestigious Big Ten Conference, also tried to woo him
with a scholarship. But Ben went with Miami of Ohio. His state
records for touchdowns and passing yardage came while playing
a high-power offense similar to the one Miami ran. Also, Ohio
State had him slotted as a tight end. “It came down to what felt
right,” Roethlisberger later said on his Web site. “I prayed a lot
about it, talked to my family about it, and [Miami] seemed like the
right fit.” So, in the spring of 2000, Ben graduated from Findlay
High School, anticipating his career as a Miami RedHawk.

Capturing a MAC Title

As a freshman in 2000, Ben was a RedHawk redshirt, mean-
ing that he sat out the first year so that he would have four
more years of eligibility to play. He took over as the starting
quarterback in the 2001 season. In his first two games against
Michigan and Iowa, Ben struggled. His blunders, though,
quickly disappeared. During the first home game, against
rival Cincinnati, Ben completed 20 of 25 passes for 264 yards,
two touchdowns, and a RedHawk victory. In his first season
as the starting quarterback, he threw for an impressive 3,105
yards, with 25 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He set school
records with his passing yards and number of touchdowns.
Three times, he was named the Mid-American Conference
(MAC) Player of the Week, and at the end of the season, he
was named the conference’s Freshman of the Year.
Also in his first season, Roethlisberger acquired the nick-
name that has stayed with him into his pro career. Seconds were
ticking away toward the end of a game against the University of
Akron. To give Miami the win, Roethlisberger had to heave a
70-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass. The play he ran was called
“Big Ben”—and from then on, the nickname stuck.
His second season at Miami, in 2002, was equally strong, with
3,238 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and just 11 interceptions.
 Rise Above the Rest 17

Ben Roethlisberger gets off a pass in the fourth quarter of the Mid-American Conference
championship game in December 2003. With Roethlisberger in command of the offense,
the 2003 Miami RedHawks won 11 straight games after a season-opening loss to Iowa.
18 Ben Roethlisberger

He became only the fourth quarterback in the history of the

conference to record two seasons with more than 3,000 passing
yards. Ben had other talents on the football field, too, filling in
for Miami’s injured punter. He drilled nine of 11 punts inside
the opponent’s 20-yard line.
By his junior year, Ben had complete command of the
offense. According to Coach Hoeppner, Ben took a “quantum
leap” forward during the 2003 season. After an opening-game
loss at Iowa, Ben dominated the field. He completed nearly 70
percent of his passes, and rewrote almost every Miami passing
record—some of which were his own. The RedHawks plowed
through the season, toppling every other team they played,

Entrance Exams
Getting accepted into the NFL is kind of like getting accepted
into a top-notch college. Draftees may not have to take another
ACT or SAT, but they still need to bring their No. 2 lead pencils.
And, of course, they need to demonstrate their athleticism.
Every February, prospective players head to the NFL Scouting
Combine, where they undertake physical and mental tests in
front of NFL coaches, general managers, and scouts. How ath-
letes perform at the Combine can be critical to their football
careers. Players get ratings in the following tests: 40-yard dash,
vertical jump, broad jump, bench press, pro agility shuttle,
three-cone agility, and 60-yard shuttle.
Some of Ben’s Combine ratings were 4.75 seconds in the
40-yard dash; 340 pounds in bench press; and 32 inches in the
vertical jump. Roethlisberger’s speed was impressive. Most
running-back draftees run the 40-yard dash between 4.4 and
4.8 seconds. For a quarterback, Big Ben was fast.
 Rise Above the Rest 19

winning 11 straight games to earn the right to play in the Mid-

American Conference championship game.
On December 4, 2003, the RedHawks battled the Bowling
Green Falcons for the MAC title. The game started out tight.
Early in the first half, Bowling Green blocked a Miami punt,
recovering the ball at Miami’s 33-yard line and setting up the first
touchdown. Bowling Green led 7-0 with 11:46 left in the opening
quarter. Five plays later, Ben answered with a 53-yard touchdown
pass. Once more, the Falcons jumped ahead, but Miami was
quick to even the score.
Miami did not take the lead until late in the second quarter.
On the play, Ben sidestepped a blitzing defender, rolled left,

Football players have to be more than just quick on their

feet, however. They also have to think quickly. When a play
unfolds, it can be unpredictable. A player in any position must
be able to think creatively and improvise. Players also must learn
and execute complex plays, and remember plenty of them. To
measaure their abilities in this area, NFL draftees take a type of
intelligence test called the Wonderlic. This 50-question IQ test
starts with relatively easy questions such as: “In the following set
of words, which word is different from the others? 1) copper, 2)
nickel, 3) aluminum, 4) wood, 5) bronze.” The questions get more
difficult, such as: “A rectangular bin, completely filled, holds 640
cubic feet of grain. If the bin is 8 feet wide and 10 feet long, how
deep is it?” A score of 10 is considered basic literacy—in other
words, not too smart. Most NFL players score in the 20s. The only
NFL player to score a perfect 50 was former Bengals punter and
Harvard graduate Pat McInally. Roethlisberger scored a 25.
20 Ben Roethlisberger

and nailed receiver Mike Larkin with a 16-yard touchdown

pass. With 4:36 remaining in the first half, Miami led 21-14. At
halftime, the Falcons trailed by only 21-17, even though Miami
had outgained them 306 yards to 172 yards.
Early in the second half, the Falcons fell apart and never
recovered. Back-to-back fumbles gave the RedHawks the ball
inside Falcon territory each time. Ben took advantage of each
possession, striking with two touchdowns—a one-yard plunge
and a 13-yard carry. With 4:57 to go in the third quarter, Miami
held a commanding 35-17 lead.
Ben sealed a RedHawk victory with a 55-yard touchdown
pass to Calvin Murray. With 17 seconds left in the third quarter,
Miami was up 42-20. In the fourth quarter, both teams added a
touchdown, but the night belonged to Ben and the RedHawks.
With a final score of 49-27, Miami won its first MAC title since
1986. Ben, who was the MAC player of the year, completed 26
of 35 passes for a record-setting 440 passing yards; he threw
seven touchdowns to four receivers.
Bowling Green had had no answer for Ben. He was on tar-
get all night, whether he threw short or deep passes. He picked
apart the defense, spreading the ball among nine receivers.
After the game, Ben humbly gave the credit to his teammates.
“All I had to do was put it out there and they made the play,”
he said, as quoted in Roethlisberger: Pittsburgh’s Own Big Ben.
He further praised his offensive line for not allowing a single
sack. “I still have a white jersey,” he said and grinned. On
defense, Miami brought Bowling Green’s short passing game to
a screeching halt and put the pressure on Falcon quarterback
Josh Harris.

SPECULATION ABOUT THE FUTURE

After the championship game, people wondered if Ben would
return to Miami for the 2004 season or enter the NFL draft. If
he chose to enter the draft, he was projected to be a top pick. For
the moment, Ben remained quiet about the issue. He was more
 Rise Above the Rest 21

concerned about the GMAC Bowl on December 18, which the

victory over Bowling Green had secured for Miami. There, the
RedHawks trampled Louisville 49-28. Roethlisberger threw
for 376 yards and four first-half touchdowns. The victory gave
Miami a 13–1 record and the longest winning streak of any
major college football team. The RedHawks finished at No. 10
in the final Associated Press poll of the season.
In 14 games during the 2003 season, Ben passed for a
conference-record 4,486 yards with 37 touchdowns and only 10
interceptions. With his season performance, he became a semi-
finalist for the Davey O’Brien Award, which is given to the top
quarterback in the nation.
Ben’s No. 1 goal had always been to win a championship.
After the RedHawks beat Louisville, he felt as if he had accom-
plished all he had wanted to in college football. His ambition
switched gears. On December 18, after the GMAC Bowl, Ben
announced that he would file for the NFL draft. “I feel the time
is right to embark on the next challenge,” he said, according to
an article by the Associated Press. “I’ll always be grateful for the
wonderful experiences of the past four years.” The once-lanky
teenager now stood a towering 6 feet 5 inches (196 centimeters)
and weighed a hefty 240 pounds (109 kilograms). His strong
arm was legendary, and he moved with an athleticism rare for
his bulky size. Some team was sure to snatch up this gem of a
quarterback. The question was merely who it would be.
 3

First-Round Pick
E ntering the NFL draft is not a simple waiting game. No
matter how well a player performs on the college field, he
still has to showcase his worthiness, polishing his physical
appearance and athletic attributes until they shine like a new
penny. When Ben Roethlisberger decided to leave Miami of
Ohio after his junior year, he did not realize just how much his
life was about to change. He waved good-bye to final exams,
midnight runs to Taco Bell, and even Midwest winter storms.
He was on his way to sunny Newport Beach, California, where
he would overhaul his diet, take on a rigid workout schedule,
and learn the social graces of an NFL quarterback.
Preparing for the draft was more exhausting than a full-
time job. Nearly every day, Roethlisberger spent an hour in
weight training, an hour or more working with a quarterback

22
 First-Round Pick 23

coach to tighten his throwing motion, and another hour work-

ing to improve his speed. In addition to the physical training,
he visited his agent daily to do interviews, get his mail, and
attend to other matters. Sunday was Roethlisberger’s only day
off. “I had an idea it would be tough, but I didn’t know how
tough,” he said in Roethlisberger: Pittsburgh’s Own Big Ben. “I
didn’t know how much time I had to put into it.”
The draft holds high stakes. In 2003, first-round draft picks
snatched $210 million in signing bonuses. Moving up just a
few spots in the draft could reel in millions of dollars. In 2004,
Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, and Philip Rivers were considered
the top quarterbacks in the draft. Pedestal quarterbacks get the
big bucks but also carry heavy expectations. “The stakes for a
player like Ben are much higher, and the dynamic is different
than it would be for a typical player,” Roethlisberger’s agent,
Leigh Steinberg, pointed out in Pittsburgh’s Own Big Ben.
In the weeks leading up to the draft, Roethlisberger worked
out at various scouting combines. Steinberg took him to the
Senior Bowl to make him a familiar face among NFL scouts,
coaches, and general managers. In February, Roethlisberger
accompanied Steinberg to Super Bowl XXXVIII at Reliant
Stadium in Houston, Texas, hoping to get a taste for the mass
media. There, he was starstruck when he saw some of his child-
hood football heroes, like Ronnie Lott, Joe Montana, Howie
Long, Cris Carter, and Warren Moon. “I had posters of these
guys,” Roethlisberger said in an Associated Press article. At
first, the whole pre-draft experience was a bit overwhelming. It
did not take long, however, for Roethlisberger to settle into his
prospective future. “It’s starting to sink in that this is kind of my
life now and it’s going to be my life,” he said.
In the 2004 draft, Roethlisberger was the third quarterback
chosen, after Manning (the top pick) and Rivers (the fourth
overall pick). The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Roethlisberger in
the first round with the eleventh pick. Roethlisberger was only
the second quarterback drafted in the first round by the Steelers
24 Ben Roethlisberger

The Pittsburgh Steelers chose Ben Roethlisberger with the eleventh pick in the first round
of the NFL Draft on April 24, 2004. Here, after the pick was announced, Roethlisberger
held up a Steelers jersey. He was the third quarterback overall selected in the draft.
 First-Round Pick 25

in 33 years. Coach Bill Cowher saw that Roethlisberger’s ath-

leticism was too great a prize to let slip away. “If you have
an opportunity to get a good, young quarterback who has a
tremendous upside, it’s too golden an opportunity to pass,” he
said, as quoted on Roethlisberger’s Web site.
Although Roethlisberger never criticized Manning or
Rivers, he believed that he had a little more to offer than either
of them. Eli Manning, the younger brother of Indianapolis Colts
star quarterback Peyton Manning, received a lot of press atten-
tion before the draft. Some claimed that Eli’s family lineage—
besides his brother, his father, Archie, was an NFL quarterback
for 14 seasons—gave him an edge over other quarterbacks in
the draft. Roethlisberger, however, was never sucked into the
hype. “It all boils down to this,” he said in an Associated Press
article, “it’s just football. Once I get on the field, my will to win
is much greater than both of them.”
When he arrived in Pittsburgh in April, though,
Roethlisberger was still No. 3—on the Steelers’ depth chart.
At first glance, it seemed that he would have to wait a
little longer to prove his passion than Manning would with
the New York Giants or Rivers would with the San Diego
Chargers. In the meantime, he was ready to learn as much as
he could from Steelers starting quarterback Tommy Maddox
and backup Charlie Batch. Perhaps the Steelers secretly
underestimated Roethlisberger’s potential. At least they did
his size, when they handed him a much-too-small No. 7 jersey
for his first photo shoot. Maddox, though, understood that
Roethlisberger and the contract he would receive would have
an impact on Maddox’s position with the team. Maddox knew
that he might be playing the 2004 season only for the chance
to earn a spot with a different team in 2005.
On August 4, 2004, Roethlisberger signed a six-year,
$40 million contract with Pittsburgh—becoming the highest-
paid Steeler in history. No team dishes out that kind of
money for a quarterback to stand on the sidelines for very
26 Ben Roethlisberger

long. Roethlisberger’s agent, Leigh Steinberg, believed that he

was worth every penny. “This is a franchise quarterback,” he
said in an article by the Associated Press. “I think he’s a Troy
Aikman, John Elway type of quarterback. He’s that good.”
Roethlisberger’s contract consisted of $22,269,500 in salary
and bonuses. He also pulled down $17,730,500 in incentives,
including $4,875,000 in playing-time bonuses that would be
easy for a starting quarterback to achieve. His base salary for
his rookie year was $230,000 and increased with each year of
his contract—$305,000 in 2005, $655,000 in 2006, $1,026,000
in 2007, $1,356,000 in 2008, and $1,707,000 in 2009. He would
get a $500,000 bonus if he made the Pro Bowl and an additional
$4,750,000 for finishing in the top five of various statistical
categories. He could tack on as much as $975,000 each year if
the Steelers made the playoffs.
This contract would undoubtedly boost Roethlisberger
from No. 3 to backup quarterback, but he was not expected
to move into the starting spot until 2005. He kept a level head
about the whole situation. “Now that the contract’s out of the
way, it’s time for football. I’m ready to do whatever is asked of
me, whether it’s be the backup or play third string.” he said, as
quoted in Roethlisberger: Pittsburgh’s Own Big Ben.
At training camp, Roethlisberger had to play a little catch-
up, because he missed the first four practices while ironing
out the details of his contract. He was extremely nervous as
he stepped onto the field on his first day. In the stands, 10,000
expectant eyes were glued to his every move. On the first play,
he lined up under center at the 20-yard line in a 7-on-7 passing
drill. He was so excited that he overthrew his first pass to wide
receiver Plaxico Burress. On the next play, he threaded a pass
through heavy coverage, hitting Burress at the 1. Just like that,
the butterflies flittered away. He knew that, once he got that
first play out of the way, he would settle into the groove of the
game. For the rest of the day, he displayed tremendous confi-
dence, arm strength, and in-huddle leadership.
 First-Round Pick 27

Although the Steelers did not plan to rush Roethlisberger

onto the field during his rookie year, they would have a dif-
ficult time keeping him on the bench for long if he kept up his
consistency in practice. For the time being, though, the only
way Roethlisberger would find his way into the huddle was if
Maddox suffered an injury or played exceptionally poorly. Even
under those circumstances, backup Charlie Batch might still
get the call.

Getting Wet
The second week of the 2004 season—Sunday, September 19—
Roethlisberger stood on the sidelines at M&T Bank Stadium
in Baltimore, Maryland. In the third quarter, the Ravens held
a 13-0 lead over the Steelers. Maddox had completed just 4 of
13 passes for a meager 67 yards. Then, a powerful hit from
Baltimore cornerback Gary Baxter took Maddox out of the
game with an elbow injury. Maddox fumbled on the sack, and
Baltimore scored on the following play to give the Ravens a
20-0 lead. Suddenly, Roethlisberger found himself making his
NFL debut, much earlier than he had ever anticipated.
Roethlisberger had a rocky start. On his second posses-
sion, he threw an interception to Baltimore’s Adalius Thomas.
Luckily, the error did not result in another touchdown. Instead,
the Ravens were forced to punt. The two teams traded posses-
sions for the rest of the third quarter without scoring.
Finally in the fourth quarter, the game started to fall into
place for Roethlisberger and the Steelers. To start out the
quarter, Roethlisberger completed a pass to Duce Staley for
nine yards. Next, he hit Hines Ward for a 58-yard gain to the
3-yard line. On second down, Roethlisberger connected with
Antwaan Randle El on a touchdown pass. Kicker Jeff Reed’s
extra point was good, putting Pittsburgh on the board 20-7.
The Ravens answered with a 49-yard drive that ended in a field
goal. The kickoff return left Pittsburgh at its own 30-yard line.
Roethlisberger drove the ball 70 yards, finishing with a pass to
28 Ben Roethlisberger

Ben Roethlisberger celebrated after throwing the first touchdown of his

career, in a game against the Baltimore Ravens on September 19, 2004.
Roethlisberger entered the game after starting quarterback Tommy Maddox
injured his elbow. The injury was expected to sideline Maddox for six weeks,
so Roethlisberger was going to be Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback much
sooner than expected.

Ward for a 12-yard touchdown. The Steelers were closing the

gap, 23-13. Pittsburgh decided to go for a two-point conversion,
but Roethlisberger’s pass attempt to Burress failed.
 First-Round Pick 29

The Pittsburgh defense managed to hold the Ravens score-

less on their next possession, but the Steelers’ luck soon ran
dry. With 2:56 remaining in the game, Roethlisberger threw
an interception to Baltimore’s Chris McAlister. McAlister ran
the ball back 51 yards for a touchdown, widening the spread
to a nearly impossible 29-13 lead. The extra point was good,
and time ran out for the Steelers. The 30-13 loss, however, was
not as crushing as it could have been, considering the score
was 20-0 going into the fourth quarter and Roethlisberger was
facing a solid defense. Roethlisberger received some valuable
real-game experience, completing 12 of 20 passes for 176 yards,
two touchdowns, and two interceptions. “I’d say I got my feet
wet, but I got my whole leg wet,” Roethlisberger said after the
game, according to the Associated Press. “It’s tough, you come
out and your first game is against probably one of, if not the
best, defense in the NFL.”
An examination after the game showed that Maddox had
ligament and tendon tears in his right elbow. He would be
out for at least six weeks. Once doctors cleared him to throw,
the Steelers would then have to decide when he could play
again. In the meantime, Roethlisberger was their No. 1 guy.
While Roethlisberger was eager to prove his talent, his team-
mates knew that the transition would take extra work on their
part as well. Co-captain and All-Pro offensive guard Alan
Faneca seemed less than thrilled about the rookie leading
the Pittsburgh pack. In an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-
Gazette, soon after Roethlisberger’s debut, Faneca said, “No, it’s
not exciting. Do you want to go work with some little young
kid who’s just out of college? Everybody’s got to do a little more
. . . put the extra work in this week and rally around him and
help out.”
Roethlisberger did not take Faneca’s comments person-
ally. He understood that his teammates would have to step
up. Coach Bill Cowher had planned to bring Roethlisberger
along gradually, expecting that he would have time to learn the
30 Ben Roethlisberger

Steelers’ system. Roethlisberger was not yet totally familiar with

the offense. His biggest adjustment during his six-week role as
a fill-in would be getting comfortable as a conventional drop-
back quarterback. In college, Roethlisberger worked more than
50 percent of his snaps out of a shotgun offense and had his
best success throwing on the run. Against the Ravens, because

The Best Young Gun

Besides Ben Roethlisberger, several young quarterbacks had
breakout years in 2004. Roethlisberger, though, edged out
Byron Leftwich as the best of these quarterbacks (all first-round
draft picks), according to a 2004 poll of three NFL pro person-
nel directors published in November in the Sporting News. The
scouts were asked to rate five quarterbacks in each of nine cat-
egories on a scale of 1 to 10 points, with 10 being the highest.
Here is how the quarterbacks were rated:

Ben Byron DAVID

Roethlisberger Leftwich Carr
Drafted 2004 #11 2003 #7 2002 #1
Pittsburgh Jacksonville Houston
Accuracy 7.7 8.0 7.3
Arm strength 8.0 8.3 8.7
Decision making 8.0 7.7 7.0
Footwork 8.3 6.0 8.0
Leadership 7.7 9.3 7.7
Mobility 7.7 5.7 8.3
Poise 8.3 9.0 8.0
Understanding
of offense 7.3 8.3 8.0
Ability to win 8.7 8.7 7.3
TOTAL 71.7 71.0 70.3
 First-Round Pick 31

the team was already so far behind, he played from the shot-
gun. The following Sunday in Miami, he would not have that
luxury. He was prepared, though, to make the most of his early
opportunity. “I’ve got to be the leader now,” he said.
In Miami on September 26, Roethlisberger stared down
a string of bad omens. The tail of Hurricane Jeanne forced

Joey CARSON
Harrington Palmer
Drafted 2002 #3 2003 #1
Detroit Cincinnati
Accuracy 7.0 7.0
Arm strength 7.0 8.0
Decision making 7.0 6.0
Footwork 7.7 7.7
Leadership 7.3 6.3
Mobility 7.3 6.7
Poise 6.7 7.0
Understanding
of offense 8.0 7.0
Ability to win 6.3 6.0
TOTAL 64.3 61.7

It is interesting to note that, going into the 2008 season, only

Roethlisberger and Palmer remain with the teams that drafted
them. Harrington played for the Miami Dolphins in 2006 and
joined the Atlanta Falcons in 2007. Leftwich also played for the
Falcons in 2007. He was released in February 2008 and had yet
to sign with another team. Carr spent 2007 with the Carolina
Panthers and signed with the New York Giants in 2008 to be a
backup.
32 Ben Roethlisberger

In his first start as an NFL quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger had to guide his team through
torrential downpours on a sloppy field as the tail of Hurricane Jeanne passed over Miami.
Here, he scrambles out of the pocket during the third quarter. Roethlisberger showed
the poise of a veteran, though, leading Pittsburgh to a 13-3 win over the Dolphins on
September 26, 2004.

a seven-and-a-half-hour delay of the game and a loss of

power at the team hotel. In his first game as an NFL starter,
Roethlisberger stepped onto a soggy field and clenched a slip-
pery ball. First-half downpours made holding onto the ball
tricky for both teams. Miami fumbled on its first possession,
and Roethlisberger took over at the Dolphins’ 30-yard line.
His first pass was intercepted by Miami’s Patrick Surtain, but
Pittsburgh’s defense snatched it back with an interception of its
own. From the Steelers’ 20-yard line, Roethlisberger moved the
chains in an eight-play, 58-yard drive for a 40-yard field goal.
 First-Round Pick 33

The rest of the first half featured a circus of events—Pittsburgh

missed two field-goal attempts, and Miami had a punt blocked
and another pass intercepted—all as mud-smeared players
waded through a field ankle-deep in water. For the most part,
however, Roethlisberger held the offense together, and the
score stood 3-0 at halftime.
The start of the second half was delayed so that the grounds
crew could bring in more bags of dirt to dam the pooling
water. Despite driving rain during the second half, Pittsburgh
remained steady. The defense stopped Miami from getting a
first down with a quarterback sneak on fourth and inches. In
the resulting possession, Jeff Reed cleared a 51-yard field goal to
bring the score to 6-0. In the fourth quarter, Miami managed to
squeeze in a field goal. With 6:16 remaining, Pittsburgh’s Hines
Ward dove for a seven-yard touchdown catch. Jeff Reed’s extra
point was good. Still plagued by turnovers, the Dolphins had
no answer for Pittsburgh. The Steelers held on for a slippery
13-3 victory in the worst conditions some of the players had
ever experienced. The bad omens that opened the day turned
out to be a grand opportunity for Roethlisberger. He success-
fully led the team through a rough game. His perseverance
earned his teammates’ respect. “He came out and did a tre-
mendous job,” Ward said about Roethlisberger. “He played his
heart out.”
After the game, Roethlisberger kept his composure, just
as he had on the field, and seasoned it with a pinch of humor.
“It’s good to get that game out of the way,” he said, as quoted
by the Associated Press, “in case we ever play in a hurricane
again—which I doubt we will.”
 4

Big Ben Emerges

W hen Ben Roethlisberger was at Miami of Ohio, he took a
short drive to visit the Cincinnati Bengals’ training camp.
From a roped-off area, he watched quarterback Carson Palmer
practice. At the time, he thought that the Bengals were work-
ing their No. 1 draft pick just the way they should be. Rather
than throwing him right into the starting lineup, unprepared
to deal with complicated NFL defenses, the Bengals allowed
Palmer time to learn their offense and the league while veteran
Jon Kitna played. The Pittsburgh Steelers had planned to ease
Roethlisberger into the lineup in much the same way. For Pitts-
burgh, however, destiny had plans of its own.
In Game 4 of the 2004 season, Roethlisberger and Palmer
faced off—a quarterback of careful design versus a rookie
quarterback under the gun. It was a potentially pivotal game

34
 Big Ben Emerges 35

for both teams. The Bengals’ finely tuned quarterback had

had a less than spectacular start, going 30 possessions without
a touchdown. In a 23-9 loss to Baltimore, Palmer had been
sacked four times and threw three interceptions. The Bengals
faced the possibility of going 1–3 into a bye week, the same
record they had in 2003. In the previous season, Cincinnati
made a comeback of sorts—at one point winning seven of nine
games—but the Bengals still did not make the playoffs. The
Bengals did not want to fall too far behind again this early in
the season. Likewise, the Steelers were in the same spot a year
ago. They were 2–1 when their season unraveled with five
straight losses, which ultimately led to a 6–10 finish.
Palmer and Cincinnati started the dual in the first quarter
with their second drive, which ended in a two-yard touch-
down pass to Jeremi Johnson. Cincinnati had gotten the
ball after a fumble by Pittsburgh’s Duce Staley. The Steelers,
though, quickly got their revenge on the next possession with a
55-yard drive and a two-yard touchdown run by Jerome
Bettis. Roethlisberger’s impressive five-play drive included a
30-yard completion to wide receiver Plaxico Burress. At the
end of the first quarter, the game was tied 7-7. Early in the
second quarter, Roethlisberger completed an 11-play, 80-yard
drive with a touchdown pass to Verron Haynes. By halftime,
all the Bengals could muster was a field goal, leaving the score
14-10 in favor of Pittsburgh.
At the start the second half, Palmer showed that he was not
about to give up. On Cincinnati’s opening drive, he moved the
chains 71 yards for a touchdown to running back Rudi Johnson.
The Bengals took the lead 17-14. With 5:28 to go in the third
quarter, Pittsburgh tried to take advantage of a Cincinnati fum-
ble but without luck. The Steelers were forced to punt. On their
next possession, though, Roethlisberger led the Steelers offense
89 yards to a short touchdown run by Bettis. The 13-play drive,
which ate up 6:32 and carried over into the fourth quarter, put
36 Ben Roethlisberger

Pittsburgh back on top 21-17. Toward the end of the game,

Steelers safety Troy Polamalu intercepted Palmer and returned
the ball 26 yards for a touchdown. With only 2:19 remaining,
Cincinnati was unable to answer, and Pittsburgh emerged vic-
torious 28-17. Whether or not the win meant that heart won
out over training, Roethlisberger was making a statement and
people were taking notice.
Roethlisberger was 2–0 as a starter, and his team began to
rally around him. Against the Bengals, he completed 17 of 25
passes for 174 yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions. In
an Associated Press article, Plaxico Burress commented, “You
can just see him coming into his own. He doesn’t let anything
bother him, and that’s what I like about him.” Although he
was still a rookie making some mistakes, his teammates could
do the math—he was certainly making more good plays than
bad ones. “I have not mastered this offense by any means,”
Roethlisberger admitted after the Cincinnati game. “But the
thing is we got the victory. You lead the team when they need
it the most; you go down the field and score.” Undoubtedly,
Roethlisberger realized—as did the rest of his team—that he
was only going to improve.
Some opponents, however, did not share the Steelers’
optimism. In Week 5, Pittsburgh would face the Cleveland
Browns. Before the matchup, Browns safety Earl Little said
that Roethlisberger was not Cleveland’s greatest worry. In his
opinion, the Steelers were only asking the rookie to manage
the offense in Maddox’s absence and to avoid making costly
mistakes. As it turned out, Little and the Browns drastically
underestimated Roethlisberger’s talent.
On October 10, Roethlisberger stumped Cleveland with his
running moves and creativity. He completed 16 of 21 passes
for 231 yards and one touchdown, and he scored on his own
touchdown run. The opening drive was over in three quick
and painful plays, with Staley running 25 yards up the middle
to score a touchdown. For a moment, the Browns may have
 Big Ben Emerges 37

With this dive across the goal line, Ben Roethlisberger scored the first rushing touchdown
of his NFL career. The touchdown came in his third career start—in the first quarter of a
game on October 10, 2004, against the Cleveland Browns. Pittsburgh beat their AFC North
rivals 34-23.

thought that Roethlisberger had just gotten lucky. Indeed, on

Pittsburgh’s next possession, Roethlisberger threw an intercep-
tion to Cleveland’s Chris Crocker, who returned it for a 20-yard
touchdown.
With the score tied 7-7, Roethlisberger scrambled to avoid
defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban only to get hit by defender
Orpheus Roye, but not before he found Burress for a 51-yard
pass to the Cleveland 9. A three-yard rush by Staley put the
38 Ben Roethlisberger

ball at Cleveland’s 6-yard line. Not the least bit rattled by

Roye’s hit, Roethlisberger powered a show-stopping run up the
middle for his first NFL rushing touchdown. Now down 14-7,
the Browns perhaps began to reconsider how big this new kid
really was. Cleveland managed to put up a field goal before the
end of the first quarter, bringing the Browns within four points.
Roethlisberger, though, led the Steelers into field-goal range
at the start of the second quarter. Kicker Jeff Reed split the
uprights for a 47-yard field goal, putting Pittsburgh ahead by
seven. On the Steelers’ next possession, Roethlisberger show-
cased his running threat. He rolled out of the pocket, freezing
the defense for a moment while Burress slipped five yards
behind Browns cornerback Anthony Henry. Roethlisberger
connected with Burress for an unguarded 37-yard touchdown
pass. The extra point was good, and Pittsburgh led 24-10. Once
again, the best Cleveland could muster was another field goal.
Before the end of the first half, though, Pittsburgh neatly erased
it with a field goal of its own.
At the start of the second half, Roethlisberger and the
Steelers held a 14-point lead over Cleveland. On the first
possession, Roethlisberger moved the chains from Pittsburgh’s
37-yard line—63 yards—ending the drive with Jerome Bettis’s
three-yard rushing touchdown. Pittsburgh was now up 34-13.
Cleveland held Roethlisberger scoreless for the rest of the game
and added a field goal and a touchdown, but it was not enough
to catch the Steelers. Pittsburgh walked away with a 34-23
victory. The Browns dropped two games behind Pittsburgh in
the AFC North.
For Roethlisberger, the game was all starting to come
together. His jaw-dropping throws and natural athleticism
were proof that Big Ben was a force in his own right. Those
who underestimated his role in Pittsburgh were entertain-
ing second thoughts. “He played like a veteran,” Roye, the
Browns’ defensive tackle, said after the game in an Associated
Press article. “You couldn’t tell he was a rookie.” The heavily
 Big Ben Emerges 39

publicized Eli Manning and Philip Rivers were sitting on the

bench, while Roethlisberger became only the sixth rookie
quarterback to win his first three starts since 1970. Pittsburgh’s
record was 4–1 for only the third time in 22 seasons. Showing
the poise of a veteran, Roethlisberger remained humble.
He gave credit to his teammates. “A lot of those plays aren’t
called, but the linemen are doing a great job of blocking and
the wide receivers are getting open,” Roethlisberger said. “For
me it’s easy—all I’ve got to do is run and throw the football.”
Complementing Roethlisberger, Staley had muscled three
consecutive 100-yard rushing games, and against Cleveland,
Burress pulled down six catches for 136 yards.

Another Marino?
The week before the Cowboys would face the Steelers, a
reporter asked Dallas coach Bill Parcells to name the last rookie
quarterback who impressed him as much as Roethlisberger.
Parcells admitted that Roethlisberger was the best quarterback
prospect he had seen in years. In fact, he hadn’t seen anyone
come into the league like Roethlisberger since Dan Marino, the
Dolphins’ star who debuted in 1983.
The Roethlisberger-Marino comparison was one that
most Steelers fans could appreciate. After their Super Bowl
successes of the 1970s, the Steelers took a downward slide.
Pittsburgh regretted not drafting Marino—who grew up in
the Steel City and played at the University of Pittsburgh—as
its quarterback in 1983. Partly because of this decision, the
team never found a comparable replacement for Hall of Fame
quarterback Terry Bradshaw. From 1980 to 1993, Pittsburgh
won only two playoff games. Parcells now suggested that per-
haps Pittsburgh had finally found its Marino. “I am very, very
impressed,” Parcells told the Associated Press, “and it’s not
just because he is an opponent.”
While Roethlisberger graciously accepted the praise, he
remained cautious. Coming less than a week before the game,
40 Ben Roethlisberger

Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said that Ben Roethlisberger was the best quar-
terback prospect he had seen since Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins came into the
league in 1983. Marino, too, saw shades of himself in the young Pittsburgh player. Here,
Roethlisberger and Marino met to tape an interview in November 2004.

Parcells’s compliments could also be seen as a bit of pregame

psychological trickery from a veteran coach. Roethlisberger did
not want to let Parcells get into his head. He just wanted to go out
and play his game—and win. In response, Roethlisberger also
said that any comparisons to Marino should wait for another 15
years or so. During his 17-season NFL career, Marino threw for
61,361 yards. At the time, this was nearly 10,000 more yards than
any other quarterback in league history. (In 2007, Green Bay
quarterback Brett Favre broke Marino’s record.) Roethlisberger
kept his ego in check. He had only played three games. He
knew it was too early to be making those kinds of statements.
“If I can be half as good as Marino, I’ll be incredibly happy,”
 Big Ben Emerges 41

Ask Marino
During Ben Roethlisberger’s rookie year, a lot of insiders
around the NFL compared him to Dan Marino. Although flat-
tered, Big Ben downplayed the comments. “It’s a little too early
to be putting those statements on it,” he said in Roethlisberger:
Pittsburgh’s Own Big Ben. However, someone other than the
coaches and the players was spotting similarities—Dan Marino
was, too.
“A lot of the things he does kind of remind me of some of
the things I was able to do when I played,” Marino said in an
Associated Press article. Impressed by Roethlisberger’s aware-
ness in the pocket and his ability to move while still making
throws downfield, Marino said, “You can’t teach those kinds of
instincts, and that’s something he has going for him that a lot
of the guys in the league don’t have.”
When Marino took over for the benched David Woodley
during his rookie season with the Miami Dolphins in 1983, he
looked and felt just as comfortable as Roethlisberger did. When
Marino was asked how long it took a player to know he could
play, he said, “I think you realize pretty quick. . . . Because you
compare yourself to other people and what they’ve done.” In
his rookie season, Marino was 173 of 296 for 2,210 yards, 20
touchdowns, and six interceptions in 11 games. At the end of
the 2004 season, Roethlisberger had completed 196 of 295
passes for 2,621 yards, with 17 touchdowns and 11 intercep-
tions in 14 games. “He’s not turning the ball over . . . and that’s
more important than percentage,” Marino said. “That’s the big-
gest thing a quarterback has to deal with and worry about.”
Perhaps many people discounted the comparisons of a
young rookie quarterback to the great Dan Marino. Few could
argue, however, when they asked Marino, and he agreed.
42 Ben Roethlisberger

Roethlisberger said, as quoted in Roethlisberger: Pittsburgh’s Own

Big Ben. He was, however, having a better start than Bradshaw,
who in his first year completed only six touchdown passes and
had 24 interceptions. On October 17, Roethlisberger would
try to do what no Steelers quarterback had accomplished since
Bradshaw—a win in Dallas.
Roethlisberger proved sharp from the beginning of the
game. When the Cowboys scored on a 21-yard touchdown run
on their opening drive, he marched the offense downfield to
tie the game with an amazing five-yard pass to Burress. In this
one play, Roethlisberger showed more mobility than Marino
ever did. He scrambled out of the pocket to his right, then fired
the ball to Burress an instant before defender Marcellus Wiley
flattened him from behind. The play triggered a frenzy from
the many Steelers fans in the stands. For a minute—with thou-
sands of “Terrible Towels” spinning frantically—Texas Stadium
looked more like a Pittsburgh home game.
In the third quarter, Dallas quarterback Vinny Testaverde
connected with Keyshawn Johnson on a 22-yard touchdown,
giving the Cowboys a 20-10 lead. The Steelers, however,
made it 20-17 when Roethlisberger—standing flat-footed
in the pocket—rifled a pass to the back of the end zone into
the hands of tight end Jerame Tuman. With less than three
minutes left in the game, Dallas still held the lead, with
possession on the Steelers’ 47-yard line. Facing third down,
Testaverde dropped back to pass. The Pittsburgh defense
blitzed. Steelers linebacker James Farrior, who already had
two sacks and caused two fumbles, plowed through the line
to knock the ball loose again. Defensive tackle Kimo von
Oelhoffen picked it up and ran to the Dallas 24-yard line.
Roethlisberger took over and drove the ball down to the
2-yard line. Bettis thundered into the end zone for the final
touchdown in the last minute.
Dallas, though, had one last chance at victory. The
Cowboys covered 30 yards on a pass and lateral that moved
 Big Ben Emerges 43

Pursued by Dallas defensive end Marcellus Wiley, Ben Roethlisberger scrambled out of the
pocket during a game on October 17, 2004. Just before Wiley hit him, Roethlisberger fired
off a five-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress for Pittsburgh’s first score of the game.

the ball to the Pittsburgh 30-yard line with one second left on
the clock. Testaverde’s final throw into the end zone, though,
fell incomplete.
Dallas’s untimely fumble was a definite gift for the Steelers,
but the win was far from easy. All day, Roethlisberger stood in
the pocket and made tough throws against a rugged pass rush.
Although he was sacked three times, his quick moves helped
him avoided several others. He completed 21 of 25 passes
for two touchdowns, completing nine straight throws on the
Steelers’ last two scoring drives and 11 straight throws in one
44 Ben Roethlisberger

stretch. “He can flat-out play,” Burress said, as quoted by the

Associated Press. “I think Parcells was right.”
Pittsburgh’s 24-20 win over Dallas certainly wooed play-
ers, fans, and the press. But Big Ben still had a lot to prove.
Next, after the Steelers’ bye week, he would face the undefeated
New England Patriots. Few believed that he could handle the
Patriots’ complex defense or the pressure of playing against a
team that had won an NFL-record 21 straight games, going
back to the 2003 season.
 5

Best Rookie
Ever?
P ittsburgh’s success in 2004 was not totally linked to rookie
Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers’ running game—the
NFL’s second-worst in 2003—once again ranked in the upper
quarter of the league, thanks to the addition of Duce Staley,
who already had three consecutive 100-yard games. Also, the
defense had improved under new defensive coordinator Dick
LeBeau, who brought back pressure and blitzing. One of those
blitzes led to the fumble by Dallas’s Vinny Testaverde and
Pittsburgh’s resulting win. It was the fifteenth forced turnover
of the season, only 10 fewer than the Steelers had forced in all
16 games of the 2003 season. Still, Roethlisberger’s effect on
the team was immediate and dramatic. In 2003, Pittsburgh
lost five times by a touchdown or less. Under Roethlisberger,
the team rallied two times for fourth-quarter wins. He was

45
46 Ben Roethlisberger

bringing back confidence. His teammates had confidence in

one another, and they believed they could find a way to win.
Until this point, however, Pittsburgh had benefited from
a favorable schedule. Their one loss was to the only team
with a winning record—Baltimore. The final 10 weeks would
be tougher. At this point in the season, two teams remained
unbeaten—the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots and
the Eagles—and the Steelers had to face them both in the next
two weeks. Would the rookie getting all the hype be able to
stand up to the toughest teams?
Going into Week 8, Roethlisberger ranked fourth in
passer rating, after far more experienced quarterbacks Daunte
Culpepper, Peyton Manning, and Donovan McNabb. His 69
percent completion rate was exceptional for any quarterback,
especially one who was not supposed to be on the field yet. His
abilities would be put to the test in playing undefeated teams
back-to-back.
On Halloween night at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, the Patriots
started the game off like any other—scoring with a field goal, the
fifteenth-straight game in which the Patriots scored first. After
that, it seemed as if all the treats were for the Steelers. Midway
through the first quarter, Patriot Pro Bowler Ty Law was side-
lined with an injured left foot. On the next play, Roethlisberger
threw a flawless 47-yard pass to Plaxico Burress, who burned
past Law’s replacement—Randall Gay—for a touchdown. On
the first play of the Patriots’ next possession, Super Bowl-win-
ning quarterback Tom Brady fumbled after a hard hit from
Steelers linebacker Joey Porter. Pittsburgh recovered the fumble,
and Roethlisberger capitalized on it—ending with a four-yard
touchdown pass to Burress. Pittsburgh scored quickly again,
with Deshea Townsend returning an interception 39 yards for
a touchdown. At the end of the first quarter, the Steelers were
cruising 21-3. By halftime, it was 24-10, Pittsburgh.
Roethlisberger, though, was not celebrating yet. Usually,
Brady plays his best during the second half. This night, though,
 Best Rookie Ever? 47

Ben Roethlisberger and Plaxico Burress celebrated the first of their two first-quarter
touchdown passes in the Steelers’ October 31, 2004, game against the New England
Patriots. Roethlisberger and the Steelers ended the Patriots’ 21-game winning streak
with a decisive 34-20 victory.

belonged to Pittsburgh. On the first drive of the second half,

Patriots running back Kevin Faulk fumbled, and Pittsburgh
turned it into another touchdown. Less than two minutes into
the second half, the Steelers had mounted a monstrous 31-10
lead. Later in the third quarter, Brady led the Patriots on an
11-play, 59-yard drive, but the Pittsburgh defense held them to a
field goal. Then, Roethlisberger brought the offense back down
48 Ben Roethlisberger

the field for a Pittsburgh field goal. With about six-and-a-half

minutes remaining, Brady hit David Givens for a touchdown, but
it was too little, too late. The Steelers racked up a dominant 34-20
victory, ending the Patriots’ 21-game winning streak.
Pittsburgh was the first team to beat the Patriots since
Washington slipped past them 20-17 on September 28,
2003. Now, the so-called team to beat shared a 6–1 record
with the Steelers. The sports experts who predicted that
Roethlisberger had no chance to beat the Patriots’ defense
were stunned. “They’re finding out around the league,” Burress
told the Associated Press. Next up, Pittsburgh would face the
NFL’s only remaining unbeaten team—Philadelphia (7–0).
Everyone seemed to be pondering the same question. Could
Roethlisberger take out two top teams in back-to-back games?
His completion percentage had risen to 70.1 percent, and he
had a 104.7 passer rating, with nine touchdowns, four inter-
ceptions, and only one interception in his last 116 passes.
Roethlisberger tried to keep a level head and stay focused. “We
keep saying it over and over again: Let’s not get too excited,”
Roethlisberger said, as quoted in an article on ESPN.com. Not
every Steeler held back, though. “We’re a hard team to beat,”
wide receiver Hines Ward said.

Perfect 10
Playing unbeaten teams one after the other in midseason or
beyond is a rare occurrence. The last time the NFL witnessed
it was when the Detroit Lions lost twice to the undefeated Chi-
cago Bears in 1934 to close out the season. When it came to the
Pittsburgh Steelers, ears were perking up around the country.
Thanks in large part to the 22-year-old Roethlisberger, the
Steelers were off to their best seven-game start in Bill Cowher’s
13 seasons as a coach. Roethlisberger was far from finished,
however. Cowher already made it clear that, even though
Tommy Maddox was ready to play again, Big Ben would still
be his starter.
 Best Rookie Ever? 49

Cowher’s decision proved to be a smart one. If sports fans

thought that Pittsburgh devastated New England, then the
Steelers totally annihilated Philadelphia. On the first three pos-
sessions, Roethlisberger’s offense tore open a 21-0 lead. Hines
Ward scored on the first two drives—on a 16-yard reverse and
a 20-yard reception. Roethlisberger also had help from Bettis’s
149 yards of rushing, his fifty-fifth career 100-yard game. The
previous week, Pittsburgh had outrushed New England 221
yards to 5 yards. In Week 9, the Steelers outran the Eagles
252 to 23 and outgained them 420 to 111. Pittsburgh’s defense
turned up the heat, holding quarterback Donovan McNabb to
15 of 24 for 109 yards, with no touchdowns and an intercep-
tion. Roethlisberger was 11 of 18 for 183 yards, two touch-
downs, and one interception. The result was a crushing 27-3
victory and an end to the Eagles’ seven-game winning streak.
Pittsburgh had made sure that there was no one undefeated in
the NFL—that is, of course, except Ben Roethlisberger.
Roethlisberger continued to excel over the next three
weeks, with wins against Cleveland (24-10), Cincinnati
(19-14), and Washington (16-7). Week 13 took Pittsburgh
on the road to Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, for a
prime-time Sunday night game. Once again, Roethlisberger
handled the pressure with the poise of a veteran. His first
touchdown completed a seven-play, 77-yard drive, as he
nailed Ward for a 37-yard score. Jacksonville’s quarterback
Byron Leftwich countered with a 12-play, 73-yard drive, hit-
ting Troy Edwards for a 22-yard touchdown. Pittsburgh broke
the tie when Roethlisberger completed a 26-yard pass to
tight end Jay Riemersma. By the end of the third quarter, the
Jaguars had tacked on two field goals, bringing them within
one point, 14-13.
With 1:55 left in the game, Jacksonville’s kicker Josh Scobee
cleared a 36-yard field goal to put the Jaguars ahead 16-14. On
the ensuing drive, Roethlisberger went 3 of 4 for 39 yards to
set up a 37-yard field goal for Jeff Reed. His only incompletion
50 Ben Roethlisberger

was a spike after he calmly let the clock run down, leaving
the Jaguars with little time for a comeback. Reed made the
game-winning field goal with 18 seconds to play. Jacksonville
had one last shot at a win after a 19-yard completion from

The Chin
Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher has a strange yet appropri-
ate nickname—“The Chin.” Anyone who has witnessed him
scowling on the sideline, his iron-set jaw jutting out, knows
exactly where it comes from. “Everyone thinks he’s tough—he
is—but he’s a players’ coach,” Steelers receiver Hines Ward said
about him in Tough as Steel. “His door is always open if you
have a problem, or just want to talk. Yes, he gets angry, but
most of the time, he’s right.”
Cowher practically bleeds Pittsburgh. He was born and
raised in Crafton, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh, and set-
tled behind the Steel Curtain for a 15-season run as coach in one
of the NFL’s proudest football towns. He started his NFL career as
a free-agent linebacker with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1979. He
spent his next three seasons with the Cleveland Browns. In 1983,
he was traded back to the Eagles, where he played two more
years. In 1985 at 28, Cowher began his coaching career with the
Browns, first as a special-teams coach in 1985 and 1986. Then, he
served as a secondary coach in 1987 and 1988 before going to
Kansas City as a defensive coordinator in 1989.
On January 21, 1992, Cowher replaced Chuck Noll as the
fifteenth head coach in Steelers history. Although Cowher was
young for a head coach—34 years old, then the youngest coach
in the league, Steelers chairman Dan Rooney believed in his
decision. “I could see in him a guy who would have success over
the long haul,” Rooney said in Tough as Steel. “His roots have
 Best Rookie Ever? 51

Leftwich to Jimmy Smith, which left Scobee a 60-yard field-

goal attempt. The kick, though, fell just short and wide right.
Roethlisberger had achieved his first last-minute, game-winning
drive of his career. Finishing the night at 14 of 17 for 221 yards,

helped him. He knows Pittsburgh, he understands the people,

and he thinks of it as home.”
Under Cowher, the team showed immediate improvement
from a disappointing 7–9 season in 1991. In 1992, Pittsburgh
went 11–5 and earned home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs.
After missing the playoffs six out of the previous seven years, it
was just the rush the Steelers—and their fans—needed. And just
as Rooney predicted, Cowher brought success over the years. In
1995, at age 38, Cowher became the youngest coach to lead his
team to a Super Bowl. The Steelers, though, fell to Dallas 27-17.
He was only the second coach in NFL history to lead his team to
the playoffs in each of his first six seasons. Over the course of
15 seasons, Pittsburgh captured eight division titles, earned 10
playoff berths, played in 21 playoff games, advanced to six AFC
Championship Games, and made two Super Bowl appearances—
winning one. Cowher is one of only six NFL coaches to claim at
least seven division titles. At the end of 2005, the Steelers had
the best record of any team in the NFL since Cowher had been
hired as head coach.
After announcing his retirement in January 2007, Cowher
was replaced by Mike Tomlin, who had been the defensive
coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings. Cowher still could not
get football out of his blood, though. In February 2007, he
joined James Brown, Dan Marino, Shannon Sharpe, and Boomer
Esiason on The NFL Today on CBS as a studio analyst.
52 Ben Roethlisberger

Steelers head coach Bill Cowher joked with Ben Roethlisberger in the fourth quarter of
Pittsburgh’s 27-3 win over Philadelphia on November 7, 2004. With their wins over New
England and Philadelphia, the Steelers had defeated two unbeaten teams in back-to-
back games.

two touchdowns, and a passer rating of 158 (just three-tenths

of a point from perfection), Roethlisberger had a perfect-10
winning streak. He even rushed for 40 yards. Now the Steelers
were one game away from clinching the AFC North, and they
also held the tiebreaker for home-field advantage in the AFC
over the New England Patriots.

A FAN FAVORITE
These were confidence-boosting times for Roethlisberger, as
a rookie quarterback in the midst of an eye-catching winning
streak. He was the talk of the NFL, and in Pittsburgh, he was
the newest sensation among sports fans, instantly recogniz-
able whenever he appeared in public. Just a few games into
 Best Rookie Ever? 53

his career, and he had already changed some of his off-field

routines—now he would run all his errands in one shot early
in the week, checking off items from a lengthy to-do list.
Still, as an article in Sports Illustrated described, a trip to a
local mall could cause a stir, with fans wanting Roethlisberger’s
autograph or a picture with him. One fan bought a football
and a Sharpie after spotting Roethlisberger at the mall. In get-
ting the autograph, the fan accidentally got an ink stain on
Roethlisberger’s hoodie. No sweat, to Ben. “Hey, as long as the
guy is happy,” he said. “If the fans are happy, I’m happy.”
Roethlisberger jerseys were flying off the shelves, and
also popular was the Roethlisburger—a hoagie sandwich sold
at Peppi’s. The sub, with beef, sausage, scrambled eggs, and
American cheese, sold for $7—matching his jersey number.
Still, he remained grounded. For instance, Roethlisberger
probably had the choice of any table at any of the upscale estab-
lishments along Pittsburgh’s Strip. On most Monday nights,
though, he and a few friends could be found at Jack’s, a nonde-
script bar on the city’s South Side. His family, too, was there for
Roethlisberger. He lived by himself in a townhouse a few miles
from the Steelers’ practice complex. For home games, Ken and
Brenda Roethlisberger stayed with Ben in Pittsburgh. “I have
a great family,” Roethlisberger said. “I can call them and they
don’t want to talk just football. They want to find out how my
day went outside of football. . . . It is so key for me to have that
comfort blanket back home.”

To the Playoffs
After another victory against the New York Jets, which clinched
the AFC North title for the Steelers, Roethlisberger was set to
meet his draft-day rival, Eli Manning, who was now starting for
the New York Giants. Saturday, December 18, brought the much-
anticipated matchup between Roethlisberger and Manning. Until
that game, Manning had struggled, losing his first four starts. The
Giants, though, were about to turn around their prospects.
54 Ben Roethlisberger

Giants receiver Willie Ponder returned the opening kickoff

91 yards for a touchdown. It was the first kickoff return for a
touchdown in a home game in the entire 80-year history of the
Giants. Two possessions later, Pittsburgh tied it up 7-7 when
Roethlisberger made a lateral pass to Antwaan Randle El.
Randle El then threw a 10-yard shovel pass across the middle
to Verron Haynes for the touchdown. Manning had an answer
for that glitzy play, though—a 55-yard drive that ended with a
two-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Shockey. The Giants took
the lead 14-7. Pittsburgh tried to tie the game again but had to
settle for a field goal.
The second quarter belonged to the Steelers. Roethlisberger
found Randle El for a 35-yard touchdown to put Pittsburgh
ahead 17-14. Then, near the end of the half, Jeff Reed cleared
a 21-yard field goal to push the lead to 20-14. In the third
quarter, a Giants field goal was quickly matched by Pittsburgh,
changing the score to 23-17 in favor of Pittsburgh. On the
next possession, Manning fired across the middle to Marcellus
Rivers for a short one-yard touchdown, giving New York a
24-23 lead.
In the beginning of the fourth quarter, Roethlisberger
moved the chains 60 yards to the Giants’ 10-yard line, but
the Steelers were forced to settle for a field goal. The score,
however, gave them a brief lead. Then, Manning hit Amani
Toomer for back-to-back 17-yard passes and found Ike
Hilliard for a 15-yard pass to the Pittsburgh 1-yard line.
The 51-yard drive set up a go-ahead touchdown run for the
Giants’ Tiki Barber, pulling New York ahead 30-26. Manning
tried for a two-point conversion but was sacked. The game
was far from over, though. On the Steelers’ next possession,
Roethlisberger drove the offense from Pittsburgh’s 33 to the
Giants’ 8-yard line, setting up a touchdown run by Bettis. The
67-yard drive included nine-yard and 11-yard passes to Ward
and a 36-yarder to Randle El. With 4:57 left on the clock,
the Steelers had regained the lead, 33-30. Unable to make a
 Best Rookie Ever? 55

comeback, Manning had to bow to Roethlisberger, and

Pittsburgh captured its twelfth straight win.
That afternoon, Roethlisberger threw for a season-high
316 yards. What stood out as the difference between Manning
and Roethlisberger was that Big Ben could make his biggest
plays when the game was on the line. “In the fourth quarter,
he has a feel for the game and an understanding of the game
and he manages it well,” coach Bill Cowher said in an article
on ESPN.com. Roethlisberger, who had not lost in 25 straight
starts from college into the pros, just kept focusing on win-
ning the next game. “I don’t want to ever remember what it’s
like to lose,” he said.
Roethlisberger’s memory wouldn’t need to be jogged
yet in Week 16 against the Baltimore Ravens, either. As the
only team to beat Pittsburgh all season, perhaps the Ravens
thought they had an edge. Baltimore managed to keep up
until the third quarter. Then, working a run-heavy offense,
Roethlisberger threw his second touchdown pass—a two-
yarder to Jerame Tuman. A split second later, Ravens defender
Terrell Suggs pounded Roethlisberger from the blind side.
Suggs’s roughing-the-passer penalty paled in comparison to
what Pittsburgh fans watched from their seats at Heinz Field—
Roethlisberger was injured. With a clump of grass wedged in
the left side of his face mask, Roethlisberger limped off the
field. Although he wore a protective jacket under his uniform,
as many NFL quarterbacks do, he had taken a serious blow
to the ribs. On Pittsburgh’s next drive, though, he was back
in the game. He completed a 26-yard pass to Burress and a
nine-yarder to Bettis before the end of the third quarter, but
he winced every time he threw. Cowher did not want to take a
chance of hurting Roethlisberger more. In the fourth quarter,
Tommy Maddox took over, driving for a field goal to secure a
20-7 win over Baltimore.
Everyone in Pittsburgh—which fans now referred to as
Roethlisburgh—wondered how seriously Big Ben was hurt.
56 Ben Roethlisberger

A blind-side hit from Baltimore’s Terrell Suggs injured Ben Roethlisberger in the third
quarter of a game on December 26, 2004. Roethlisberger played a few more downs before
coach Bill Cowher pulled him from the rest of the game. Roethlisberger also sat out the
final game of the regular season to rest up for Pittsburgh’s playoff run.

The Steelers’ 14–1 record had secured a first-round bye and

home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. Would
the rookie quarterback who led them there be able to play?
Cowher quickly calmed the worst fears of Steelers fans.
Roethlisberger would not play in the final regular-season
game at Buffalo, but he would be back for the playoffs. In
Buffalo, Maddox—the veteran turned backup—would lead the
Pittsburgh offense in Roethlisberger’s absence. On January 2,
 Best Rookie Ever? 57

2005, at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Maddox kept the winning

record rolling with a 29-24 victory over the Bills. Meanwhile,
Roethlisberger had two more weeks to heal before heading
into the divisional playoff game. In the wild-card games dur-
ing the first week of the playoffs, the New York Jets beat San
Diego, 20-17, and the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Denver
Broncos, 49-24. The Steelers’ opponent in their first playoff
game, on January 15, would be the Jets.
The Steelers started off strong in what would turn out to
be a wild overtime playoff game. Jeff Reed gave the Steelers the
first score of the day with a 45-yard field goal. Pittsburgh quickly
got the ball back after Troy Polamalu intercepted a pass by Jets
quarterback Chad Pennington. Five plays and 25 yards later,
Bettis rumbled into the end zone for a three-yard touchdown,
giving the Steelers a 10-0 lead. Jets kicker Doug Brien started
the second-quarter scoring with a 42-yard field goal. Then, New
York receiver Santana Moss scored on 75-yard punt return, the
first punt return for a touchdown in Jets playoff history. The
return—which tied the game 10-10—was a jolt to the Steelers’
usually strong special teams, which had allowed only one punt
return longer than 10 yards in the previous 11 games.
In the second half, Pittsburgh seemed to be jinxed. Two
huge turnovers looked to have cost the Steelers the game. In
the third quarter, a Roethlisberger pass was intercepted by
Reggie Tongue and returned for an 86-yard touchdown that
put the Jets ahead 17-10. Then, early in the fourth, Bettis
fumbled at the Jets’ 24-yard line, his first fumble in 353 carries
or receptions all season. At this point, though, luck seemed to
switch sides. Roethlisberger led a pivotal scoring drive, ending
with a four-yard flip to Hines Ward. The score was tied at 17.
The Jets, though, looked as if they might pull ahead on their
next drive. All Brien had to do was clear a 47-yard field goal.
Roethlisberger watched in suspense from the sidelines. The
ball hit the goal post. It was no good. The Steelers had another
chance. They took over the ball with two minutes remaining.
58 Ben Roethlisberger

On the first play, though, Roethlisberger was intercepted

by Jets cornerback David Barrett. It was the kind of mistake
a rookie quarterback might make in the playoffs, but the
kind Roethlisberger had rarely made during his 13–0 season.
The Jets drove from Pittsburgh’s 37 to the 25, with 4 seconds
left, giving Brien a chance at a 43-yard field goal and some
redemption. From the Steelers’ sidelines, it seemed certain
that their greatest season since the 1970s was all but lost,
Roethlisberger’s unbeaten rookie season over. But to everyone’s
astonishment, the kick sailed wide left—not even close. The
game went into overtime. The Jets got the ball first but had to
punt. On Pittsburgh’s first possession, Roethlisberger moved
the chains 72 yards in 14 plays to the Jets’ 15-yard line, setting
up a 33-yard field-goal attempt. Reed did what Brien could not
do—twice—make the game-winning field goal. Pittsburgh won
in overtime, 20-17.
Undoubtedly, Roethlisberger was grateful for Brien’s all-
out miracle misses. The win, though, was not enough to satisfy
him. “I did everything I could to lose the game,” Roethlisberger
said in an article on ESPN.com. “I’ve got to play better. That
was terrible. The game we played today is not going to cut it.”
Roethlisberger went into the game the same way he had all
regular season—calm and relaxed. If he planned to win the
AFC Championship against the Patriots, he would have to do
something differently. “Maybe next week I need to be a little
more stressed,” he said.
On January 23, Roethlisberger learned that paybacks can
be rough. At 11°F (-12°C), the game was the second-coldest
in Steeler history. But the stiff wind didn’t turn nearly as cold
as Pittsburgh’s fans, who went from feverishly twirling their
Terrible Towels to booing their beloved Big Ben. Tom Brady
gave Roethlisberger a lesson in quarterbacking a championship
game. As Roethlisberger later commented, “They threw the
book at us.” Big Ben was intercepted on his first pass, which led
to a 48-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri. On Pittsburgh’s next
 Best Rookie Ever? 59

possession, Bettis fumbled. Once again, Brady took advantage

of the turnover, hooking up with Deion Branch for a 60-yard
touchdown on the very next play. The Steelers managed to
sneak in a field goal before the end of the first quarter, but the
Patriots held a 10-3 lead. In the second quarter, Brady added
another touchdown. Then, Pittsburgh showed some signs of
life. Roethlisberger drove the offense 58 yards to the Patriots’
19-yard line. But on second down, he underthrew Tuman,
and the pass was intercepted by New England safety Rodney
Harrison. Harrison returned it 87 yards for a touchdown, giv-
ing the Patriots a 24-3 halftime lead.
During the second half, Roethlisberger managed to get
the offense going, but the Steelers could not catch up. The
Patriots seemed to answer almost every score. Roethlisberger
opened the third quarter with a touchdown, but Brady fol-
lowed it with a 69-yard touchdown drive. Before the end
of the third quarter, Roethlisberger completed a 30-yard
touchdown pass to Ward, closing the margin to 31-17. In
the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh came as close it would to New
England with a field goal. Then, the Patriots led another field-
goal-ending drive to boost the score to 34-20. Once again,
Roethlisberger threw a costly interception, which resulted in
another Patriot touchdown—the fifth touchdown of the day.
With less than a minute to go, Roethlisberger managed to hit
Burress for a seven-yard touchdown, which made the loss a
little more respectable at 41-27.
Roethlisberger’s amazing rookie season came to a deflating
end. The loss was tough on him, but it was probably tougher
on some of the other players. “It wasn’t a great game on my
part, but I learned an awful lot this season,” Roethlisberger
said. “We had a great season, but there are a lot of people—
some in that locker room—that now think” the season was a
disappointment. It had been a great season for a rookie quar-
terback, as Roethlisberger finished fifth in NFL passer rating
with 98.1, beating Dan Marino’s rookie rating of 96. He also
60 Ben Roethlisberger

A dejected Ben Roethlisberger walked off the field during the waning sec-
onds of Pittsburgh’s defeat in the AFC Championship Game on January 23,
2005. The Patriots beat the Steelers 41-27, ending Roethlisberger’s spec-
tacular rookie season.

broke Marino’s record for rookie completion percentage (66.4

percent). Roethlisberger became the first quarterback in NFL
history to compile a 13–0 record during the regular season.
He was named the Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of
the Year and the Sporting News Rookie of the Year. In October,
he was selected the AFC Offensive Rookie of the Month. In
addition, he was honored with the 2004 Joe Greene Award,
 Best Rookie Ever? 61

given to the Steelers’ rookie of the year and voted on by the

Pittsburgh Chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America.
Although he never got too excited about his success, Ben
Roethlisberger had delivered an incredible season—as one of
the best rookie quarterbacks ever.
 6

“One More Year”

A soft September sun fell on Heinz Field for the 2005 season
opener. With the temperature climbing to a pleasant
75°F (24°C) by kickoff, it was the perfect day for football. Ben
Roethlisberger’s arm was as spectacular as the pale blue sky
above him. Despite talk about a “Sophomore Jinx”—about being
unable to repeat his fantastic rookie season—Roethlisberger
walked off the field with a perfect 158.3 passer rating. He
completed 9 of 11 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns in
a 34-7 win over the Tennessee Titans.
As usual, Roethlisberger showed his humility and gave
credit to his teammates. “When you only throw a couple of
balls, it’s not hard to (have a perfect rating),” he said in Tough as
Steel. “You get the ball close to our receivers, and they are going
to make plays.” He had a lot of help from tailback Willie Parker,

62
 “One More Year” 63

who mirrored Roethlisberger’s perfection. In his first career

start, Parker blasted past the Titans for 161 yards on 22 carries
(7.3 yards per carry), including an 11-yard touchdown. He also
ran a screen pass 48 yards for a total of 209 yards from the
line of scrimmage. Like Roethlisberger the year before, Parker
entered training camp a few slots down on the depth chart,
behind Jerome Bettis, Duce Staley, and Verron Haynes. Injuries
to Bettis and Staley, though, gave Parker the chance to play.
In the first quarter, the Titans easily drove 61 yards in 11
plays behind quarterback Steve McNair and running back
Chris Brown. Tight end Ben Troupe capped off the drive with a
one-yard touchdown reception. The Titans, however, failed to
produce an encore, and Pittsburgh took over the Tennessee
Waltz from that point. The Steelers scored on their first six pos-
sessions, four times in the first half, without a single turnover.
On the other end, Tennessee dished out four turnovers—two
fumbles and two interceptions—two that led to scores.
On the Steelers’ first drive, Roethlisberger went 5 of 5 for 88
yards. His final pass sailed to rookie tight end Heath Miller for a
touchdown. Jeff Reed tacked on two first-half field goals—both
on turnovers. The first came after linebacker James Farrior forced
a fumble, and the second score was thanks to an interception by
Troy Polamalu. With 8:49 left in the first half, Roethlisberger
connected with Antwaan Randle El for a 63-yard touchdown
pass. On the opening drive of the second half, Roethlisberger
hit Randle El with a 26-yard pass and Cedrick Wilson with a
14-yarder. The drive ended with an 11-yard scoring run from
Parker, who had to bounce off two Tennessee defenders on his
way to the end zone. Verron Haynes topped off the score with a
five-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, which had been
set up by a 45-yard burst by Parker.
The win was a great beginning to a promising year.
And Roethlisberger had a big promise to keep. Last season,
standing on the sidelines of the AFC Championship Game,
64 Ben Roethlisberger

Keith Bulluck of the Tennessee Titans pressured Ben Roethlisberger during the season
opener on September 11, 2005. Pittsburgh and Roethlisberger got off to an impressive
start, as the Steelers won 34-7. Roethlisberger completed 9 of 11 passes for 218 yards,
and he had a perfect 158.3 passer rating.

watching the clock tick down and knowing that the Steelers
had lost, Roethlisberger turned to Bettis. Bettis had clocked
12 NFL seasons and was ready to hang it up. But Bettis, the
fifth all-time rusher in NFL history, had yet to earn a Super
Bowl ring. With tears welling in his eyes, Roethlisberger said,
“Come back. I’ll get you to the Super Bowl. Give me one more
year.” Those were some pretty powerful words, but they were
enough to bring Bettis back. With its first win, Pittsburgh was
on its way.
Pittsburgh delivered another thrashing in Week 2 in
Houston, Texas. Roethlisberger did not need the sweltering heat
to prove he was hot, pulling out another nearly perfect game.
 “One More Year” 65

He completed 14 of 21 passes for 254 yards, two touchdowns,

and a 139.8 passer rating. Both the offense and the defense
were cruising like a well-greased engine, with the fleet-footed
Parker running 111 yards on 25 carries and a score for his
second-consecutive 100-yard game and Polamalu leading the
defense with three of Pittsburgh’s eight sacks.
The Steelers wasted little time amassing a Texas-sized
lead. On the opening series, Roethlisberger and Parker com-
bined forces for 60 yards before Reed kicked a 37-yard field
goal. A bumbling Texans offense fumbled on its first posses-
sion, and in just two plays, Roethlisberger found Hines Ward
for a touchdown. Next possession, Roethlisberger led a nine-
play, 92-yard drive in which he completed 5 of 6 passes for 98
total yards; the final play was a 14-yard touchdown pass to
Ward. Before the half, Reed added another field goal, wilting
Texas with a 20-0 lead.
Houston opened the third quarter with a touchdown, but
Roethlisberger remained in command. On the next possession,
on third and 5 from the Steelers’ 37, Roethlisberger appeared
trapped. Then he shuffled to his right, pumped, and fired the
ball downfield to wide receiver Cedrick Wilson, who snatched
it from the air for a 40-yard reception. Three plays later, Parker
sealed the drive with a 10-yard touchdown. The Steelers roped
a 27-7 victory over the Texans.
But all good things must come to an end, and for
Roethlisberger, it happened in Week 3 against his nemesis
Tom Brady. The Steelers versus the Patriots—the event had
been “all the buzz” in the sports community since Week 1.
For much of the game, the two teams went back and forth.
Patriots running back Corey Dillon opened the scoring in the
first quarter with a four-yard touchdown. Next, the Steelers
tied the game when Roethlisberger hit Ward for an 85-yard
touchdown reception. Reed added a 33-yard first-quarter
field goal to give Pittsburgh a 10-7 lead. The two teams played
a scoreless second quarter.
66 Ben Roethlisberger

In the third quarter, Reed tacked on a second field goal for

a 13-7 edge, but the Patriots counterattacked. Two field goals
by Adam Vinatieri sandwiched a touchdown run by Dillon to
make the score 20-13 with 3:19 remaining. Roethlisberger led
an efficient late-game drive that ended with a four-yard pass
to Ward for the game-tying touchdown. With 1:21 left in the
game, Brady calmly engineered a final 37-yard drive, complet-
ing 3 of 3, to set up Vinatieri’s game-winning 43-yard field goal
with one second remaining. The 23-20 loss brought an end to
Roethlisberger’s NFL record of 15 consecutive regular-season
victories as a starter.
On October 10, a Monday night, the Steelers and the
Chargers put on the game of the year at Qualcomm Stadium
in San Diego. The Chargers entered the game with one of the
league’s most lethal offenses, having scored 86 points in the
previous two games. The Steelers’ defense, however, stifled
them early—holding San Diego to just one first down in the
first quarter. Still, Pittsburgh’s offense had little to show in
return, as it failed to nail a first down in its first two posses-
sions. Then, Roethlisberger fumbled after a hit by Charger
linebacker Shawne Merriman.
Finally in the second quarter, the offenses gained some
momentum. On the sixth play of their opening possession in
the quarter, the Steelers thought they had scored the first touch-
down of the game when Ward made a diving catch, hopped up,
and zigzagged his way to the end zone. The Chargers, though,
challenged the play, and the officials ruled that Ward was down
by contact at the Chargers’ 33. Roethlisberger, undaunted by
the reversal, proceeded to hit Randle El for a 21-yard gain, and
then Bettis ran for five yards. On the next play, Roethlisberger
lined up in the shotgun and ran a masterful quarterback draw,
barreling into the end zone from seven yards out.
On the following possession, Chargers quarterback Drew
Brees moved the ball to the Steelers’ 35. But Pittsburgh
linebacker James Harrison ended the drive in a play with
 “One More Year” 67

movie-reel pizzazz. He snatched a pass that bounced off the

hands of Antonio Gates by tipping the ball to himself. He
took off in a sprint, hurdling LaDainian Tomlinson on the
way, bringing the interception back to the Chargers’ 41. Eight
plays later—featuring runs of 14 yards by Parker and eight by
Roethlisberger—Pittsburgh went ahead 14-0 after Bettis leaped
through an open crack on the edge of the end zone. With only
1:37 remaining in the half, the Chargers threw a quick coun-
terpunch. Brees completed passes of 13 yards and 23 yards and
then connected with Gates on a slant pattern from 11 yards
out. The final-seconds touchdown narrowed the Chargers’
deficit to 14-7 going into halftime.
In the second half, the Chargers chipped away at the lead.
Three field goals by Nate Kaeding put San Diego ahead 16-14
with 11:41 remaining. Roethlisberger responded with three
crucial passes—33 and 13 yards to Ward and 16 yards to tight
end Heath Miller for the touchdown and a 21-16 lead. The
Chargers recaptured the lead with a two-yard touchdown with
4:42 left in the game. When the Chargers failed to make the
two-point conversion, San Diego stood on top by one point,
22-21. In the final minutes of the game, Roethlisberger engi-
neered a 33-yard drive to the San Diego 29 when the series sud-
denly took a costly toll. Roethlisberger’s knee buckled after a hit
by the Chargers’ Luis Castillo. He was helped off the field with
1:05 remaining. With Maddox also sidelined with an injury,
No. 3 backup Charlie Batch took over. After three handoffs to
Bettis for seven yards, Reed kicked a game-winning field goal
with just six seconds left.
Pittsburgh’s 24-22 victory at San Diego came with a hefty
price. Roethlisberger left the stadium on crutches and was side-
lined for Game 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a hyper-
extended, bruised knee. From his front-row seat, he watched
Maddox bloop and blunder. Maddox, who had not started an
important game since Week 2 of the previous season, proved
to be rusty, fumbling the ball in overtime and throwing three
68 Ben Roethlisberger

Ben Roethlisberger’s knee buckled during a game in October 2005 after he was hit by the
Chargers’ defensive end Luis Castillo. Roethlisberger suffered a hyperextended, bruised
knee and missed the next game. Knee problems also caused him to miss three games
later in the season.

interceptions, the last one returned 41 yards for the game-win-

ning touchdown. The Jaguars came away with a 23-17 win.
For Game 6, Roethlisberger was back, and the Steelers
showed the Cincinnati Bengals just how much they had missed
him. The offense ran the ball better than it had all season with
Willie Parker claiming 131 yards of the Steelers’ 221 total rush-
ing yards. Meanwhile, the defense held the Bengals to just three
points on their first two possessions, even though they traveled
to the Steelers’ 12-yard line on their first possession and to
the Steelers’ 8 on their second. At halftime, Pittsburgh led 7-6
before taking control in the final two quarters. On the Bengals’
first two possessions of the second half, quarterback Carson
Palmer threw a pair of interceptions. The first was picked off by
safety Chris Hope and led to a field goal. The second intercep-
 “One More Year” 69

tion, by defensive end Aaron Smith, resulted in a touchdown

to give the Steelers a 17-6 lead. Before this game, Palmer had
gone 20 quarters and 169 pass attempts without throwing an
interception.
At the end of the third quarter, Pittsburgh scored again,
on a four-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward. Although
Roethlisberger did not attempt a pass in the fourth quarter—
only throwing for a game-total 93 yards—he used a successful
running game to its full potency. On the feet of Parker and
Haynes, the Steelers ran the ball 19 times in the fourth quarter,
padding their lead with another field goal. With 2:52 remain-
ing, Pittsburgh had a 27-6 lead. After the two-minute warning,
Cincinnati tacked on a late-game touchdown, but Pittsburgh
rolled away with the win.
On Halloween night, the Steelers squeezed past a close
call with the Baltimore Ravens that otherwise could have
had a scary ending. Pittsburgh managed a 20-19 win but
nearly self-destructed midway through the fourth quarter.
On fourth-and-10 from their own 45, Pittsburgh’s special
teams botched the snap on a punt. Wide receiver Sean
Morey walked up behind long snapper Greg Warren to warn
his teammates that the Ravens had two players on return,
including the dangerous Deion Sanders. Not noticing Morey,
Warren snapped the ball early, and it smacked into Morey’s
leg. Quickly, Morey scooped up the loose ball and threw it to
punter Chris Gardocki, who passed back to Morey incom-
plete. The Ravens took over possession at the Steelers’ 45
and turned the blunder into a go-ahead field goal, giving
Baltimore a 19-17 lead.
With 3:21 left to play, Roethlisberger turned on his football
finesse. The final scoring drive included back-to-back comple-
tions—14 yards to Randle El and 23 yards to Quincy Morgan.
Next, Haynes picked up seven yards on a draw play. Bettis took
care of the rest with four consecutive carries totaling 16 yards.
The drive set up a 37-yard game-winning field goal by Reed.
70 Ben Roethlisberger

The win was a relief, but Roethlisberger aggravated his right

knee. Pittsburgh was scheduled to play the Green Bay Packers
at Lambeau Field the following Sunday, but Roethlisberger’s
injury made other plans for him.

Back in the Hunt

On November 3, Roethlisberger underwent arthroscopic
surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus (knee cartilage).
The Steelers felt some pain of their own in his absence. They
started out well with Charlie Batch at the helm, scoring a 20-10
victory over the Packers. In Week 10 (Game 9 for the Steelers),
Batch racked up a 17-7 lead over the Browns before sustain-
ing an injury to his throwing hand. On a 15-yard completion
to Ward—a play that gave Ward the Steelers’ all-time recep-
tions record at 538, Batch’s hand smashed into the helmet of a
defender, fracturing his pinkie bone. Maddox took over in the
second half. Sticking to the running game, he led the offense
to 17 more points and a 34-21 victory.
After the game against the Browns, most fans immediately
wondered when Roethlisberger would return to action. With
Batch out for at least two weeks and Maddox still struggling,
everyone was eager to see Roethlisberger back at quarterback.
Although he was ahead of schedule in rehabilitation, he was
unsure if he would be ready to play in Week 11 against the
Ravens. “I don’t know yet,” he told reporters following Batch’s
injury, as recorded in Tough as Steel. “We got a little urgency
now, so we’ll see.” Unfortunately, Roethlisberger was not fully
recovered by game day, and the Steelers were unable to pull
off a win.
As the season stood, the Steelers held a 7–3 record—tied
for first place in the AFC North Division with the Cincinnati
Bengals. The main focus was staying atop the division, but the
Steelers seemed to take a downward slide. On November 28 at
the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Roethlisberger returned to the
field, but the Steelers became victim No. 11 for the undefeated
 “One More Year” 71

Colts. The Colts set the tempo early when quarterback Peyton
Manning hit Marvin Harrison for an 80-yard score on the first
offensive play. A field goal by Mike Vanderjagt made the score
10-0. The momentum looked as if it might shift when, on the
Colts’ next possession, Polamalu intercepted Manning’s pass
and returned it 26 yards to the Indianapolis 7-yard line. After
back-to-back false starts, Roethlisberger fired to Hines Ward
for a 12-yard touchdown that cut the margin to 10-7 at the end
of the first quarter.
From that point on, the Steelers fell apart. A missed
41-yard field goal by Reed, a late second-quarter interception
by Roethlisberger, and a game riddled with false-start penal-
ties were only a fraction of the poison. To start the second
half, Coach Cowher made a crucial decision to go with an
onside kick. He hoped it would create a “spark” for his team.
The plan went horribly awry, though, leading to another Colts
touchdown and making the score 23-7 less than four minutes
into the third quarter. “They beat us all the way around,” Bettis
said in Tough as Steel. “They dominated from the word, ‘Go.’ It
was a frustrating night—all the way around.” The Steelers’ 26-7
loss dropped their record to 7–4, a game behind Cincinnati.
If they wanted to make an appearance in the playoffs, their
next five games—including battles with the Bengals and the
Bears (8–3)—left little margin for error. More than a single loss
would likely end their playoff hopes.
Unfortunately, Roethlisberger entered the game against
Cincinnati with a severe thumb injury. Although no one would
divulge the details of the injury, Roethlisberger admitted that
it was “pretty painful.” Whether or not the thumb was to
blame, he threw a regular-season-high three interceptions,
despite posting a hefty 386 passing yards. The Steelers held
momentary leads of 7-0 and 14-7 in the first half. Then,
trailing in the third quarter, 24-17, a 20-yard touchdown pass
to Ward tied the game at 24. The Bengals, though, continued
to strike back, going ahead 31-24 late in the third quarter.
72 Ben Roethlisberger

Roethlisberger’s most costly turnover came in the fourth

quarter when the Steelers were trying to drive for what could
have been the tying score. His pass, which was intended for
Ward, was intercepted and led to an eventual touchdown. On
Pittsburgh’s next possession, Roethlisberger connected with
Ward for a six-yard touchdown, capping off a 10-play, 72-yard
drive. With only three minutes remaining, Pittsburgh was
unable to muster another touchdown and lost 38-31.
Even though Roethlisberger played with a painful injury,
he was not about to use it as an excuse. “We’ve got a lot of guys
dinged up, and we’ve got to play through pain,” he said in an
Associated Press article. “Myself included. It hurts, but it was
good enough to play.” Dropping to 7–5, two games behind the
Bengals, the Steelers could not afford another loss.
Luckily, the Steelers’ slump was short-lived. On December
11, the Pittsburgh skies delivered the ultimate Steelers’ play-
ing conditions at Heinz Field—thick snow and curdling mud.
Still wrestling with a bad thumb, Big Ben stuck with risk-free
passes. On a day with few errors, Roethlisberger completed
13 of 20 passes for 173 yards and no interceptions in a 21-9
win over the Bears. Bettis—whom Ward described as a “mud-
der”—ran for 101 yards and two touchdowns. The victory
marked a streak-ending day—bringing an end to Pittsburgh’s
losing streak and the Bears’ eight-game winning streak. For
the Steelers, victory meant much more, though. Now 8–5,
they were in a four-way race for two AFC wild-card berths,
trailing the Jaguars (9–4) by a game and tied with the Chiefs
(8–5) and the Chargers (8–5).
Next, keeping in stride, the Steelers delivered back-to-back
hammerings in Minneapolis and Cleveland. Roethlisberger
was in peak performance, throwing 10 of 15 for 149 yards in
an 18-3 win over the Vikings. The next week, on December 24,
Pittsburgh brought a holiday hammering to the Browns, 41-0.
Roethlisberger, going 13 of 20 for 226 yards and a touchdown,
sliced up the Browns like Christmas goose. With the victory,
 “One More Year” 73

Justin Smith (bottom) and Robert Geathers (91) of the Bengals sacked Ben Roethlisberger
during the final moments of their game on December 4, 2005. With a 38-31 loss to Cincinnati,
the Steelers’ record was 7–5, and they were in danger of missing the playoffs.

Pittsburgh upped its record to 10–5, with one pin left to

knock down—Detroit.
On January 1, the Steelers made a New Year’s resolution
to win—they needed a victory to make the playoffs. Although
Roethlisberger played a bit under par—completing only 7 of
(continues on page 76)
74 Ben Roethlisberger

The Bus—No. 36
Jerome “The Bus” Bettis was a key part of the Steelers’ offense. In
each of his first six seasons with the Steelers, he rushed for more
than 1,000 yards. During a span of 10 seasons, Pittsburgh fans
fell head over heels for The Bus. On January 1, 2006—the last
game of the 2005 regular season, fans realized that this night
might be Bettis’s last game at Heinz Field. After Pittsburgh pum-
meled the Detroit Lions 35-21, the crowd begged him to stay
with chants of “One More Year!”
Bettis—who grew up in Detroit, Michigan—started his
football career at the esteemed University of Notre Dame in
1990. In 1993, he was drafted in the first round, as the tenth
pick of the Rams, who were based in Los Angeles at that time.
During his rookie year, he rushed for 1,429 yards, becoming the
first Rams rookie to rush for more than 1,000 yards since Eric
Dickerson in 1983. He also was only one of eight rookies to rush
for 200 yards in a single game. His outstanding play earned him
the NFL Co-Rookie of the Year, the Sporting News Rookie of the
Year, a Rams MVP award, and a trip to the Pro Bowl. During his
rookie year, he picked up the nickname “Battering Ram,” but he
soon traded that one in for another.
His days with the Rams ended after a disappointing 1995
season in which he rushed for just 637 yards. In exchange for
two second-round draft picks, the Rams traded Bettis to the
Pittsburgh Steelers—in what came to be known as the Trade
of the Decade. In his first season with the Steelers, Bettis ran
for 1,431 yards and 11 touchdowns, including a 220-yard
game against his former Ram teammates. He emerged as
one of the premier running backs in the NFL. During a Green
Bay broadcast, legendary Steelers radio commentator Myron
Cope first referred to Bettis as “The Bus.” He picked up the
name after hearing one of Bettis’s Notre Dame buddies call
 “One More Year” 75

him “Bussy.” As one might assume, the nickname had nothing

to do with Pittsburgh’s black and gold uniform, although it
certainly helped the image. The name came from Bettis’s abil-
ity to carry multiple defenders on his back—like a bus—while
rushing.
In a game against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day
1998, Bettis was caught in the thick of one of the most contro-
versial calls in NFL history. The Steelers sent out Bettis as their
representative to call the coin toss to decide who would get the
ball first in overtime. Bettis called “tails” when the coin was in
the air. Even though the coin landed tails up, the referee insist-
ed that Bettis had called heads and awarded the ball to Detroit.
The backward call paved the way for Detroit’s victory. After
the incident, the NFL altered its coin-toss rules. Now, the call of
“heads” or “tails” is made before the coin is tossed, rather than
during the toss, and at least two officials must hear the call.
Some people jokingly refer to it as the “Jerome Bettis Rule.” On
an ESPN list of the top-10 worst sports official calls, the coin-
toss incident was voted No. 8 by fans.
After 2001, Bettis was unable to reach the magic 1,000-
yard mark. However, he still carried his 255-pound weight in
gold. In his final two seasons, he rushed for 22 of his 91 career
touchdowns. The bus ride ended after winning the 2006
Super Bowl in his hometown of Detroit. Bettis closed his NFL
career as a six-time Pro Bowler and as the fifth all-time rusher
with 13,662 yards—only one of six players in NFL history to
rush for 13,000 yards. He was fourth in rushing attempts with
3,347 and one of eight players to rush for 1,000 yards in eight
or more seasons. After Bettis’s final game, Super Bowl MVP
Hines Ward shouted, “I’m going to Disney World, and I’m tak-
ing The Bus!”
76 Ben Roethlisberger

Ben Roethlisberger and Jerome Bettis celebrated Bettis’s third-quarter touchdown in the
Steelers’ final game of the 2005 season against the Detroit Lions. Bettis rushed for three
touchdowns in the 35-21 victory—a win the Steelers needed to make the playoffs.

(continued from page 73)

16 passes for 135 yards and two interceptions—he ran for one
touchdown. Bettis picked up the slack with three touchdown
runs in what was probably his last game at Heinz Field. Special
teams also added to the 35-21 win. Randle El pocketed an 81-
yard touchdown on a punt return, and cornerback Ricardo
Colclough returned a kickoff 63 yards to set up another touch-
down. Despite a rough and tumble year—laden with errors
and injuries, the Steelers muscled their way back for another
 “One More Year” 77

day, winning their last four games of the regular season. Next
stop—the playoffs.
In a second run at the playoffs, 23-year-old Roethlisberger
felt he was better prepared this time. “Last year, I was kind of,
‘Oh my gosh, I’m so nervous. Don’t make a mistake,’ ” he said
in Tough as Steel. “I’m not going to go out and play not to make
a mistake this year. I’m going to go out to win football games
and play as good as I can to help this team win.”
 7

Lucky No. 40
T he Steelers had made it into the postseason the hard way—
playing catch-up. The toughest road, however, was still
before them. In each conference, six teams make the playoffs.
The Steelers were the No. 6, or lowest, seed in the American
Football Conference. Only one team in NFL history had
made it to the Super Bowl winning all three playoff games on
the road—the 1985 New England Patriots. In the 2005 season,
Pittsburgh faced the same challenge.
On January 8, 2006, the Steelers met their first opponent—
their division rival, the Bengals—at Paul Brown Stadium in
Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals pounced to a 10-0 lead early in
the game. On the first drive, quarterback Carson Palmer con-
nected with rookie wideout Chris Henry on a 66-yard pass.
The crowd’s enthusiasm quickly waned, though, when they

78
 Lucky No. 40 79

realized that Palmer had been hurt on the play. Pittsburgh’s

Kimo von Oelhoffen, who had taken Palmer down, got his
arm tangled around Palmer’s leg and bent it awkwardly while
crawling forward. The injury turned out to be a serious one—a
torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)—a knee injury that took
the Pro Bowl quarterback out of the game. Backup quarterback
Jon Kitna drove the Bengals to the Steelers’ 5-yard line, after a
completion to T.J. Houshmandzadeh, but the Bengals failed to
get a touchdown. They settled for a field goal and a 3-0 lead in
a costly drive that banged up the offense—Henry also injured
his knee during the possession.
On the next possession, the Steelers were forced to punt.
The Bengals—now led by Kitna—drove 76 yards in seven
plays, the final play being a 20-yard touchdown run by Rudi
Johnson. On the following drive, the Steelers struck back with
a touchdown. On the scoring play, Roethlisberger led a per-
fectly executed screen pass to Willie Parker. Parker let Bengal
linebacker Brian Simmons get by him and slipped to his right.
Roethlisberger delivered the pass on the flat. Cincinnati struck
back with a seven-yard touchdown pass to Houshmandzadeh.
An unsportsmanlike conduct call on Troy Polamalu helped set
up the touchdown by turning a fourth and 11 at the Steelers’
17-yard line into first and goal at the 8. The call came after
Polamalu threw a punch at Bengals center Rich Braham.
Turning up the heat, the Steelers made it 17-14 before the half
when Roethlisberger nailed Cedrick Wilson on a 54-yard pass
and then found Hines Ward for a five-yard touchdown pass.
Holding an early lead, the Bengals should have harnessed
the momentum. They spent too much time, however, dwelling
on Palmer’s injury. In the second half, the game unraveled for
the Bengals. Kicker Shayne Graham botched a field goal that
would have increased the Bengals’ lead to 20-14. Instead, the
Steelers took over at their own 34-yard line. Capping off the
ensuing drive, Jerome Bettis sidestepped Bengals corner Troy
80 Ben Roethlisberger

Ben Roethlisberger ran off the field after the Steelers’ 31-17 win over the Bengals on
January 8, 2006, in the first round of the playoffs. Roethlisberger had a stellar game,
completing 14 of 19 passes for 208 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

James for a touchdown run. The Steelers took a 21-17 lead that
they never relinquished. On defense, Pittsburgh laid siege on
Kitna, forcing two interceptions. A Roethlisberger-led offense
scored two more times with a field goal and a touchdown. The
touchdown drive concluded with a trick play, in which Randle
El took the direct snap and passed it back to Roethlisberger.
 Lucky No. 40 81

Roethlisberger hit a wide-open Cedrick Wilson for a 43-yard

score. In a phenomenal 31-17 win, Roethlisberger completed
14 of 19 passes for 208 yards, three touchdowns, no intercep-
tions, and a nearly perfect 148.7 passer rating. The Steelers
proved that, although they might have had to claw their way to
the playoffs, they certainly belonged there.
Around the NFL, however, many still had doubts. The
Steelers entered the AFC Divisional Game as 9½-point under-
dogs to the top-seeded Colts. Big Ben played a brilliant,
unexpected passing game, using both his arm and head. Even
though the Steelers’ offensive strength lay in its varied running
game, Roethlisberger’s wide-open passing stole the show. On
Pittsburgh’s first possession, Roethlisberger led an 84-yard,
10-play scoring drive that featured seven passes, including a
36-yarder and an 18-yarder to tight end Heath Miller. Later in
the first quarter, Hines Ward broke two tackles on a 45-yard
completion. A seven-yard touchdown pass to Miller gave the
Steelers a 14-0 lead at the end of the first. “The play-calling
was aggressive,” Ward said after the game, as quoted by the
Associated Press. “They (the football community) thought
all we can do is run the ball. We can pass the ball, too.” In the
second quarter, the Colts marched 96 yards in 15 plays, in a
drive that ate up nearly 10 minutes. But what would be Peyton
Manning’s best drive of the game—going 6-for-6—ended with
a hollow 20-yard field goal.
Pittsburgh continued to dominate in the second half.
Manning faced a rush of linebackers, ends, and blitzing backs
from the Steelers’ ferocious defense. He was nearly sacked
for a safety in the third quarter, when he was downed at the
1-yard line. The Colts had to punt after the sack, and the
Steelers’ possession led to Bettis’s one-yard touchdown run—
his eleventh touchdown of the season—making the score 21-3
at the end of the third period. Going into the fourth quarter,
it looked as though the Steelers had the game all wrapped up.
The only thing missing was the bow. Then, early in the fourth
82 Ben Roethlisberger

quarter, Manning connected on a 50-yard pass to Dallas

Clark, cutting Pittsburgh’s lead to 21-10. And the final five
minutes were filled with gut-wrenching twists and one tide-
turning play after another.
With 5:26 remaining, Polamalu made a diving interception
off of Manning at the Pittsburgh 48-yard line. As he got up to
run, he fumbled the ball and recovered it again. In a controver-
sial call by referee Pete Morelli, the possession was overturned.
According to Morelli, Polamalu never had possession of the
ball, even though replays clearly showed otherwise. Manning
took advantage of his second chance by connecting on a
20-yarder to Marvin Harrison and a 24-yarder to Reggie
Wayne. Colts running back Edgerrin James ran in for the
touchdown. Manning then completed a two-point conversion
pass to Wayne, bringing the score to a close 21-18.
On its next possession, Pittsburgh was forced to punt.
But with 1:20 left in the game, Manning was sacked for the
fifth time on fourth down at the Colts’ 2-yard line. On most
days, the game would have been over. This day, however, had
proven that anything could happen. The sure-handed Bettis
popped an uncharacteristic goal-line fumble. Indianapolis’s
Nick Harper grabbed the football and took off downfield for
a possible game-winning touchdown. The save came from Big
Ben. A diving Roethlisberger reached out and yanked down
Harper at the Indy 42-yard line. “Once in a blue moon, Jerome
fumbles,” Roethlisberger later told the Associated Press, “Once
in a blue moon, I make a tackle. They just happened to be in
the same game.” Two Manning passes later, with the ball at the
Pittsburgh 27, kicker Mike Vanderjagt lined up for a 46-yard
field goal to send the game into overtime. The kick sailed wide
right, sealing a victory for the Steelers.
Roethlisberger, who was 14 of 24 for 197 yards, with
two touchdowns and one interception, became the first
quarterback of the Super Bowl era to reach a Conference
Championship Game in his first two seasons in the league.
 Lucky No. 40 83

With just about a minute left in the Steelers’ divisional playoff game against
the Indianapolis Colts, Ben Roethlisberger made a key tackle to prevent Nick
Harper from scoring a touchdown. Harper had recovered a goal-line fumble
by Jerome Bettis.

The Steelers also became the first No. 6 seed in NFL history to
make it to a conference final. The Steelers were proving that
they had just as much game as a top-seeded team. “Ya’ll want
84 Ben Roethlisberger

to come in now?” Roethlisberger said after the win in Tough

as Steel, directed toward all the people who never expected
Pittsburgh to make it this far. “All the non-believers. You want
to come in now?”
The upset against the Colts at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis
was merely practice for the AFC Championship Game. On
January 22, the Steelers bucked the second-seeded Broncos
(who were on a nine-game winning streak at home) at Mile
High Stadium in Denver. Pittsburgh jumped to a 24-3 half-
time lead, scoring on all four of its first-half possessions. Jeff
Reed started the scoring with a 47-yard field goal, following
a 12-play, 62-yard drive. At the start of the second quarter,
Roethlisberger hit Wilson in the corner of the end zone with
a 12-yard touchdown pass. Next possession, Bettis muscled in
from three yards out. The Steelers added another seven points
following a painful interception thrown by Broncos quarter-
back Jake Plummer. As the first half was coming to a close,
Roethlisberger sidestepped the pass rush and bulleted the ball
deep in the end zone to Ward.
Instead of pulling out a comeback, Denver just kept making
mistakes—four turnovers to Pittsburgh’s none. Plummer
coughed up his final fumble with 4:52 remaining and the
Broncos trailing 27-17. The Steelers took over at the Broncos’
17, and the rest was history. Five plays later, Roethlisberger
ran a bootleg left for a four-yard touchdown that plumped
up Pittsburgh’s lead to 34-17 and ended the Broncos home-
winning streak.
Riding on the arm of Roethlisberger, the Steelers made
history, becoming the first No. 6-seeded team in NFL history
to win three consecutive road playoff games. They were also
the first team to beat the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 seeds in the
playoffs. Against Denver, Big Ben completed 21 of 29 for 275
yards and two touchdowns, finishing with a 124.9 passer rating.
He converted eight of the first ten third-down conversions.
In Tough as Steel, right guard Kendall Simmons said, “Ben’s
 Lucky No. 40 85

playing Elway-like,” referring to the only quarterback in

Broncos history to lead Denver to a Super Bowl title. “He’s a
second-year guy, but it’s like he’s been around forever. He just
set the tone for everything.”
Finally, after losing in their previous three AFC finals (in
1997, 2001, and 2004), the Pittsburgh Steelers had earned a
trip to the Super Bowl. “We’ve been knocking on this door for
years,” cornerback Deshea Townsend said in Tough as Steel.
“We decided that it was time to quit knocking. We came here
and just kicked it in.”
Roethlisberger was one game away from fulfilling his
promise to Bettis. Almost as if fate had planned it, Super Bowl
XL was being held in Detroit—Bettis’s hometown. In a season
fueled by physical endurance, tough comebacks, unbeliev-
able upsets, and in some cases, crazy luck, the Steelers must
have wondered if they could make No. 40 their lucky number.
Perhaps instead they had their money on No. 7. “Composed,
in control, our leader,” Bettis said about Roethlisberger. “He’s
our guy.”

Mission Accomplished
At the outset, the Super Bowl energy seemed to favor Seattle,
the National Football Conference champion. The Seahawks
dominated the time of possession in the first quarter, yet
endured a tough break. Near the end of the quarter, Seattle
quarterback Matt Hasselbeck hit Darrell Jackson for what
appeared to be a 17-yard touchdown. Instead, though, a pass-
interference penalty was called on Jackson, who (very slightly)
pushed off of free safety Chris Hope in the end zone. This
illegal move brought the ball back, and Seattle was unable to
return to the end zone. The Seahawks settled for a field goal
and went into the second quarter with a 3-0 lead—their one
short moment of glory.
Until this point, the Steelers had not put up much of a fight.
In the first quarter, Seattle’s Jackson had caught five passes
86 Ben Roethlisberger

for 50 yards—33 more yards than the entire Steelers offense.

Roethlisberger’s numbers hardly resembled those of a Super
Bowl quarterback—1 of 5 for one sliver of a yard. Something
had to change, and luckily it did.
The momentum shifted in the second quarter, and toward
the end of the period, Roethlisberger dove into the end zone
for Pittsburgh’s first score. To start the second half, the Steelers
took over the ball at their own 25-yard line. On the second play,
Willie Parker took a handoff from Roethlisberger. Following
the path made by a crushing block from offensive lineman Alan
Faneca, Parker just escaped a diving tackle attempt by Seattle’s
Michael Boulware. From that point on, he was untouchable,
running 75 yards for a touchdown—the longest touchdown
run in Super Bowl history.
Then, toward the middle of the third quarter, the game
almost took a nasty turn. With the score at 14-3 and Pittsburgh
staring down the chance to secure a Super Bowl victory,
Roethlisberger made a crucial mistake. On third and goal at
the Seattle 7, he underthrew Cedrick Wilson, and defensive
back Kelly Herndon was there to snatch the ball up. Herndon
took off downfield, returning the ball 76 yards before Ward
made a heroic tackle at the Pittsburgh 20. Herndon’s run was
the longest interception return in 40 years of the Super Bowl.
The Steelers had been driving to the goal and could have gone
up 17-3, or 21-3. Instead, it became a four-point game three
plays later when tight end Jerramy Stevens reeled in a 16-yard
touchdown catch.
With 10:54 remaining in the game, Seattle still had a
chance to take the lead, trailing only 14-10. And the Seahawks
were again closing in on the end zone. Next, though, it was
Hasselbeck’s turn to make a mistake. On third and 18, on the
Pittsburgh 27-yard line, Hasselbeck floated a pass over the head
of Jackson. Cornerback Ike Taylor plucked it out of the air. A
few minutes later, the Steelers pulled off their best gimmick
play—when Antwaan Randle El passed to Hines Ward—for
 Lucky No. 40 87

Ben Roethlisberger and Jerome Bettis share an emotional moment after the Steelers’
Super Bowl XL win in Bettis’s hometown of Detroit, Michigan. The previous year, after
Pittsburgh lost in the AFC Championship Game, Roethlisberger told Bettis to come back
for one more season, promising him a trip to the Super Bowl.

a third touchdown and a guaranteed 21-10 victory. Offensive

coordinator Ken Whisenhunt liked to try trick plays, such as
the one executed at the Super Bowl. Like Randle El, Hines
Ward also played quarterback in college. Their history gave
Whisenhunt enormous flexibility. On this night, Whisenhunt
saw the Steelers facing the right defense, and it looked like the
right time to try one of those plays. In the most important
game of the year, the Steelers pulled off the reverse pass they
had rigorously practiced for most of the year. All that practice
suddenly seemed well worth it.
88 Ben Roethlisberger

Seattle could do nothing on its next possession and had to

punt. Pittsburgh settled in to run off some time. With less than
four minutes to go, on third and three, Big Ben ran and picked
up a huge first down. The Steelers worked the clock—running
down another two minutes—all but sealing the victory. As
the final seconds ticked away, Bill Cowher laughed and threw
his arms around his players on the sideline. After 10 trips
to the playoffs in his 14 seasons as coach, he finally led his
hometown team to a Super Bowl title. To make the win even
more momentous, it was the fifth Super Bowl victory—the “one
for the thumb”—for the Steelers. As Cowher’s players dumped
a cooler of Gatorade over his shoulders, he thrust his fists into
the air. Then, he cried—along with most of the Steelers.
Perhaps for Roethlisberger, the enormity of the win did not
sink in all at once. His first thoughts were for the rest of the
team, especially Jerome “The Bus” Bettis—who finally realized
his ultimate dream after 13 seasons in the NFL. Roethlisberger’s

One for the Thumb

In the days leading up to Super Bowl XL, a lot of Pittsburgh
fans were chanting, “One for the thumb!” The idea behind this
phrase is really quite simple. If a team were to win five Super
Bowls, counting the victories on your fingers would take up an
entire hand, with the last win being the thumb.
That fifth Super Bowl title had been elusive for the Steelers.
They had waited not-so-patiently since 1980, the days of Terry
Bradshaw, Franco Harris, and Jack Lambert. With their “One for
the Thumb,” the Steelers joined the ranks of the San Francisco
49ers and the Dallas Cowboys as the only teams to win five
Super Bowls.
 Lucky No. 40 89

hefty promise fulfilled, he said after the game, “It was absolutely
awesome to come up here and win one for Jerome.” Likewise,
Bettis could breathe a sigh of relief. “I came back to win a
championship,” he said in Tough as Steel. “Mission accom-
plished. With that, I have to bid farewell.” Immediately after
the Super Bowl, Bettis retired from the NFL. Returning to his
hometown—the Motor City—and becoming a world champion
was the exclamation point on his career. He decided that “the
Bus’s last stop is here in Detroit.”
While Bettis closed the cover on his career with a story-
book ending, Big Ben was living out a storybook beginning.
In his second season in the NFL, he brought his team to the
Super Bowl and earned a victory. And he was just getting
started.
After the Super Bowl, Roethlisberger was elevated to
superstar status. He had to learn how to deal with a whole new
world. Until then, all he generally had to think about was the
game. Now, he had the added pressure of living under a mag-
nifying glass. His actions would reflect on the entire Pittsburgh
team, so he had to be careful how he portrayed himself in the
public eye.
 8

Looking for
a Replay
I t is no big secret. Quarterbacks can get injured in the NFL,
sometimes seriously. Already as a young quarterback, Ben
Roethlisberger had seen his share of injuries, but this time was
different. This one was off the field.
On the late morning of June 12, 2006, Roethlisberger was
cruising down Second Avenue in Pittsburgh on his new 2005
Suzuki Hayabusa—a cycle known for speed and power. He
was nearing Tenth Street when a woman driving a Chrysler
New Yorker pulled into the intersection. Roethlisberger’s cycle
slammed into the passenger door. He flew off the bike, hit the
windshield hard, and then bounced onto the pavement. For a
moment, he lay motionless. One witness thought he was dead.
Blood pooled on the road, draining out of a nine-inch gash on
the back of his head. Then, he regained consciousness.

90
 Looking for a Replay 91

An ambulance rushed him to Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh.

In addition to the laceration on his head, he had a broken jaw,
a crushed sinus cavity, and a handful of missing teeth. He also
had some minor knee injuries from hitting the pavement.
Luckily, however, the broken jaw was the most serious of his
injuries. His brain, spine, chest, and abdomen had been spared.
At the time, Roethlisberger did not grasp just how lucky he
was to be alive, especially because he was not wearing a helmet.
While recovering from seven hours of surgery to repair the
fractures in his face, he would have some time to think about
it, though.
Back in the summer of 2005, tight end Kellen Winslow of
the Cleveland Browns tore some knee ligaments in a motor-
cycle accident. He too was helmet-free, and his injuries kept
him sidelined for the entire 2005 season. At that time, the
accident had brought Roethlisberger’s habits under the micro-
scope. Roethlisberger openly admitted that he did not wear
a helmet when riding, claiming in an interview with ESPN’s
Andrea Kremer, “You’re just more free when you’re out there
with no helmet on.” In Pennsylvania, it is not against the law
to ride without one, so Roethlisberger legally had a choice.
Unlike Winslow’s contract, Roethlisberger’s contract does not
explicitly prohibit him from riding a cycle, although all NFL
players’ contracts do contain standard clauses about avoiding
dangerous activities.
After Winslow’s accident, coach Bill Cowher had cautioned
Roethlisberger about riding a motorcycle, especially without a
helmet. “We talked about being a risk-taker, and I’m not really
a risk-taker,” Roethlisberger said, “I’m pretty conservative and
laid-back, but the big thing is just to be careful. I’ll just continue
to be careful.” At that point, Roethlisberger only rode Harleys
and Choppers—the Cadillacs of motorcycles. He rode for
relaxation, not adventure. He was confident in his ability to ride
a motorcycle, and he truly believed such an accident would not
92 Ben Roethlisberger

A Pittsburgh police officer assisted in the investigation of an accident on June 12, 2006,
between a car and a motorcycle driven by Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers’ quarterback,
who was not wearing a helmet, suffered a broken jaw and a crushed sinus cavity in the
collision. He was in surgery for seven hours to repair the fractures to his face.

happen to him. At training camp in 2005, former Steeler Terry

Bradshaw, who quarterbacked the team to their four other
Super Bowl victories in the 1970s, gave Roethlisberger some
fatherly advice: “Ride it when you retire.”
After hearing news of the accident, players and fans gath-
ered at Mercy Hospital. Cowher arrived around 9:20 that
night. Of course, their first concerns were for Roethlisberger’s
 Looking for a Replay 93

condition. They were there to be supportive. However, they

also wanted some news about his recovery time. Would he
be ready to play at the start of the NFL season in September?
According to the doctors, his broken jaw would heal in about
seven weeks—in plenty of time for the season opener.
Shortly after he was released from the hospital on June 15,
Roethlisberger made a public apology. “In the past few days,
I have gained a new perspective on life,” he said in an article
by the Associated Press. “By the grace of God, I am fortunate
to be alive. . . . I am sorry for any anxiety and concern my
actions have caused others, specifically my family, the Steelers
organization, my teammates, and our fans.” The incident was
a turning point for Roethlisberger and sparked a change in his
behavior. “I recognize that I have a responsibility to safeguard
my health in the off-season so I can continue to lead our team
effectively,” he said and added a promise. “If I ever ride again,
it certainly will be with a helmet.” And as Jerome Bettis would
attest, Roethlisberger knew how to keep a promise.

Rocky Season
As doctors predicted, Roethlisberger made a quick recovery
from the accident. However, an emergency appendectomy
on Sunday, September 3, kept him from playing the season
opener at Heinz Field. Sadly, Roethlisberger missed a pretty
grand ceremony—the unveiling of the five Super Bowl cham-
pionship banners, complete with pregame fireworks and an
in-stadium concert. Still, backup Charlie Batch did a good job
of managing the team in his absence, leading the Steelers to a
28-17 win over Miami.
The game pivoted on one crucial play by tight end Heath
Miller. Midway through the fourth quarter, Miller charged
down the sideline for an 87-yard touchdown pass. The replay,
however, showed that the touchdown was actually no good.
Miller had stepped out of bounds between the 1- and 2-yard
lines. But Dolphin coach Nick Saban hesitated in throwing his
94 Ben Roethlisberger

red coach’s challenge flag. It was a costly delay, with the flag
falling to the turf unseen by officials until it was too late. By the
time they saw it, the extra point had been kicked. According to
the rules, once the next play has started, a coach can no longer
challenge a call. The gift touchdown took a close four-point

Swiss Mister
The trip to Detroit for Super Bowl XL may have been the trip
of a lifetime for Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers. A few
months after that game, Roethlisberger took another trip—a
trip, perhaps, of several lifetimes. In May 2006, he, his par-
ents, and his sister traveled to Switzerland to visit the home of
their ancestors who immigrated to the United States. Besides
stops in the bigger cities of Bern, Lucerne, and Zurich, the
Roethlisbergers visited the farming community of Lauperswil
in the Emmental region of Switzerland. Ben Roethlisberger’s
great-great-grandfather, Karl Roethlisberger, left Lauperswil in
1873 to come to the United States to seek a better life.
“I only recently began researching my personal Swiss roots,
but I’m making up for lost time,” Ben said before the trip. The
document that permitted Karl Roethlisberger to come to the
United States showed that he was 32, blue-eyed and balding,
and had no outstanding debts. In Lauperswil, Ben’s father, Ken,
said, “When we came over the hill, we realized he probably
looked at these very same things. I can see how a person could
live here. It’s amazing.”
Roethlisberger’s trip was part of a special Swiss Roots
campaign organized by the Swiss government and its tourism
board. The aim of the campaign is to reach out to the more
than one million Americans who have Swiss ancestry.
 Looking for a Replay 95

game and turned it into a guaranteed victory for the Steelers.

Still, it was a 1–0 start for Pittsburgh in 2006.
In Week 2, Big Ben was back in the Steelers’ lineup but
not in prime form. Barely two weeks after his appendectomy,
Roethlisberger had his midsection wrapped in protective
padding. However, it did not save him from the pain. The
Jacksonville Jaguars made him pay for his courage. Over the
course of the game, he was sacked twice and knocked down
several other times. On his final hit, Roethlisberger wobbled to
the sideline, clutching his side and wincing. In a 9-0 shutout,
Pittsburgh tallied only 26 rushing yards, and Roethlisberger
hit 17 of 32 passes, with two interceptions. It was the lowest
scoring game in the history of Monday Night Football. Perhaps
Cowher should have kept Roethlisberger out of harm’s way. On
Sunday, Roethlisberger had woken up feeling sick and had reg-
istered a fever earlier on Monday. But Cowher wanted him to
play and to get him ready, as well, for next week’s game against
division rival Cincinnati.
There was little Cowher could do to prepare the Steelers
for the wrath of Carson Palmer, though. After Kimo von
Oelhoffen tore apart his knee in the playoffs the previous sea-
son, Palmer endured eight grueling months of rehabilitation.
He marched onto Heinz Field on September 24 to prove that
paybacks can be tough. The Steelers’ game was littered with
turnovers, special-teams errors, and mental mistakes, includ-
ing an early interception in the end zone and a botched punt
return late in the game. With four touchdown passes and a
28-20 victory over Pittsburgh, Palmer got his revenge. The
Steelers dropped to 1–2.
After a bye week, the Steelers traveled across the country to
Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. Roethlisberger
waged battle against his 2004 draft rival Philip Rivers. With two
touchdown passes—one to polish off a 91-yard drive, Rivers
was up to the challenge. He handed Roethlisberger his third
straight loss. “I can’t tell you the last time I lost three games in
96 Ben Roethlisberger

a row,” said Roethlisberger, who threw two interceptions in the

game and was sacked five times. “I feel like I have let my team-
mates down and let the fans down,” he said after the game. “I
know I can play better, and I know I will.” Roethlisberger knew
he would have to get on track if he wanted to make another
Super Bowl appearance.
On October 15, back home at Heinz Field, Roethlisberger
kept yet another promise. He threw his first two touchdown
passes since the AFC Championship Game in a 45-7 pummel-
ing of the Kansas City Chiefs. The fans all agreed that he had
definitely played better, racking up 31 points in the first half.
Going into the game, Roethlisberger sat among the lowest-
rated NFL quarterbacks, with no touchdown passes and seven
interceptions. His strategy against the Chiefs was simple. “I
tried throwing to the guys in the black shirts rather than the
guys in the white shirts,” he joked in a post-game interview.
Roethlisberger played sharp and polished, completing 16 of 19
passes for 238 yards.
The following week, the Steelers appeared to be on
their way to another blowout, this time against the Atlanta
Falcons. Before the half, Roethlisberger was already 15
of 20 for 235 yards and three touchdowns. He appeared
unstoppable. Then, early in the third quarter, he took a scary
helmet-to-helmet blow from Chauncey Davis after releasing
a pass. The hit knocked him unconscious. He remained laid
out on the turf for at least five minutes before hobbling to
the sideline. Moments later, he rode the cart back to the
locker room. Suffering a concussion, Roethlisberger later
emerged dressed in street clothes. For the rest of the game,
Atlanta took advantage of every Pittsburgh mistake, hanging
on to take the game into overtime. From the sideline, there
was little Roethlisberger could do to help his teammates.
He simply had to watch as Falcon kicker Morten Andersen
cleared the game-winning field goal, handing Pittsburgh a
painful 41-38 loss.
 Looking for a Replay 97

The season went from bad to worse over the next couple
of weeks. Four turnovers, four personal fouls, and five sacks
led to a 20-13 loss to Oakland. Roethlisberger, still recovering
from his concussion, threw interceptions on two of Pittsburgh’s
first three possessions. And it was déjà vu in the fourth quarter
as he tossed two more interceptions when the Steelers were
driving for a potential tying score. Embarrassed and frustrated,
Roethlisberger commented, “In my wildest dreams, I didn’t
think I’d be playing this bad.” The mistakes continued, and a
six-turnover, 31-20 loss to Denver in Week 9 ended any realis-
tic chance for the Steelers to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
Their 2–6 record matched the worst midseason record in Bill
Cowher’s 15-season career. It was also the worst by any return-
ing NFL champion in 20 years. No team in NFL history had
ever come back from a 2–6 record and a loss in its eighth game
to make the playoffs. Only the Arizona Cardinals, at 1–7, had a
worse record. The Steelers would have to sweep their final eight
games to pull out a 10–6 record. Perhaps that would be the
magic number to reach the AFC playoffs. However, something
would have to change. The Steelers had more turnovers in their
last two games (10) than they did in their eight-game winning
streak that ended the previous season and carried through the
playoffs. With 24 turnovers, they also had more in a half-sea-
son than in all of last season (23).
The big question circling Heinz Field on November 12 was,
“Could they do it?” Thanks to a pregame meeting, Pittsburgh’s
future appeared hopeful. Instead of Coach Cowher controlling
the floor, he opened it up to team leaders. Players expressed
their frustrations in a session that left some of them in tears.
After giving away a big lead, the Steelers rallied to a 38-31
win over the New Orleans Saints. Roethlisberger threw three
touchdown passes and no interceptions, and Willie Parker
rushed for 213 yards, including runs of 72 and 76 yards in
the second half that set up two touchdowns. Still, it was only
one victory. They had to keep the momentum rolling. And it
98 Ben Roethlisberger

Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips hit Ben Roethlisberger as he released a pass during the
fourth quarter of a game on October 8, 2006. The pass was intercepted. As the Steelers
got off to a 2–6 start, Roethlisberger was plagued by interceptions.
 Looking for a Replay 99

rolled into Cleveland Browns Stadium at just the right time

the following week. After throwing three interceptions in the
first half, Roethlisberger struck when his team needed him the
most. He threw for 272 yards, 224 of which were in the fourth
quarter. Tacking on 21 points in the final period, the Steelers
avoided a deadly defeat. Just minutes away from being kicked
into the basement of the AFC North, Roethlisberger impro-
vised a brilliant play. Scrambling, he tossed a four-yard shovel
pass to Willie Parker for the game-winning touchdown with 32
seconds left.
Week 12 took the Steelers to Baltimore, where they could
not pull out a fourth-quarter comeback. In fact, they could not
even score a touchdown in a brutal 27-0 loss to the Ravens.
Roethlisberger was sacked nine times, including a vicious hit
by Bart Scott in the second quarter that took Big Ben out of the
game for one play. The Ravens’ rushing defense harassed him
all afternoon. In four of the Steelers’ first six drives, they went
three and out. The seventh drive concluded with a sack and a
fumble that was returned 57 yards for a touchdown.
Nearly out of the running, the Steelers held on to a slender
shred of hope that they might still snatch a wild-card berth.
They won their next three games, bringing their record to a
level 7–7. These games did include a few crowning moments. In
a 27-7 victory over the Cleveland Browns, Parker set a Steelers
single-game rushing record with 223 yards. During a 97-yard
drive, Parker ran 26 yards on five carries. Roethlisberger
wrapped up that drive with a 49-yard touchdown pass to Nate
Washington. Later, Big Ben capped off a 91-yard drive with
a two-yard bootleg touchdown run. He confused the Browns
defense, who expected the ball to go to Parker.
In Week 16, however, the Baltimore Ravens inflicted the
fatal blow on the Steelers’ season. In a 31-7 blowout, the Ravens
sent Pittsburgh packing and took over the throne as the new
NFL title favorite with a 12–3 record. At least the Steelers ended
2006 on a high note with a 23-17 win in Cincinnati. The victory
100 Ben Roethlisberger

knocked the Bengals out as playoff contenders and gave the

Steelers an 8–8 finish to a rocky season. The Steelers delivered
a win for Bill Cowher in his last game as an NFL coach. At
the end of the 2006 season, he announced that he was step-
ping down after 15 years as coach. Under Cowher, the Steelers
had compiled a record of 161–99–1, including playoff games.
The team won eight division titles, earned 10 playoff berths,
advanced to the conference championship game six times, and
made two Super Bowl appearances—winning one. Pittsburgh
would miss him.
 9

A New Era
I t took the Pittsburgh Steelers a few weeks after Bill Cow-
her resigned as their coach to find his replacement. On
January 22, 2007, the Steelers announced that they had hired
Mike Tomlin, who had been the defensive coordinator for
the Minnesota Vikings in 2006, as their next coach. Like
Cowher when he was hired in 1992, Tomlin was also 34 and
had also been a defensive coordinator. “The one thing that set
him apart was his character, his personality,” team president
Art Rooney II said. “The more we talked with him the more
comfortable we got.”
Ben Roethlisberger appeared to be pretty comfortable,
too, with his new coach early on. During a mini-camp in
May 2007, Roethlisberger said, “Coach Tomlin likes to have
fun with the guys. I think the guys are more receptive to that.

101
102 Ben Roethlisberger

Mike Tomlin, the new coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Ben Roethlisberger
shared a laugh during a team workout on July 29, 2007, at St. Vincent College
in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Tomlin and Roethlisberger seemed to establish a
good rapport from the beginning.

They feel more comfortable being able to communicate with

that type of coaching.”
In their first game without Cowher, the Steelers blitzed
and bulldozed their way to a 34-7 win over Cleveland. Big Ben
threw 12 of 23 for 161 yards and a career-high four touchdown
 A New Era 103

passes. The Pittsburgh defense dominated the field, forcing

five turnovers and six sacks. The Steelers gave their new coach
the game ball, and again Roethlisberger had praise for Tomlin.
“You can see the excitement in his eyes,” Roethlisberger said.
“He doesn’t really get rah-rah. As a player you like that. He’s
calm. You don’t have to worry about getting yelled at or spit on
or getting stuff thrown at you.”
The following week—September 16, Pittsburgh offered
up another throttling, this time against the Buffalo Bills, 26-3.
The Steelers controlled the clock and the tempo. In the first
half alone, Pittsburgh heavily outgained Buffalo, 239 yards to
50 yards, including 155 yards to 9 yards in passing. In his first
two games, Roethlisberger had tallied five touchdowns and just
one interception, compared to five interceptions and no touch-
downs in 2006. The Steelers played another nearly error-free
game during Week 3 in a 37-16 victory over San Francisco.
The Steelers’ 3–0 start was better than the previous season.
Game 4, though, dished out a dose of déjà vu. At the University
of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona, the Cardinals shut down the
Steelers’ high-scoring offense and handed them their first loss.
In a game riddled with mistakes, no one person was to blame.
The Steelers were unable to run the ball successfully and were
plagued by turnovers. Eleven penalties also took a serious toll.
Roethlisberger was sacked four times and threw two intercep-
tions—once when Pittsburgh had third and goal at the 2-yard
line. With 1:49 to play, Roethlisberger found Santonio Holmes
for a seven-yard touchdown pass, which cut the deficit to
21-14. The Steelers got the ball back one last time at their own
9-yard line. Roethlisberger managed to move the chains to the
40. With 46 seconds remaining, though, he took a sack. A final
interception sealed the loss.
By October 7, the Steelers had made a full recovery from their
encounter with the Cardinals. They took their frustration out on
Seattle, pummeling the Seahawks 21-0. The offense took nearly
the entire first half to warm up, but once it did, it was unstoppable.
104 Ben Roethlisberger

With improvising creativity, Roethlisberger led three successive,

clock-munching touchdown drives and completed 13 consecutive
passes. In the second half, the Steelers had possession of the ball
for 24:53, Seattle only 5:07. It was one of the few times a shutout
could be credited to the offense as much as the defense. In the
Steelers’ first five games, the defense allowed only a total of 47
points, the fourth fewest points allowed in franchise history—just
behind 1937 (38), 1936 (40), and 1934 (45).

Big Ben Loves Animals

Ben Roethlisberger feels that he has been blessed in his
life with opportunities to pursue his goals and achieve
success in those pursuits. In 2006, he established the Ben
Roethlisberger Foundation in an effort to help those who
might be less fortunate. The mission of the foundation is to
provide support for police and fire departments throughout
the United States. He chose to focus on service dogs. “My dad
instilled in me a love and respect for animals,” Roethlisberger
said on his Web site. “This is a good way to combine
that passion with a desire to support the police and fire
departments.”
Roethlisberger especially donates to departments in his
two hometowns—Findlay, Ohio, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
In 2006, the newly formed foundation gave its first grant to
help the Findlay Police Department. The officers there had
recently lost their service dog, Skip, when he was tragically shot
to death. Part of Roethlisberger’s grant went to purchase a K-9
ballistic vest. Many police departments do not have enough
money in their budgets to purchase protective vests for their
service dogs.
 A New Era 105

The Steelers were 4–1 going into the bye week. But the
extra practice time couldn’t buy them a win on October 21 at
Mile High Stadium in Denver. The Broncos forced three turn-
overs—one that was returned for a touchdown—and sacked Big
Ben four times. Until this game, Pittsburgh had allowed just
five touchdowns all season. In Week 7, the Steelers surrendered
four touchdowns in one game. By end of the third quarter,
Pittsburgh was down 28-14. Then, Roethlisberger directed a

In 2007, grants were distributed to support or purchase

service dogs (and vests) to assist police officers and firefighters.
The grants went to departments in and around Pittsburgh,
as well as in the cities and surrounding communities of each
regular-season away game. These cities were Cleveland,
Phoenix, Denver, Cincinnati, New York/New Jersey, Boston, St.
Louis, and Baltimore. Also in 2007, the Marathon Oil Company
donated $1,000 to the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation for every
touchdown run or pass Big Ben made in the season. As of Week
16, Roethlisberger had 34 of these touchdowns, bringing in a
hefty $34,000 donation.
In addition to the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation, Big Ben
donates to other charitable causes. He is especially involved in
promoting youth sports in various school districts. Following
the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami of December 26, 2004,
he announced that he would donate his $18,000 playoff check
to the relief effort and challenged other players to do the
same. Part of what makes Roethlisberger a great NFL player
is that he sincerely wants to make a difference off the field as
well as on.
106 Ben Roethlisberger

94-yard drive, ending with a 13-yard touchdown grab by Matt

Spaeth. Later, he led a 78-yard drive, completing all eight passes
and hitting Heath Miller for a 12-yard touchdown strike, to tie
the game with 1:10 remaining. Pittsburgh could not hang on,
though. Bronco kicker Jason Elam cleared a game-winning 49-
yard field goal as time expired, sending Pittsburgh to a deflat-
ing 31-28 loss.
On October 28 at Paul Brown Stadium, a conservative call
by Cincinnati’s coach, Marvin Lewis, worked in Pittsburgh’s
favor. Trailing 14-3, the Bengals drove to fourth and one, just
inside the 2-yard line, with 2:16 left in the second quarter. They
needed only two more feet to nab the first down. The largest
crowd in stadium history all wanted the Bengals to go for it; so
did the players. Instead of having faith in his offense, though,
Lewis decided to play it safe and kick a field goal instead of
flexing some muscle and going for the touchdown. Instead of
a possible score of 14-10, Cincinnati settled for 14-6. Lewis’s
decision had a ripple effect that ultimately ended in a 24-13 loss
to the Steelers. On the ensuing drive, Pittsburgh showed the
Bengals how it was done. Roethlisberger drove to Cincinnati’s
1-yard line with nine seconds to go in the half. He confidently
handed off to Willie Parker, who dove into the end zone to beef
up the Steelers’ lead to 21-6. Roethlisberger finished 19 of 26
for 230 yards and only one costly mistake, a forced interception
midway through the third quarter. The Bengals responded with
a 17-play drive that ended with a nine-yard touchdown, lessen-
ing their deficit to 21-13. On their next possession, Pittsburgh
tacked on a field goal, and Cincinnati never answered back.

Thundering rally
There was a little magic in the air at Heinz Field on the night of
November 5. As part of the Steelers’ 75th-season celebration,
past greats like Jack Ham, Franco Harris, and Terry Bradshaw
had special seats at the game. In the past, Baltimore had
beaten up on Pittsburgh. It’s hard to bully fate, though, and
 A New Era 107

Ben Roethlisberger and Heath Miller congratulated each other after connecting for
a touchdown pass in the first quarter of a game on November 5, 2007, against the
Baltimore Ravens. In that contest, Roethlisberger tied a single-game Steelers’ record with
five touchdown passes—and all were thrown in the first half.

this time, fate was waving a Terrible Towel. Pittsburgh owned

the first half. Roethlisberger tied the Steelers’ single-game
record with five touchdown passes, all before halftime. The
Steel Curtain defense forced four turnovers in the first half, as
well. On Baltimore’s first possession, James Harrison leveled
quarterback Steve McNair, forcing a fumble that Pittsburgh
recovered at the 20. After the snap, Roethlisberger stepped out
of the Raven pass rush to hit Miller with a 17-yard touchdown
pass. Later, on a first quarter punt return, Harrison hit All-Pro
safety Ed Reed so hard the ball flew nearly 15 feet before the
Steelers recovered it. Four plays later, Roethlisberger found
Santonio Holmes for a 15-yard touchdown pass. Pittsburgh
held a dominating 28-point lead at the half. In the third
108 Ben Roethlisberger

quarter, Terrell Suggs smacked Roethlisberger to the turf

after a 45-yard completion to Holmes. He was briefly pulled
from the game with an injured hip but returned early in the
fourth quarter. Roethlisberger’s five touchdown throws also
gave him a career-record, single-season high of 20—in only
half a season—already two more than in all of 2006. Also,
by throwing a touchdown pass for his thirteenth consecutive
game, he broke Bradshaw’s previous team record of twelve.
Week 10 brought another victory against the Cleveland
Browns, courtesy of a second-half comeback to rally from a
15-point deficit. In the 31-28 win, Roethlisberger contributed
a 30-yard scramble for his own key touchdown early in the
fourth quarter. Later, he made another run on an important
third down, setting up a go-ahead two-yard touchdown pass to
Miller. Boasting an impressive 7–2 record, Pittsburgh seemed
almost certain to make the playoffs. But the following week, the
Steelers took a brutal pounding from the lowly New York Jets,
who had a 1–8 record going into the game. The offensive line
did a poor job of protecting Roethlisberger, who was sacked
seven times. The game was tied at 16 at the end of regulation,
but a field goal in overtime gave the Jets the 19-16 victory.
The following week, in a Monday night game, new sod
plus daylong rains created the worst playing conditions ever
encountered at Heinz Field or anywhere else for that matter.
The Steelers broke their previous record of the lowest-scoring
game in Monday Night Football history with a 3-0 victory over
Miami. It was the first time in 64 years that an NFL game went
until the final minute without any points. The last time the
league witnessed a three-point game was on December 11,
1993, when the New York Jets beat Washington 3-0. Both
teams had trouble running the ball—and just running. With
each step, players sunk into the soggy ground. It was like
running on a sandy beach. With 17 seconds left in the fourth
quarter, though, Pittsburgh got close enough for Jeff Reed
to kick a game-winning, 24-yard field goal. The following
 A New Era 109

Sunday pumped out more rain, but this time, the sod held up.
Pittsburgh canned another win, 24-10, against Cincinnati, in
which Roethlisberger ran in a touchdown from six yards out
and threw two touchdown passes.
The next two weeks brought the Steelers back down to Earth.
A 9–3 record is pretty impressive to most teams, but perhaps not
to New England. The Patriots arrived at Gillette Stadium with
a flawless 12–0 record, and their play certainly matched their
record. Quarterback Tom Brady’s 399 passing yards dwarfed
Roethlisberger’s 187. A Steeler win would have clinched a playoff
berth, but instead, they took a humbling 34-13 loss.
December 16 brought perfect Steelers weather—swirling
snow and chilly temperatures for their warm-blooded oppo-
nents, the Jacksonville Jaguars. Still, Pittsburgh was unable to
shovel out a victory, taking a 29-22 loss. Some fourth-quarter
heroics, though, tempted Steeler fans into thinking a win might
be possible. Down 22-7, Pittsburgh scored twice in seven-and-
a-half minutes. Roethlisberger shook off a sore shoulder and
five sacks to fire off three touchdown passes. Showcasing his
creativity, he repeatedly improvised broken plays to make first
downs. The comeback began when Anthony Smith intercepted
the Jaguars’ David Garrard and returned the ball 50 yards. The
interception led to an 11-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward.
On the Steelers’ next possession, Roethlisberger threw a 30-yard
touchdown pass to Nate Washington, setting a team record with
his twenty-ninth touchdown pass of the season. On a trick play,
wide receiver Cedrick Wilson tossed a two-point conversion
pass to Holmes to tie the game at 22 with less than six minutes
remaining. Jacksonville pulled off some of their own heroics,
though. Garrard directed an eight-play, 73-yard drive that ended
with a 12-yard touchdown run by Fred Taylor. With just 1:57 on
the clock, the Steelers could not find enough time answer it.
At 9–5, the Steelers fell into a tie with Cleveland for the
AFC North lead. They needed a win on December 20 against
the St. Louis Rams. They got one—a super-sized 41-24 win.
110 Ben Roethlisberger

The victory came with some strings attached, however. In his

first carry of the game, star running back Willie Parker went
down with a broken bone in his lower right leg. He would
be out for the rest of the season. His replacement—Najeh
Davenport—made sure his spot was well covered. He rushed
for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Roethlisberger was 16 of
20 for 261 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
The win was important, but the Steelers still needed a little
help in order to clinch a playoff berth. Either Cleveland would
have to lose at Cincinnati or the Jets would have to beat the
Tennessee Titans. As it turned out, Cleveland’s loss saved the
day. Win or lose in Game 16, the Steelers were headed to the
playoffs.
Coach Tomlin decided to enter the final game of the sea-
son with an ounce-of-prevention philosophy—stay healthy.
Throughout the season, the starters had gotten pretty banged up.
Tomlin wanted to use the final week before the playoffs to let his
players heal, including Big Ben, who suffered a sprained ankle in
St. Louis. Backup quarterback Charlie Batch put up a pretty good
fight, but the Steelers lost to Baltimore 27-21 and finished the
regular season with a 10–6 record. Next stop: the AFC wild-card
game. “Ready or not, here we come,” Tomlin said.
The Steelers’ dream of making it to the Super Bowl for the sec-
ond time in three years shattered just as quickly as it took shape.
By the end of the first half against Jacksonville, Roethlisberger
had dug the team into a deep hole with three interceptions, as
the Steelers trailed 21-7. As in the earlier, regular-season game
against the Jaguars, Roethlisberger led a thundering fourth-
quarter rally, after switching to a shotgun formation. With vir-
tually no running game, Roethlisberger shouldered the offense
himself. He threw touchdown passes to Santonio Holmes and
Heath Miller in the first four-and-a-half minutes of the fourth
quarter to bring Pittsburgh within five points, 28-23. Instead of
going for the extra point, Tomlin called a two-point conversion.
But Roethlisberger’s pass to Ward was incomplete.
 A New Era 111

Next possession, Big Ben led another short-and-sweet touch-

down drive, putting Pittsburgh ahead by one point. Once again,
Tomlin opted for the two-point conversion. Again, it failed.
With 37 seconds left in the game, Jaguars kicker Josh Scobee
cleared a 25-yard field goal to win the game 31-29. The Steelers
came up short by gambling for two-point conversions after their
final two touchdowns—getting neither. In hindsight, Tomlin
questioned his decisions. Perhaps it would have been better to
settle for the extra point. But a team doesn’t get a nickname
like the “Steel Curtain” by tip-toeing its way through a football
game. Even though it marked the end of the road for Pittsburgh,
Roethlisberger finished off the season in good standing with a
104.1 passer rating, second only to the Patriots’ Tom Brady. For
Roethlisberger and the rest of the Steelers, though, there was
only one thing left to do: Win it next year.

INTO THE FUTURE

As he heads into the 2008 season, Roethlisberger saw the
2007 campaign as a turning point for the team. The Steelers,
under Tomlin and offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, used
more of a wide-open passing game. Roethlisberger was given
more responsibility to call protections and help devise the game
plan. The Steelers also used a no-huddle offense more often in
2007, and Roethlisberger thought it could become a signature
of the team’s offense.
“We’re kind of keeping up with the league,” Roethlisberger said
in an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “The league is always
evolving, and offenses are always changing. Right now the offenses
around the league—in terms of who wins—are pass-dominant
offenses. We have started to turn that corner a little bit.”
With only four years in the NFL, Roethlisberger has
achieved many great highs and suffered a few perilous lows. As
a rookie, he was the first quarterback in NFL history to compile
a 13–0 record during the regular season. In the 2005 season,
at age 23, he became the youngest starting quarterback ever to
112 Ben Roethlisberger

After an AFC Pro Bowl practice in February 2008 in Hawaii, Ben Roethlisberger signed auto-
graphs for a group of U.S. Army soldiers. Heading into his fifth season in the NFL, Roethlisberger
has had many outstanding accomplishments, and is certain to have many more.

win the Super Bowl, and he was the first quarterback in league
history to lead a team to the conference championship game in
each of his first two seasons. After that pinnacle came the off-
season motorcycle accident and an 8–8 record in the intercep-
tion-plagued 2006 season. Never down for long, Big Ben once
again led the Steelers to the playoffs in 2007. Having showcased
such an extraordinary NFL beginning, perhaps it’s safe to say
that Roethlisberger is a legend in the making.
And the Steelers have ensured that Roethlisberger will be
creating that legend in Pittsburgh. In March 2008, Roethlisberger
and the Steelers agreed to an eight-year contract extension
worth $102 million, making him one of the NFL’s highest-
paid players. The deal keeps Roethlisberger with the Steelers
through the 2015 season.
“This is about being a Pittsburgh Steeler for as long as I can
be,” Roethlisberger said in an Associated Press article. “I love
Pittsburgh.”
 Statistics

BEN ROETHLISBERGER
Position: Quarterback

Full name: College: Miami

Benjamin Roethlisberger (Ohio)
Born: March 2, 1982, Teams:
Findlay, Ohio Pittsburgh Steelers
Height: 6’5” (2004–present)
Height: 240 lbs.

Year Team G comp att pct yd y/A TD INT

2004 PIT 14 196 295 66.4 2,621 8.9 17 11

2005 PIT 12 168 268 62.7 2,385 8.9 17 9
2006 PIT 15 280 469 59.7 3,513 7.5 18 23
2007 PIT 15 264 404 65.3 3,154 7.8 32 11

TOTALS 56 908 1,436 63.2 11,673 8.1 84 54

113
 Chronology
1982 Is born on March 2 in Findlay, Ohio.
1999 Becomes the starting quarterback at Findlay High; sets
state records for touchdowns and passing yards.
2000 Redshirts his first year at Miami University.
2001 Becomes the starting quarterback for the Miami
University RedHawks; passes for 25 touchdowns and
3,105 yards for the season.
2002 Passes for 3,238 yards and 22 touchdowns for the
season.
2003 Passes for 4,486 yards and 37 touchdowns for the
season.

2001
Becomes
1982 the starting 2003
Is born on quarterback Leads Miami to
March 2 for the Miami the Mid-American
Timeline

in Findlay, University Conference title

Ohio RedHawks

1982 2004
1999 2004
Sets Ohio high Drafted by the
school records for Pittsburgh Steelers
touchdowns and in the first round
passing yards

114
 Chronology 115

December 4 Leads Miami to its first Mid-American

Conference title since 1986, defeating Bowling Green,
49-27.
December 18 Guides Miami to a 49-28 win over
Louisville in the GMAC Bowl; declares he will enter
the NFL Draft.
2004 April 24 Drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the
eleventh pick in the first round.
September 19 Makes his NFL debut when starting
quarterback Tommy Maddox goes out with an injury.
September 26 Makes first NFL start; Pittsburgh beats
Miami, 13-3.

ben roethlisberger
2006
2005 Quarterbacks
Wins first NFL the Steelers to
playoff game, victory in Super
20-17, over Bowl XL
the Jets

2004 2007
2004
2007
Becomes the first 2006 Ties the Steelers’
NFL quarterback Suffers head and single-game record
to compile a 13–0 facial injuries in a with five touch-
record during the motorcycle accident down passes
regular season on June 12
116 Chronology

Becomes the first NFL quarterback to compile a

13–0 record during the regular season; is named the
Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
2005 J anuary 15 Wins first NFL playoff game, 20-17, over
the Jets.
January 23 Steelers lose to New England, 41-27, in the
AFC Championship Game.
For the 2005 season, leads Pittsburgh to an 11–5
record.
2006 J anuary 22 Pittsburgh beats Denver, 34-17, to win the
AFC Championship Game; Roethlisberger is the first
quarterback to reach a conference championship
game in each of his first two seasons in the NFL.
February 5 Pittsburgh wins Super Bowl XL, beating the
Seattle Seahawks 21-10.
June 12 Fractures his jaw and suffers other head and
facial injuries in a motorcycle accident.
September 3 Undergoes an emergency appendectomy;
forced to miss the Steelers’ season opener.
The Steelers finish 8–8 for the season and miss the
playoffs.
2007  ill Cowher steps down after 15 season as the coach
B
of the Steelers; Pittsburgh names Mike Tomlin as his
replacement.
November 5 Ties the Steelers’ single-game record with
five touchdown passes, in a game against the Ravens.
Pittsburgh finishes the season with a 10–6 record but
loses to Jacksonville in the first round of the playoffs.
 glossary
American Football Conference (AFC)  One of the two confer-
ences in the National Football League (NFL). The AFC
was established after the NFL merged with the American
Football League (AFL) in 1970.
blind side  The side opposite the direction a player is looking.
For example, when a right-handed quarterback sets up to
pass, his left side is considered his blind side.
blitz  A defensive tactic in which the linebacker or defensive
back abandons his normal duties on the field and goes after
the quarterback; his objective is either to tackle the quarter-
back behind the line of scrimmage or rush the quarterback’s
pass.
bootleg  An offensive play in which a quarterback fakes a
handoff to a running back who is going in one direction
while he moves in the opposite direction to run or pass.
bye week  A week in which one team does not play.
coach’s challenge  When a coach disagrees with a ruling on
the field, he can challenge it by tossing a red flag before the
next play starts; the play is reviewed by the referee, who
decides if the call stands; if the challenge fails, the challeng-
ing team is charged with a timeout.
cornerback  A defensive back who lines up near the line of
scrimmage across from a wide receiver. The cornerback’s
primary job is to disrupt passing routes, to defend against
short and medium passes, and to contain the rusher on
rushing plays.
depth chart  A list of all players on a team’s roster, with rank-
ings from starter to second- and third-string players.
draft  The selection of collegiate players for entrance into the
National Football League. Typically, the team with the worst
record over the previous season picks first in the draft.
117
118 Glossary

draw play  A disguised run that at first looks like a pass play;
the offensive linemen fake as if they are going to pass-block,
and the quarterback drops back as if he is going to throw a
pass, but instead he turns and hands off to a running back
or runs himself.
end zone  The area between the end line and the goal line,
bounded by the sidelines.
extra point  After a touchdown, the scoring team is allowed
to add another point by kicking the football through the
uprights of the goalpost.
field goal  A scoring play worth three points if the
placekicker can boot the ball between the uprights of the
goalpost.
first down  The first of a set of four downs. Usually, a team
that has a first down needs to advance the ball 10 yards to
receive another first down, but penalties or field position
(i.e. less than 10 yards from the opposing end zone) can
affect this.
flat  The area of the field between the hash marks and the
sideline near the line of scrimmage.
fourth down  The final of a set of four downs. Unless a first
down is achieved or a penalty forces a replay of the down,
the team will lose control of the ball after this play. If a team
does not think it can get a first down, it will often punt on
fourth down or kick a field goal if close enough to do so.
fumble  When any offensive player loses possession of the
ball before the play is blown dead.
Hail Mary  An offensive play in which the quarterback throws
the ball without really targeting a specific receiver, hoping
someone on his team will catch the ball. Typically, a Hail
Mary pass is used on the last play of the half or the game,
when a team is out of field-goal range and has time left for
only one play.
 Glossary 119

interception  A pass that is caught by a defensive player, giv-

ing his team the ball.
lateral  A sideways or backward pass.
ligament  A sheet or band of tough, fibrous tissue that con-
nects bones or cartilage at a joint or that holds an organ of
the body in place.
line of scrimmage  The imaginary line that stretches across
the field and separates the two teams before the snap; before
a play, teams line up on either side of the line of scrimmage.
move the chains  Using first downs to drive a team, play by
play, toward their opponent’s end zone.
National Football Conference (NFC)  One of the two confer-
ences in the National Football League (NFL). The NFC
was established after the NFL merged with the American
Football League (AFL) in 1970.
offensive line  The offensive players who line up on the line
of scrimmage. Their primary job is to block the defensive
players.
onside kick  An attempt by the kicking team to recover the
ball by kicking it a short distance down the field. An onside
kick must go 10 yards before a player on the kicking team
can touch the ball.
passer rating  (also quarterback rating) A numeric value used
to measure the performance of quarterbacks. It was formu-
lated in 1973, and it uses the player’s completion percentage,
passing yards, touchdowns, and interceptions.
plane  An imaginary screen that extends upward from the
goal line. If the football “breaks the plane” by passing over
the goal line, a touchdown is scored, even if the player car-
rying the football is pulled back.
pocket  The area of protection for the quarterback that is
formed by the offensive line when he drops back to pass.
120 Glossary

quarterback  The offensive player who receives the ball from

the center at the start of each play. The quarterback will
hand off the ball, pass the ball, or run it himself.
redshirt  A college player who skips a year of play without
losing a year of eligibility. College athletes are only eligible
to play for four years. A player will often redshirt because of
an injury or an academic problem.
reverse  A play in which a running back takes a handoff
from the quarterback and then turns and runs in a lateral
motion behind the line of scrimmage before handing off to
a receiver who is running in the opposite direction.
rookie  A player in his first year as a professional.
roughing the passer  Purposely hitting or running into the
quarterback after the ball has been passed; this penalty can
also be called if the quarterback is hit in the head.
rush  To run with the ball
sack  A tackle of the quarterback behind the line of
scrimmage.
screen pass  A forward pass to a receiver at or behind the line
of scrimmage who is protected by a screen of blockers.
secondary  The defensive players who line up behind the
linebackers and defend the pass.
seed  A team’s rank in the playoffs.
shotgun offense  A passing formation in which the quarter-
back stands five yards behind the center before the snap;
the shotgun allows a quarterback to scan the defense from
behind the line of scrimmage.
shovel pass  A short, underhanded pass.
slant pattern  A play in which the ball carrier runs at an
angle across the field instead of running straight toward the
end zone.
signing bonus  An amount of money a player receives just to
sign with a team.
 Glossary 121

snap  The act when the center throw or hands the ball to the
quarterback, or to the holder on a kick, or to the punter.
special teams  The group of players on the field during kicks,
punts, and extra points.
swing pass  A route used by running backs as they “swing”
out of the backfield; they break left or right of the line of
scrimmage and then begin to head downfield. These passes
are often caught in the flat.
tendon  A tough cord or band of dense white fibrous connec-
tive tissue that unites a muscle with some other part (like a
bone) and transmits the force that the muscle exerts.
tight end  A player position on offense, who lines up on the
line of scrimmage next to the offensive tackle. Tight ends
are used as blockers during running plays and either run a
route or stay in to block during passing plays.
touchdown  A play worth six points in which any part of the
ball while legally in the possession of a player crosses the
plane of the opponent’s goal line. A touchdown allows the
team a chance for one extra point by kicking the ball or a
two-point conversion.
turnover  The loss of possession due to a fumble or an inter-
ception.
two-point conversion  A scoring play immediately after a
touchdown during which a team can add two points to the
score instead kicking for just one point; in a two-point con-
version, the scoring team has one play to run or pass the ball
into the end zone from the opponent’s 2-yard line.
wideout  A player position on offense, also known as a wide
receiver. He is split wide (usually about 10 yards) from the
formation and plays on the line of scrimmage as a split end
or one yard off as a flanker.
wild card  The two playoff spots given to the two non-
division winning teams that have the best records in the
conference
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Loss.” ESPN.com, December 4, 2005.
——— . “Parker Breaks Steelers’ Single-Game Record with 223
Rushing Yards.” ESPN.com, December 7, 2006.
——— . “Parker Fuels Steelers’ Rout of Reeling Panthers.”
ESPN.com, December 17, 2006.
——— . “Parker Runs Wild (213 Yards) As Steelers Rally to
Beat Saints.” ESPN.com, November 12, 2006.
——— . “Parker-Roethlisberger Combo Overwhelms Titans.”
ESPN.com, September 11, 2005.
——— . “Patriots Put Bruising on Steelers, Become 5th Team
with 13-0 Mark.” ESPN.com, December 9, 2007.
——— . “Pittsburgh Continues Longest Winning Streak Since
’76.” ESPN.com, November 28, 2004.
——— . “Polamalu Intercepts Ex-College Roommate to Seal
Win.” ESPN.com, October 3, 2004.
——— . “Ravens Break Skid with Win over Indifferent Steel-
ers.” ESPN.com, December 30, 2007.
——— . “Ravens Snap Four-Game Skid with OT Win vs. Steel-
ers.” ESPN.com, November 20, 2005.
——— . “Reed’s 19th Straight Made Field Goal Gives Pitts-
burgh Win.” ESPN.com, January 15, 2005.
——— . “Reed’s 37-Yard Field Goal with 18 Ticks Left Wins It.”
ESPN.com, December 5, 2004.
 Bibliography 125

——— . “Rivers, Chargers Send Steelers to Third Straight Loss.”

ESPN.com, October 8, 2006.
——— . “Roethlisberger First Rookie QB 4-0 Since ’79.” ESPN.
com, October 17, 2004.
——— . “Roethlisberger Passes for Career Best 316 Yards,”
ESPN.com, December 18, 2004.
——— . “Roethlisberger Remains Unbeaten.” ESPN.com, Octo-
ber 31, 2004.
——— . “Roethlisberger Signs Long-Term Deal.” SI.com,
March 3, 2008.
——— . “Roethlisberger Takes Third Straight Win.” ESPN.com,
October 10, 2004.
——— .“Roethlisberger Tosses Career-High Four TDs in Rout
of Browns.” ESPN.com, September 9, 2007.
——— . “Roethlisberger Uses Legs to Lead Steelers Past
Browns.” ESPN.com, November 11, 2007.
——— . “Rookie Miller Catches 2 TDs in Steelers’ Win over
Ravens.” ESPN.com, October 31, 2005.
——— . “Steelers Click on Both Sides of the Ball, Dominate the
Ravens at Home.” ESPN.com, November 5, 2007.
——— . “Steelers First to Win Three on Road to Reach Super
Bowl Since 1985.” January 22, 2006.
——— . “Steelers Get Big Defensive Effort in Road Win over
Vikings.” ESPN.com, December 18, 2005.
——— . “Steelers Get Past Seahawks for Fifth Super Bowl Win
in Club History.” ESPN.com, February 5, 2006.
——— . “Steelers Rally to Beat Chargers; Big Ben Hurt.” ESPN.
com, October 10, 2005.
——— . “Steelers Ride Three Bus Touchdowns into Playoffs.”
ESPN.com, January 1, 2006.
126 Bibliography

——— . “Steelers Survive as Colts Attempt to Tie Sails Wide.”

ESPN.com, January 15, 2006.
——— . “Steelers Use Buccaneers’ Turnovers to Their Advan-
tage.” ESPN.com, December 3, 2006.
——— . “Steelers Win 7th Straight; Bettis Runs for 103.” ESPN.
com, November 14, 2004.
——— . “Steelers Win Eighth Straight Road Game.” ESPN.com,
September 18, 2005.
——— . “Steelers Wrap Up Home-Field Advantage Throughout
Playoffs,” ESPN.com, December 26, 2004.
——— . “Taylor’s 12-Yard TD Run in Final Two Minutes Wins
It for Jags.” ESPN.com, December 16, 2007.
——— . “They’re Back: Steel Curtain Drops on Kansas City.”
ESPN.com, October 15, 2006.
——— . “Unbeaten? Steelers Make It Look Easy—Again.”
ESPN.com, November 7, 2004.
——— . “Vick Fires 4 TDs as Falcons KO Steelers, Big Ben in
OT.” ESPN.com, October 22, 2006.
——— . “Ward’s Two TD Help Steelers Dump Bengals at
Home.” ESPN.com, December 2, 2007.
——— . “Without Palmer, Bengals Struggle, Fall to Steelers.”
ESPN.com, January 8, 2006.
——— . “Without Roethlisberger, Ward, Steelers Fall to Jags.”
ESPN.com, October 16, 2005.
Attner, Paul. “Above a Cut: Steelers Rookie Ben Roethlisberger
Is the Gem Among a Group of Four Young Quarterbacks
Who Are Providing an Influx of Refreshing New Talent at
the NFL’s Marquee Position.” Sporting News, November 22,
2004.
 Bibliography 127

Bouchette, Ed. “Big Ben Says First Year Under Tomlin Proof
NFL Offensive Trends Aren’t Passing Steelers By.” Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette. January 17, 2008.
ESPN.com. “Big Ben in Serious Condition after Motorcycle
Accident.” ESPN.com, June 13, 2006.
Kremer, Andrea. “Roethlisberger in 2005—‘The Safest Rider I
Can Be’, ” July 2005, updated on ESPN.com June 12, 2006.
Maske, Mark. “Roethlisberger Hurt in Crash.” The Washington
Post, June 13, 2006.
McNellie, Tim. “Big Ben’s Beguiling Boldness.” Washington
Crossroad, December 2006.
Merron, Jeff. “Taking Your Wonderlics.” ESPN.com.
Passquarelli, Len. “Cowher Set to Quit As Steelers’ Coach
After 15 Seasons.” ESPN.com, January 5, 2007.
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Tough as Steel: Pittsburgh Steel-
ers, 2006 Super Bowl Champions. Champaign, Ill.: Tribune-
Review Publishing Company/Sports Publishing L.L.C.,
2006.
Silver, Michael. “Ben There, Done That.” Sports Illustrated.
November 8, 2004.
Sports Publishing L.L.C. Roethlisberger: Pittsburgh’s Own Big
Ben. Champaign, Ill.: Sports Publishing L.L.C., 2004.
Starkey, Joe. “Tomlin Deflects Controversy with Easy Man-
ner.” ESPN.com. May 15, 2007.
Wilbon, Michael. “On the Big Stage, This One Is Nothing to
Sing About.” The Washington Post, February 5, 2005.
Zenor, John. “Louisville Stopped by RedHawks in GMAC
Bowl.” UofLsports.com.
 further reading
books
Bettis, Jerome. The Bus: My Life In and Out of a Helmet. New
York: Doubleday, 2007.
Grdnic, Dale. Pittsburgh Steelers: Glory Days. Champaign, IL:
Sports Publishing L.L.C., 2007.
Mendelson, Abby. Pittsburgh Steelers 3rd Edition: The Official
Team History. Lanham, Md.: Taylor Trade Publishing, Dis-
tributed by National Book Network, 2006.
Rooney, Dan. Dan Rooney: My 75 Years with the Pittsburgh
Steelers and the NFL. New York: Da Capo Press, 2007.
Wexall, Jim. Pittsburgh Steelers: Men of Steel. Champaign, Ill.:
Sports Publishing L.L.C., 2006.
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Tough as Steel: Pittsburgh Steel-
ers 2006 Super Bowl Champions. Champaign, Ill.: Tribune-
Review Publishing Company/Sports Publishing L.L.C., 2006.
Sports Publishing L.L.C. Roethlisberger: Pittsburgh’s Own Big
Ben. Champaign, Ill.: Sports Publishing L.L.C., 2004.

Web Sites
Big Ben 7: The Official Site of Ben Roethlisberger
www.bigben7.com

The NFL on ESPN.com

http://sports-ak.espn.go.com/nfl/index

The Official Site of the National Football League

www.nfl.com

The Official Site of the Pittsburgh Steelers

www.steelers.com

The Official Web Site of Jerome “The Bus” Bettis

www.thebus36.com

128
 Picture credits
Page
9: AP Images 68: AP Images
15: AP Images 73: Jason Cohn/Reuters/
17: AP Images Landov
24: AP Images 76: AP Images
28: AP Images 80: AP Images
32: AP Images 83: AP Images
37: Stephen M. Gross/UPI/ 87: AP Images
Landov 92: AP Images
40: AP Images 98: AP Images
43: AP Images 102: AP Images
47: AP Images 107: Jason Cohn/Reuters/
52: Jason Cohn/Reuters/ Landov
Landov 112: Steve Kajihiro/CSM/
56: Pam Panchak/Reuters/ Landov
Landov 113: AP Images
60: AP Images
64: Jason Cohn/Reuters/
Landov

129
 Index
A Brien, Doug, 57–58
Aikman, Troy, 26 Brown, Chris, 63
American Football Conference, Brown, James, 51
72, 78, 97, 110 Buffalo Bills
North division, 10, 38, 52, 53, games against, 56–57, 103
70, 99, 109 Burress, Plaxico
playoffs, 12, 51, 56–59, 63, teammate, 26, 28, 35–39, 42,
78–85, 96, 110–111 44, 46, 48, 55, 59
Andersen, Morten, 96
Arians, Bruce, 111 C
Arizona Cardinals, 97, 103 Carolina Panthers, 31
Atlanta Falcons, 31, 96 Carr, David, 30–31
Carter, Cris, 23
B Castillo, Luis, 67
Baltimore Ravens, 35 Chicago Bears, 48, 72
games against, 27–31, 55, Cincinnati Bengals, 19, 70, 72,
69–70, 99, 106–108, 110 110
Barber, Tiki, 54 games against, 34–36, 49,
Barrett, David, 58 68–69, 71–72, 78–81, 95,
Batch, Charlie 99–100, 106, 109
teammate, 25, 27, 67, 70, 93, training camp, 34
110 Clark, Dallas, 82
Baxter, Gary, 27 Cleveland Browns, 50, 91,
Ben Roethlisberger Foundation, 109–110
104–105 games against, 36–39, 49, 70,
Bettis, Jerome “The Bus” 72, 99, 102–103, 108
career, 74–75 Colclough, Ricardo, 76
retirement, 89 Cope, Myron, 74
teammate, 7–8, 35, 38, 49, Cowher, Bill
54–55, 57, 59, 63–64, 66– career, 50–51
67, 69, 72–75, 79, 81–82, retirement, 11, 51, 100,
84–85, 88–89, 93 101–102
Big Ten Conference, 16 and the Steelers, 11, 25, 29,
Blount, Mel, 11 48–51, 55–56, 71, 88, 91–
Boulware, Michael, 8, 86 92, 95, 97, 100
Bradshaw, Terry Crocker, Chris, 37
career, 11, 39, 42, 88, 92, 106, Culpepper, Daunte, 46
108
Brady, Tom, 111 D
games against, 46–48, 58–59, Dallas Cowboys, 10, 11, 51, 88
65–66, 109 games against, 39, 42–45
Braham, Rich, 79 Davenport, Najeh, 110
Branch, Deion, 59 Davey O’Brien Award, 21
Brees, Drew, 66–67 Davis, Chauncey, 96

130
 Index 131

Denver Broncos, 14, 57 Harrison, James, 66, 107

games against, 84–85, 97, Harrison, Marvin, 70, 82
105–106 Harrison, Rodney, 59
Detroit Lions, 48, 72 Hasselbeck, Matt, 85–86
Ford Field, 7 Haynes, Verron
games against, 73, 75, 76 teammate, 35, 54, 63, 69
Dickerson, Eric, 74 Henry, Anthony, 38
Dillon, Corey, 65–66 Henry, Chris, 78–79
Herndon, Kelly, 86
E Hilliard, Ike, 54
Edwards, Troy, 49 Hoeppner, Terry, 15, 18
Ekuban, Ebenezer, 37 Holmes, Santonio, 103, 107–110
Elam, Jason, 106 Hope, Chris, 68, 85
Elway, John, 14, 26, 85 Houshmandzadeh, T.J., 79
Esiason, Boomer, 51 Houston Texans, 30
games against, 64–65
F
Faneca, Alan I
teammate, 29, 86 Indianapolis Colts, 25, 57
Farrior, James, 42, 63 games against, 70–71, 81–84
Faulk, Kevin, 47 Indiana University, 9
Favre, Brett, 40 Iriti, Tony, 14
Findlay High School
athletics at, 14–15 J
Findlay, Ohio Jackson, Darrell, 85–86
hometown, 13–15, 104 Jacksonville Jaguars, 72
games against, 49–52, 67, 95,
G 109, 110–111
Gardocki, Chris, 69 James, Edgerrin, 82
Garrard, David, 109 James, Troy, 79–80
Gates, Antonio, 66–67 Joe Greene Award, 60–61
Gay, Randall, 46 Johnson, Jeremi, 35
GMAC Bowl, 21 Johnson, Keyshawn, 42
Graham, Shayne, 79 Johnson, Rudi, 35, 79
Green Bay Packers, 40, 69–70
Greene, Joe, 11 K
Kaeding, Nate, 67
H Kansas City Chiefs, 50, 72, 96
Hail Mary touchdown pass, 16 Kitna, Jon, 34, 79–80
Ham, Jack, 11, 106 Kremer, Andrea, 91
Harper, Nick, 82
Harrington, Joey, 31 L
Harris, Franco, 11, 88, 106 Lambert, Jack, 11, 88
Harris, Josh, 20 Larkin, Mike, 20
132 Index

Law, Ty, 46 Montana, Joe, 14, 23

LeBeau, Dick, 45 Moon, Warren, 23
Leftwich, Byron, 30–31, 49, 51 Morelli, Pete, 82
Lewis, D.D., 8 Morey, Sean, 69
Lewis, Marvin, 106 Morgan, Quincy, 69
Little, Earl, 36 Moss, Santana, 57
Lombardi Trophy, 10 Murray, Calvin, 20
Long, Howie, 23
Los Angeles Rams, 74 N
Lott, Ronnie, 23 National Football League (NFL),
27, 45
M awards, 12, 60–61, 74
MAC. See Mid-American Con- combine, 18
ference draft, 10–11, 12, 18–19,
Maddox, Tommy 20–21, 22–23, 25, 30–31, 34,
teammate, 12, 25, 27, 29, 36, 53, 74, 95
48, 55–57, 67, 70 history, 11, 51, 60, 64, 75, 78,
Manning, Archie, 25 83, 97, 111
Manning, Eli, 23, 25, 39 records, 40, 44, 48, 59–60
games against, 53–55 scouts, 18, 23, 30
Manning, Peyton, 25, 46 New England Patriots, 44, 52, 78
games against, 70–71, 81–82 games against, 46–49, 58–59,
Marino, Dan 65–66, 109
career, 39–41, 51, 59–60 New Orleans Saints, 97
McAlister, Chris, 29 New York Giants, 25, 31
McInally, Pat, 19 games against, 53–55
McNabb, Donovan, 46, 49 New York Jets, 53, 57–58, 108
McNair, Steve, 63, 107 NFL. See National Football
Merriman, Shawne, 66 League
Miami Dolphins, 31, 39, 41, 93 NFL Today, The, 51
games against, 31–33, 93–95, Noll, Chuck, 10–11, 50
108
Miami University of Ohio, 22 O
football at, 16, 18–21, 34 Oakland Raiders, 97
records at, 18 Oelhoffen, Kimo von, 42, 79,
redshirt year, 16 95
summer camp, 15 Ohio State University, 16
Mid-American Conference
(MAC), 16, 19–20 P
Miller, Heath Palmer, Carson, 31, 34
teammate, 63, 67, 81, 93, games against, 35–36, 68,
106–108, 110 78–79, 95
Minnesota Vikings, 51, 72, 101 Parcells, Bill, 39–40, 44
Monday Night Football, 95, 108 Parker, Willie
 Index 133

teammate, 9, 62–63, 65, 68– Q

69, 79, 86, 97, 99, 106, 110 quarterbacks
Pennington, Chad, 57 NFL, 11, 14, 23, 25–26, 30–
Philadelphia Eagles, 50 31, 34–35, 39–43, 45–48, 49,
games against, 46, 48–49 53–55, 58–59, 65–66, 70–71,
Pittsburgh Pirates, 10 79, 81–82, 85–86, 88, 92,
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 10, 29, 106, 108, 109
111 sacks, 8, 42, 55, 81–82, 95–97,
Pittsburgh Steelers 99, 103, 109
coaches, 10–11, 25, 29, 48–51,
55–56, 71, 88, 91–92, 95, 97, R
100, 101–103, 110–111
Randle El, Antwaan
contracts, 25–26, 91, 112
teammate, 9, 27, 54, 63, 66,
depth chart, 25
69, 76, 80, 86–87
draft, 10–11, 23, 31
Reed, Ed, 107
fans, 7, 10, 42, 44, 51, 53,
Reed, Jeff
55–56, 58, 70, 74, 88, 92–93,
teammate, 27, 33, 38, 49–50,
96, 109
54, 57–58, 63, 65, 69, 84,
history, 10–11, 25, 42, 45,
50–51, 58, 104 108
owners, 10, 50–51, 101 Rice, Jerry, 14
playoffs, 10–11, 26, 39, 51, Riemersma, Jay, 49
57–59, 71, 73, 76–77, 78–85, Rivers, Marcellus, 54
88, 97, 100, 110, 112 Rivers, Philip, 23, 25, 39, 95
rookie season, 12, 26–33, Roethlisberger, Ben
34–44, 45–61, 62 appendectomy, 93, 95
and the Super Bowl, 7–12, 51, awards and honors, 12, 14, 16,
75, 85–89, 93, 94, 100, 110, 21, 60–61
111 birth, 13
teammates, 7–9, 12, 25–29, charities, 104–105
33, 35–39, 42, 44, 45–46, childhood, 13–15
48–50, 54–59, 62–76, 79–88, injuries, 55–56, 67, 70–72,
84–89, 93, 95, 97, 99, 103, 90–91, 96, 110
106–110 motorcycle accident,
Terrible Towels, 7, 42, 58, 106 90–93
training camp, 26–27, 63, 92, Roethlisberger, Brenda (step-
101–102 mother), 13, 53, 94
Plummer, Jake, 84 Roethlisberger, Carlee (sister),
Polamalu, Troy 13, 94
teammate, 36, 57, 63, 65, 71, Roethlisberger, Ida (mother), 13
79, 82 Roethlisberger, Karl (great-
Ponder, Willie, 54 great-grandfather), 94
Porter, Joey, 46 Roethlisberger, Ken (father), 13,
Pro Bowl, 26, 46, 74, 79 53, 94
134 Index

Roethlisberger: Pittsburgh’s Own fumbles, 20, 35, 42–43, 45, 59,

Big Ben 63, 82, 99, 107
college years in, 20 high school, 14
draft in, 23 interceptions, 12, 16, 21, 29,
rookie season in, 26, 40–42 32, 36–37, 42, 49, 57–59, 67,
Rooney, Art II, 101 71–73, 81–82, 84, 86, 95–97,
Rooney, Dan, 50–51 99, 103, 110
Roye, Orpheus, 37–38 touchdowns, 8, 9, 14, 16,
20–21, 28–29, 33, 35–38,
S 41–43, 45–49, 52, 54–55, 57,
Saban, Nick, 93 59, 62–76, 84, 86–87, 93–97,
Sanders, Deion, 69 99, 102–111
San Diego Chargers, 25, 57, 72 Steinberg, Leigh, 23, 26
games against, 66–67, 95–96 Stevens, Jerramy, 86
San Francisco 49ers, 10, 14, 88, St. Louis Rams, 109–110
103 Strong, Mack, 8
Scobee, Josh, 49, 51, 111 Suggs, Terrell, 55, 107
Scott, Bart, 99 Super Bowl, 14, 23, 46, 64, 78,
Seattle Seahawks 85, 88, 96, 111
games against, 103–104 and the Steelers, 7–12, 39, 51,
and the Super Bowl, 7–12, 75, 85–89, 93, 94, 97, 100,
85–88 110
Sharpe, Shannon, 51 Surtain, Patrick, 32
Shockey, Jeremy, 54 Swann, Lynn, 11
shotgun offense, 30–31, 66, Switzerland, 94
110
Simmons, Brian, 79 T
Simmons, Kendall, 84–85 Taylor, Fred, 109
Smith, Aaron, 68 Taylor, Ike, 86
Smith, Anthony, 109 Tennessee Titans
Smith, Jimmy, 51 games against, 62–63
Spaeth, Matt, 106 Testaverde, Vinny, 42–43, 45
Sporting News, 12, 30, 60, 74 Thomas, Adalius, 27
Sports Illustrated, 53 Tomlin, Mike
Staley, Duce and the Steelers, 11, 51, 101–
teammate, 27, 35–37, 39, 45, 103, 110–111
63 Tomlinson, LaDainian, 67
Stallworth, John, 11 Tongue, Reggie, 57
statistics, 26 Toomer, Amani, 54
college, 16, 18–21 Tough as Steel: Pittsburgh Steelers,
completions, 12, 16, 29, 36, 2006 Super Bowl Champions
42–43, 49, 51, 62–64, 69, coach Bill Cowher in, 50
72–73, 81–82, 84, 95–96, second season in, 62, 70–71,
102, 110 77, 84–85, 89
 Index 135

Townsend, Deshea 33, 48–50, 57, 59, 65–67,

teammate, 8, 46, 85 69–72, 75, 79, 81, 84, 86–87,
Troupe, Ben, 63 109–110
Tuman, Jerame, 42, 55, 59 Warren, Greg, 69
two-point conversion, 28, 54, 82, Washington, Nate, 99, 109
109–111 Washington Post, The, 12
Washington Redskins, 48, 49,
U 108
University of Akron, 16 Wayne, Reggie, 82
University of Notre Dame, 74 Webster, Mike, 11
University of Pittsburgh, 39 Whisenhunt, Ken, 87
Wiley, Marcellus, 42
Vanderjagt, Mike, 71, 82 Wilson, Cedrick
Vinatieri, Adam, 58, 66 teammate, 63, 65, 79, 81, 84,
86, 109
W Winslow, Kellen, 91
Ward, Hines Wonderlic test, 19
teammate, 8–9, 12, 27–28, Woodley, David, 41
 About the Author
Rachel A. Koestler-Grack has worked with nonfiction books
as an editor and writer since 1999. During her career, she has
worked extensively with historical topics, ranging from the
Middle Ages to the Colonial era to the civil rights movement.
In addition, she has written numerous biographies on a variety
of historical and contemporary figures. Rachel lives with her
husband and daughter in the German community of New Ulm,
Minnesota.

136