The Legend of Big Ben

I still remember draft day 2004 like it was yesterday. The Steelers were on the clock with the 11th pick overall, and ESPN's Suzy Kolber was standing next to quarterback prospect Ben Roethlisberger, microphone in hand. As Kolber was about to start interviewing the young QB, his cell phone rang. Roethlisberger turned away from the camera, muttered a few words into the phone, smiled, and then hung up.

"Ben, are you a Pittsburgh Steeler?" asked Kolber.

"Yes I am," answered Roethlisberger.

Little did we know how that event would alter the course of Steelers history forever. The club was coming off of a miserable 6-10 season and did not have much hope for the immediate future. They had been building up a good team in recent drafts with players like Troy Polamalu, Ike Taylor, Kendall Simmons, and Casey Hampton. However, their offense was getting older. Veteran Tommy Maddox was the Steelers QB at the time, and while he had experienced a remarkable resurgence in 2002, he was unable to capture that magic again. RB Jerome Bettis was also aging and was considering hanging it up.

The 2004 draft centered around two quarterbacks: Eli Manning and Phillip Rivers. Manning, part of football's so-called "royal family" (royal chokers is more like it), came out before the draft and said that he would refuse to play for the San Diego Chargers if they drafted him #1 overall because "daddy says they ain't a good team" (not an exact quote, but close enough). Like Manning, Rivers was a heralded prospect from a major conference, and many experts argued that he would be an even better pick than Manning. The Chargers did take Manning, then waited for the New York Giants to take Rivers with the #4 pick. Moments later, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue walked up to the podium and announced that there had been a trade: Manning for Rivers. Everyone started going nuts - there was bedlam at the NFL Draft. Meanwhile, the kid from Miami of Ohio stood quietly in the corner, hoping to get the chance to prove he was just as good if not better than those other two guys.

Roethlisberger's first year with the Steelers would follow the path of almost every other rookie QB. He would be the 3rd string guy, standing on the bench with a clipboard while patiently learning from the two veterans - Maddox and Charlie Batch - who were ahead of him. But in training camp, disaster struck as Batch went down for the season with a knee injury. Then in week 2 of the regular season, Baltimore CB Gary Baxter nailed Maddox on a blitz, jamming his elbow and putting him out six weeks. The 1-1 Steelers were forced to hurry Roethlisberger into the starting role. "This will ruin his development.... He'll lose all his confidence.... What an unfortunate way to have to begin your career...." - this is what we all started saying, but Ben didn't care. His first start would take place the following week in Miami in the middle of a hurricane. Roethlisberger not only won that game, but he also won EVERY OTHER GAME that season. It was a truly remarkable run, but no rookie QB had ever made it to the Super Bowl, and for good reason. By the time the playoffs rolled around, Roethlisberger was worn down from all the pre-draft work, learning the offense in camp, and playing a much longer season than he was used to in college. He played poorly against the Jets even though the Steelers still squeezed out a victory, but the three-time Super Bowl champion Patriots proved much too tough for Roethlisberger, and the Steelers dream season came to a close.

Almost immediately after the playoff loss to New England - one in which Roethlisberger threw a very costly interception that was returned for a touchdown by Rodney Harrison - Ben started meeting with the coaches during what should have been his time off from football. He was determined to make it up to The Nation, even though none of us blamed him for the loss. He was determined to get Bettis to the Super Bowl in his hometown of Detroit after Jerome announced that he would come back for one final run.

In the 2005 pre-season, Roethlisberger struggled along with the rest of the offense. The doubters came out in full force. "Sophomore Jinx" became the buzz phrase around town for the entire month of August. Roethlisberger shut up some of those people when he played well in a week 1 rout against Tennessee, but he only had to throw 11 passes in that game. The Steelers offense, as it had for the last 35 years, centered around the run. Everyone wondered whether or not Roethlisberger was capable of carrying the team on his shoulders if needed.

As the 2005 season progressed, Roethlisberger answered that question with an emphatic "yes". He led last minute comebacks against New England, San Diego, and Baltimore - three teams with solid defenses. When he got hurt and missed several games, the Steelers began going in the tank. The opinion started to manifest that Roethlisberger was vital to the Steelers success, and in the playoffs, that opinion became fact. The 23 year-old outplayed three veteran QB's - Jon Kitna, Peyton Manning, and Jake Plummer - with a combined 26 seasons of NFL experience. He almost single-handedly carried the Steelers thru the post-season, beating the top three seeds in the very tough American Football Conference. Furthermore, he did it while playing in hostile environments and without the aid of a great running game.

Now Ben Roethlisberger takes the stage at the biggest sporting event in the world. He is one win away from joining Terry Bradshaw as the only Steelers QB to ever win a championship. If he does, he could retire the day after the game and still be a legend. Even if he doesn't, what he has done thus far is already the stuff of legend. I wonder if he knew what he was capable of all along. I wonder if he knew it when Suzy Kolber pointed that microphone at him. Yes, Ben Roethlisberger, you ARE a Pittsburgh Steeler, and The Steeler Nation couldn't be more thrilled to have you as its leader.

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