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Revision as of 22:31, 6 March 2008 by 74.140.130.42 (talk) (→Professional career)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) American football player Ben Roethlisberger during the Super Bowl XL champions ceremony in Pittsburgh | |||||||||
| Pittsburgh Steelers | |||||||||
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| Career information | |||||||||
| College: | Miami (Ohio) | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2004 / round: 1 / pick: 11 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2007 | |||||||||
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Ben Roethlisberger (born March 2, 1982, in Lima, Ohio), nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Steelers 11th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Miami University.
Roethlisberger earned the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2005. He became the youngest Super Bowl-winning quarterback in NFL history, helping to lead the Steelers to a 21-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL at the age of 23. He was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2007.
Early years
At Findlay High School in Findlay, Ohio, Roethlisberger was captain of the football, basketball, and baseball teams. In baseball he batted .300.
Roethlisberger did not play quarterback until his senior year, giving way to the coach's son, Ryan Hite. Instead, Roethlisberger played wide receiver because coach Cliff Hite explained to the Toledo Blade, "My son throwing to Ben was a better combination."
Roethlisberger threw for 4,041 yards, 54 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his one season as quarterback at Findlay. The younger Hite threw for 1,732 yards, 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in the year preceding Roethlisberger's quarterbacking debut.
Hite told the Toledo Blade regarding the decision to start his son at quarterback over Roethlisberger: "I'm a nationally known knucklehead."
As for Roethlisberger, he has remained magnanimous. He told a reporter for the Findlay Courier at the NFL combine just prior to starting his NFL career, "I'm up here now. So no, there's not too many regrets."
College career
In a twist of irony, Roethslisberger played college quarterback at Division I Miami University in Oxford, Ohio while Ryan Hite played college wide receiver at Division III Denison. At Miami, Roethlisberger got a chance to start as a redshirt freshman and started three years of Division I college football after starting just one year as a high school quarterback. Roethlisberger holds every major passing record at the school and a number of passing records in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) despite playing just three years before joining the NFL.
According to the Findlay Courier, in 2001, as a redshirt freshman, Roethlisberger threw for over 3,100 yards. In 2002, he threw over 3,200 yards, and in 2003, he threw for over 4,400 yards. In 2003, Roethlisberger led the Miami RedHawks to an unbeaten record in the MAC, a No. 10 ranking in the Associated Press poll and a 49-28 victory over Louisville in the GMAC Bowl.
ben is a big fat faget
Motorcycle accident
On Monday, June 12, 2006, at 11:17 a.m. EDT (UTC-4), Roethlisberger was involved in a motorcycle accident near the intersection of 10th Street and Second Avenue near downtown Pittsburgh, in which he was not wearing his helmet. KDKA-TV of Pittsburgh has reported that Roethlisberger did not have a valid Pennsylvania motorcycle license at the time of the accident, only a temporary permit that he had obtained after moving to Pittsburgh. According to KDKA, this permit had expired in March. Roethlisberger was travelling east on Second Avenue when a Chrysler New Yorker made a left-hand turn in front of the motorcycle and onto the South Tenth Street Bridge when the accident occurred. According to an eyewitness, Roethlisberger went over the handle bars of his bike, a 2005 Suzuki Hayabusa shattering the windshield of the car with his head. The eyewitness reports claim Roethlisberger tried to get up, but was bleeding from the head. Reports from the scene and news media indicated that the accident was serious but "not life- or career-threatening", though Roethlisberger would later relate in interviews that paramedics on the scene stopped the bleeding in his throat just in time to save his life. After the accident, the shift commander for the Allegheny County emergency service described Roethlisberger as "alert and conscious". He was transported to Mercy Hospital and was described as being in "serious but stable" condition in the operating room.
Police sources have indicated that Roethlisberger suffered fractures to the jaw and right sinus cavity, as well as a nine-inch laceration to the back of the head, the loss of two teeth and many others were chipped. His facial injuries were severe enough that witnesses on the scene did not immediately recognize him, even after he identified himself as "Ben".
Upon arriving to Mercy Hospital he went immediately into surgery where he remained for over 7 hours. The broken bones in his face were repaired. The subsequent news conference with the Mercy Hospital staff was brief but confirmed early reports that the most serious injuries were to the head and face. There was no neck, spinal, nor brain damage found. After surgery, at approximately noon on June 13, 2006, Roethlisberger was upgraded to fair condition.
The most serious injuries to Roethlisberger were a broken upper and lower jaw, and a broken nose. Roethlisberger was expected to make a full recovery in time for the opening game of the season.
In the wake of Kellen Winslow II's crashing of his motorcycle in May 2005, Roethlisberger had been criticized by various NFL members and the media for not wearing a helmet while riding. Even Roethlisberger's coach, Bill Cowher, lectured him about motorcycle safety. Former Steeler Terry Bradshaw warned Roethlisberger personally when he visited Steeler training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and on television, saying "Ride it when you retire." In a segment put together by ESPN following Winslow's accident, Roethlisberger had said he didn't wear a helmet because it was not required by law, adding, "You're just more free when you're out there and there's no helmet on." Transcripts of the interview recall Roethlisberger telling Suzy Kolber that he only rides a Harley, or his chopper with friends, not a sport bike (like the one Winslow was on). He also claimed to have his license. Both statements have been proven false since this accident.
Roethlisberger was released from the hospital at 11:46 PM on June 14, 2006. The next day, he released a statement that apologized for concerning friends, family, all his fans, and the Steelers organization, and in which he also stated, "If I ever ride again, it certainly will be with a helmet."
On June 19, the Pittsburgh police announced that Roethlisberger would be cited for failure to wear a helmet and failure to operate in his license class. Wearing a helmet is optional in Pennsylvania only for operators who currently possess and have had a motorcycle license for at least two years. The driver of the car was cited for failure to yield the right of way.
July 13 Roethlisberger in his first interview on ABC's Good Morning America explains that he was told by responding paramedics that he ruptured a major blood vessel in his mouth and was minutes away from dying. Despite the seriousness of the accident, his recovery went so well that he started the first three Steelers 2006 preseason games.
Records
- Most career touchdowns by a Miami University quarterback - 84 (Miami University is in Oxford, Ohio)
- Most regular season wins by an NFL rookie quarterback (2004) - 13 games (Roethlisberger did not play in the Steelers' season opener against Oakland, or their season finale at Buffalo, and did not start the loss to Baltimore during their 15-1 season)
- Highest quarterback rating by an NFL rookie quarterback (2004) - 98.1
- Highest completion percentage by an NFL rookie quarterback (2004) - 66.4%
- Longest regular season win streak to start a career for an NFL quarterback (2004-05) - 15 games
- First quarterback to start two Conference Championship games in first two seasons in the NFL (2004 & 2005)
- 44-18 won/loss record (including a 5-2 playoff record) as a starting quarterback in the NFL (.721 win pct.) (as of December 20, 2007)
- Second youngest quarterback to play in the Super Bowl (2005), behind Dan Marino
- Youngest starting quarterback ever to win the Super Bowl (2005)
- Second quarterback of Swiss descent to play and win a Super Bowl (Jeff Hostetler)
- Achieved the 32nd perfect passer rating in NFL history in a game against the Titans on September 11, 2005. Roethlisberger had another perfect game (39th in NFL history) on November 5, 2007 against the Baltimore Ravens until he was finally taken out in the 4th quarter, due to an injury from the 3rd. Achieved his third perfect passing game on a Thursday night game vs. the St. Louis Rams on December 20, 2007. Roethlisberger became the second quarterback in NFL history, along with Peyton Manning, to register 3 perfect passing games during the regular season.
- Lowest QB rating for a Super Bowl winning QB - 22.6 (Completed 9 of 21 passes for 0 touchdowns, with 2 interceptions)
Pittsburgh Steeler Franchise Records
- (Tie) Most Touchdown Passes, Game - 5. Set a Steelers record by throwing 5 touchdown passes in the first half against the Baltimore Ravens on a Monday Night game November 5, 2007. Roethlisberger joined Terry Bradshaw and Mark Malone as the only quarterbacks in Steeler history to throw for 5 touchdowns in one game.
- Most Touchdown Passes, Season - 32 (2007)
- Highest Passer Rating, Season - 104.1 (2007)
- Highest Passer Rating, Career - 92.5
- Highest Post-Season Passer Rating, Career - 85.1 (7 starts)
- Highest Completion %, Career (Min. 500 attempts) - 63.2
- Highest Completion %, Season - 66.4% (2004)
- Highest Completion %, Game (Min. 20 attempts) - 85.7% (Completed 18 out of 21 attempts on November 26, 2007 against the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football)
- Most Consecutive Games With a TD Pass - 15 (from December 3rd, 2006 through November 18, 2007)
- Most Passes Completed, Game - 38 (Completed 38 of 54 passes for 433 yards on November 5, 2006 against the Denver Broncos)
- (Tie) Most Consecutive Passes Completed, Game - 15 (Completed 15 straight on November 26, 2007 against the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football. Bubby Brister also completed 15 straight on October 1, 1989 against the Detroit Lions)
Ben Roethlisberger Foundation
Ben started a foundation with the following mission statement, "The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation seeks to (a) provide support for police and fire departments throughout the US with a particular emphasis on service dogs and (b) to enhance the quality of life for residents of Findlay, OH and Pittsburgh, PA. "
Beef Jerky
Ben has his own beef jerky, called Big Ben's Beef Jerky. The new edition is called Big Ben's XL Beef Jerky.
 | This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. Please relocate any relevant information into other sections or articles. (March 2008) |
Trivia
- Has only lost one football game, college or professional, in the state of Ohio, where he has played a great number of games. (Lost at Kent State University, Kent, Ohio)
- Has multiple sandwiches named after him, usually a pun on his last name (which ends with "burger", as in "hamburger"). Pittsburgh chain Peppi's sells The "Roethlisburger," which costs $7.00 (because his football jersey number is 7). Findlay, Ohio, restaurant Tony's sells a Roethlisburger, and so does Brick Street in Oxford, Ohio. There is also a chicken sandwich known as The Roethlisclucker.
- His surname "Roethlisberger" (Swiss-German spelling: Röthlisberger) is of Swiss origin with roots in the village of Geissbuehl Lauperswil, Switzerland.
- Is a spokesman for Swiss Roots, a campaign intended to help Americans of Swiss origin reconnect with their Swiss ancestral roots.
- In May 2006, Roethlisberger and his family traveled to Switzerland for a week long trip in order to explore their Swiss roots.
- Revealed in a 2006 interview that he is a close friend of Donald Trump and they speak weekly.
- Has his own line of Barbecue sauce.
- In the Madden NFL Series of games, Ben Roethlisberger's surname is truncated to "Roethlisbergr" due to a limit on the number of letters allowed in player names. This peculiarity also occurs with Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh.
- Has three tattoos--the Chinese character for "mother" on the top of his left pectoral, an unknown Chinese character on the back of his right shoulder and the Chinese character for "grandfather" on his left ankle.
- Named the best Quarterback under 25 years of age
- Was referenced in Carlos Mencia's "Dee Dee Dee" song, in which one of the lines says:"Roethlisberger needs no helmet cause he’s a star/But the year the bus left, he got hit by a car". This references to his motorcycle accident in which he wasn't wearing a motorcycle helmet. Mencia used this as one of his many examples of stupid things that "Dee Dee Dees" do.
- A Pittsburgh auto dealer released a line of Roethlisberger signature GMC Sierras in 2007.
- His official website Br-7.com has items ranging from authographed memorabilia to his signature line of BBQ sauce.
- Has a Rottweiler named Zeus and a Bernese mountain dog named Hercules. Hercules was adopted during Roethlisberger's trip to Switzerland in 2006.
- During his rookie year, Ben was fined for violating the uniform policy. He wrote PFJ on his armbands which stood for "Playing For Jesus"
- Ben donated his paycheck for his first playoff game to the tsunami relief in 2004.
- Ben currently is tied with Peyton Manning for the most fourth quarter comebacks since he entered the league in 2004, with 10.
- Ben gave his Super Bowl ring to his father as a Father's Day gift.
Notes
- "Player Bio. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040418/SPORTS09/40418012
- http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040418/SPORTS09/40418012
- http://www.thecourier.com/BigBenStories/articles/unendingbattle.htm
- http://www.thecourier.com/BigBenStories/articles/unendingbattle.htm
- http://www.thecourier.com/BigBenStories/articles/unendingbattle.htm
- "Roethlisberger Undergoes Surgery After Bike Crash"
- "Roethlisberger seriously injured". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 12 June 2006.
- "Big Ben in serious condition after motorcycle accident". ESPN.com. 12 June 2006. Retrieved 12 June 2006.
- ^ "Big Ben in surgery after motorcycle crash". MSNBC. 12 June 2006. Retrieved 12 June 2006.
- "Bike Crash Leaves Roethlisberger In Serious Condition", ThePittsburghChannel.com, posted June 12, 2006, accessed June 12, 2006.
- http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2482701]
- "Big Ben speaks out on accident, says he'll start wearing a helmet". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 15, 2006.
- "Steelers' Roethlisberger to be cited for lack of license, helmet"USA Today
- http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/ESPNSports/story?id=2191627&page=1
- Big Ben's Beef Jerky
- Rovell, Darren. "Roethlisberger in demand". ESPN.com. 4 November 2004.
- Fleming, David. "For whom the Ben tolls". ESPN.com. 19 January 2005.
- The Associated Press. "Steelers' Roethlisberger discovers his Swiss roots". Associated Press. 12 May 2006 .
- Staff and wire reports. "Big Ben exploring his roots in Switzerland". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 9 May 2006.
- Fabus, Mike. "Roethlisberger's having fun in Switzerland". www.steelers.com 9 May 2006.
- Staff and wire reports. "Big Ben exploring his roots in Switzerland". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 9 May 2006.
- ^ http://mondesishouse.blogspot.com/2007/01/maybe-big-ben-will-defend-donald.html Cite error: The named reference "blog" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- http://www.bigbensbbq.com
- http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0610/gallery.nfl.top10youngQBs/content.10.html
- http://www.nfl.com/players/benroethlisberger/profile?id=ROE750381
References
- Staff (September 2006) "Ben Roethlisberger 1982-" Biography Today 15(3): pp. 102-117
External links
- Ben Roethlisberger Official site
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Player Bio
- Official Blog
- Profile at NFL.com
| Preceded byTommy Maddox | Pittsburgh Steelers Starting Quarterbacks 2004- |
Succeeded byIncumbent |
| Preceded byAnquan Boldin | NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year 2004 season |
Succeeded byCarnell Williams |
| Preceded byTroy Polamalu | Steelers 1st round draft pick 2004- |
Succeeded byHeath Miller |
| AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award winners | |
|---|---|
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Template:NFLStartingQuarterbacks
Categories:- Articles with trivia sections from March 2008
- 1982 births
- Athletes represented by Drew Rosenhaus
- American bloggers
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- Big 33 Football Classic alumni
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- Miami RedHawks football players
- Miami University alumni
- NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award winners
- People from Findlay, Ohio
- Pittsburgh Steelers players
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- Swiss-Americans
- American Conference Pro Bowl players
- People from Lima, Ohio