Ben Roethlisberger

Ben Roethlisberger

Ben Roethlisberger during the Super Bowl XL champions ceremony in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Career information
College:	Miami University (Ohio)
NFL draft:	2004 / round: 1 / pick: 11
Career history
Pittsburgh Steelers (2004-present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2004) Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year (2004) 2x Super Bowl champion (XL, XLIII) Pro Bowl selection (2007) “Joe Greene Great Performance Award” (2004) #7 Retired (Miami University Redhawks)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2008
TD-INT: 101-69 Passing yards: 14,974 QB Rating: 89.4

Benjamin Todd 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 drafted by the Steelers 11th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Miami University (Oxford, Ohio).

Roethlisberger earned the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2004. He became the youngest Super Bowl-winning quarterback in NFL history, helping lead the Steelers, in only his second professional season, 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. Roethlisberger led the Steelers to their 2nd Super Bowl title in 4 seasons as they defeated the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII after a game-winning TD pass to Santonio Holmes in the final thirty-five seconds. He currently ranks 7th all-time in NFL passer rating (89.4) and yards per attempt (7.86) among QBs with a minimum 1500 career attempts.

Early years

Roethlisberger resided in Van Wert, Ohio during his early childhood until the age of eight. At Findlay High School, in Findlay, Ohio, Roethlisberger was a member of the football, basketball, and baseball teams. 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." Ryan Hite was named Great Lakes League Offensive Back of the year and Roethlisberger was a special mention All-Ohio player as a receiver. They led the Trojans to their first league title in 15 years.

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

Ben Roethlisberger's number being retired before the 2007 Miami-BGSU game. Also pictured Bob Hitchens (far left) and John Pont (2nd from the left)

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.

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 2003 GMAC Bowl. His number was retired by the Redhawks in 91st annual Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 13 2007, with festivities including the Redhawks football game against Bowling Green; Roethlisberger becoming only the third athlete in Miami football history to have his jersey number retired, joining luminaries John Pont and Bob Hitchens. It is the first time in 34 years Miami has retired a football jersey number.

College Football Statistics

• 2001: 241/381 (63.3%) for 3105 yards and 25 TD vs. 13 INT. 120 carries for 189 yards and 3 TD.
• 2002: 271/428 (63.3%) for 3238 yards and 22 TD vs. 11 INT. 82 carries for -54 yards and 1 TD.
• 2003: 342/495 (69.1%) for 4486 yards and 37 TD vs. 10 INT. 67 carries for 111 yards and 3 TD.

Professional career

Roethlisberger takes a snap against the Bengals in 2006.

Roethlisberger was taken 11th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft. On August 4, 2004 Roethlisberger signed a six-year contract worth $22.26 million in salaries and bonuses, with an additional $17.73 million available via incentives. He was touted by then Steelers coach Bill Cowher in a press conference as a franchise quarterback.

On March 3, 2008, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Roethlisberger agreed to an eight-year, $102 million contract. Roethlisberger had two years left on the deal he signed with the team as the 11th overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft. He has stated that he wants to retire as a Steeler.

2004 Season

Roethlisberger did not immediately step in as the starting quarterback for the Steelers. He was the #3 QB behind Tommy Maddox and Charlie Batch. When Batch was injured in preseason, however, Roethlisberger moved up to #2. Maddox started, and won, the season opener against the Raiders and started versus the Ravens. But after an ineffective outing and third quarter injury, Roethlisberger stepped in for his first NFL action. Despite spurring a mild comeback, the Steelers were down too much to win the game. This injury to Maddox changed the Steelers original plan for Roethlisberger, which was for him to sit on the bench or play very sparingly during the first season or two in order to learn the team's system. Instead he was starting the third game of the season.

As a rookie, he went 13–0 in the regular season (14–1 including playoffs) as a starting quarterback, helping the Steelers become the first AFC team to have 15 wins (2-1 under Maddox first two and last game, 13–0 with Roethlisberger) in a single season, surpassing former Steeler Mike Kruczek for the record for the best start by a rookie (6–0), and exceeding the mark for total wins as a rookie set by Chris Chandler and Joe Ferguson. On January 5, 2005 Roethlisberger was unanimously selected as the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press, the first quarterback in 34 years to be so honored.

One of Roethlisberger's biggest games was when he led the Steelers to a 34–20 victory over the defending Super Bowl champion and previously undefeated New England Patriots, ending their NFL-record 21-game winning streak. He completed 18 of his 24 pass attempts for 196 yards, 2 TDs and no turnovers. The week after that game the Steelers defeated the also previously undefeated Philadelphia Eagles 27-3. Roethlisberger was 11 of 18 for 183 yards, 2 TDs, 1 interception.

In his first nationally televised game on Sunday Night Football, he led the Steelers to a 17-16 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was near perfect on the night, completing 14 of 17 passes for 226 yards and 2 TDs. A spike to stop the clock on the game-winning field goal drive he led was the only thing preventing him from a 158.3 rating on the night. Jeff Reed's 37 yard FG in the final minute gave the Steelers and Roethlisberger their 10th straight win.

Two weeks later Roethlisberger faced off against the New York Giants and the #1 overall pick of the 2004 draft, Eli Manning. Roethlisberger outshined the QB that went 10 spots ahead of him in the draft, posting his first career 300 yard passing game. He completed 18 of 28 passes for 316 yards and a TD. He led his 5th game-winning drive of the season, capping a drive with a Jerome Bettis TD run for a 33-30 victory. Eli Manning threw an interception to seal the game for Pittsburgh.

In the divisional playoffs against the New York Jets, Roethlisberger threw two interceptions. One interception was returned for a touchdown, and the other was thrown with 2:03 left in the fourth quarter, which set up a potential game-winning field goal by Jets kicker Doug Brien. Brien missed the kick as time expired (his second missed kick in the last 2 minutes of the game), and forced the game into overtime. In overtime, Roethlisberger led the Steelers down the field and put them in position for the game-winning field goal, a 33-yard attempt that was made by Jeff Reed, sending the Steelers into the AFC Championship for the 4th time in 10 years.

On January 23, 2005 in the AFC Championship Game in Pittsburgh, Roethlisberger completed 14 of 24 pass attempts for 226 yards and 2 TDs, but he also threw 3 costly interceptions, one which was returned for a touchdown by Rodney Harrison. The Steelers lost the game to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots by a score of 41-27.

2005 Super Bowl Season

Roethlisberger signs autographs at Super Bowl XL media day.

After losing the 2005 AFC Championship Game, Roethlisberger convinced veteran running back Jerome Bettis to delay retirement, with a tearful promise to him that he would get Bettis to his first Super Bowl. He lived up to his promise.

The following year, Roethlisberger led the Steelers on an improbable run, winning three straight playoff games on the road to put Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XL, which it won, defeating the Seattle Seahawks 21–10. What made the run remarkable was that the Steelers began the post season as the sixth seed in the AFC. Since the NFL's current playoff format began, no sixth seed had even made it to a conference championship game, let alone the Super Bowl.

In the 2005 regular season, the Steelers finished 11-5 and secured an AFC wild card spot, en route to victory in the Super Bowl, where the Steelers pulled off upsets at Indianapolis and Denver in the AFC playoffs in addition to wins over higher-seeds Cincinnati and Seattle. During the course of the regular season, Roethlisberger generally played well when healthy, but missed four games due to various knee injuries. During the regular season, the Steelers were 9-3 with Roethlisberger at quarterback, and 2-2 without him. He led the league in Yards Per Attempt with an 8.90, and finished 3rd in passer rating behind Peyton Manning and Carson Palmer with a 98.6.

The Super Bowl run began on Sunday, January 8, 2006 as Roethlisberger helped lead the Steelers to a playoff win over the Cincinnati Bengals -- an AFC North rival that had beaten the Steelers by 7 points in the regular season, to win the division championship. The rematch featured two teams with identical records, having split their regular season series with each team winning on the road. Early in the game on Carson Palmer's first throw, a tackle by former Steeler Kimo von Oelhoffen resulted in Palmer's anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) being completely torn. The Bengals backup quarterback, Jon Kitna came in and led the Bengals to leads of 10–0 and 17–7. However, the 17–7 lead midway through the second quarter would be the last time in the 2005 postseason that the Steelers would trail an opponent by more than 3 points. After Kitna failed to produce the Steelers took advantage by taking the next 24 straight points, and the win in a 31–17 victory in Cincinnati.

Their second road win came on Sunday, January 15, 2006. Roethlisberger led the 6th-seeded Steelers against the Indianapolis Colts, the NFL's top team throughout the season and a heavy favorite to represent the AFC in Super Bowl XL. Roethlisberger threw for 197 yards and recorded a game-saving tackle on Colts' defensive back Nick Harper, who had just recovered a Jerome Bettis fumble with under two minutes to play in the game. The tackle saved the season for the Steelers. Pittsburgh led early, but had to survive a Colts comeback to win 21-18, after an errant call that the NFL later admitted was a mistake overturned a Troy Polamalu interception that would have secured the game for the Steelers. Roethlisberger's tackle on Harper, dubbed by many as The Tackle II or The Immaculate Redemption, was compared by many to "The Immaculate Reception" back in 1972 when Franco Harris made a miraculous reception and scored the game-winning touchdown against the Oakland Raiders. The victory marked the first time a sixth-seeded NFL playoff team defeated the top-seeded team in playoff history.

On January 22, 2006, the Steelers defeated the Broncos 34-17 in Denver to win the AFC Championship and advance to Super Bowl XL. Roethlisberger completed 21 of 29 passes for 275 yards, and threw two touchdown passes as well as scoring one himself on a four yard play-action bootleg. His run was the last touchdown of the game, and sealed the win for the Steelers.

The Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl XL 21–10 over the Seattle Seahawks in Detroit on February 5, 2006. Roethlisberger had one of the worst passing games of his career, completing just 9 of 21 passes for 123 yards and two interceptions; his passer rating of 22.6 was the lowest in Super Bowl history by a winning quarterback. Though he did convert eight different third down situations in the game to help the Steelers win, none of them bigger than his 37 yard pass to Super Bowl XL MVP Hines Ward on a 3rd and 28 that set up the Steelers' first TD (a 1 yard quarterback sneak by Roethlisberger on 3rd and goal). With the victory, Roethlisberger, at 23 years of age, became the youngest quarterback to win the Super Bowl, a record previously held by Tom Brady of the New England Patriots.

2006 Season

Roethlisberger drops back to pass in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2006.

After an off-season motorcycle crash in which he was seriously injured, Roethlisberger missed the opening night game of the 2006 season after having an emergency appendectomy on September 3, 2006. Backup Charlie Batch started and led the Steelers to a victory over Miami. Roethlisberger played the following game against Jacksonville on Monday Night Football. His return resulted in a sub-par night, throwing two interceptions with no touchdowns in a 9-0 loss. In week 3, Roethlisberger completed less than half of his passes for three interceptions and no touchdowns in a 28-20 loss to the Bengals. The final interception came in the final seconds of the game, in the end zone, ending Pittsburgh's comeback attempt. In a week 5 game against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday Night Football, Roethlisberger looked sharp throughout the first half, leading 3 scoring drives. However, in the 2nd half he threw two interceptions, both of which shifted momentum away from the Steelers and lead to the Chargers 23-13 win. In week 6 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Roethlisberger had his first big game of the season, completing 16 of 19 passes for 238 yards with two touchdowns (his first of the year) and no interceptions during a 45-7 rout of the Chiefs.

Week 7 in Atlanta, Roethlisberger continued his success, going 16 of 22 for 238 yards and 3 TDs. But during the third quarter, Roethlisberger was helped off the field after suffering a concussion following a controversial hit by Falcon's defensive end Patrick Kerney. Roethlisberger was replaced by Charlie Batch and the Steelers went on to lose 41-38 in overtime. On October 29 against the Oakland Raiders, Roethlisberger threw 4 interceptions in a 20-13 upset loss. The loss was his fifth of the season--two more than he had in his first two seasons combined as a starter, and gave him a total of 11 INTs, versus just 6 TDs, on the season. In a Week 9 rematch of the 2005 AFC championship game against Denver, Roethlisberger threw for a career-high 433 yards, but had 3 of the 6 Steeler turnovers in a 31-20 loss. Roethlisberger and the Steelers got back on a winning track in a home game a week later against the New Orleans Saints. He passed for 264 yards and 3 TDs in a 38-31 win.

In Week 11, Roethlisberger overcame 3 first half INTs by throwing for 224 4th quarter yards and 2 TDs as the Steelers scored 21 points in the final quarter to come back to beat the Cleveland Browns, 24-20. The following week, Roethlisberger and the Steelers were held scoreless in a 27-0 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Roethlisberger finished 21 of 41 for 214 yards, 2 INTs. He was sacked 9 times, including one by Ravens linebacker Bart Scott that momentariliy sent him to the sidelines. He also fumbled once, which was returned for a TD in the 2nd half.

Roethlisberger bounced back the following game, throwing for 198 yards and 2 TDs in a 20-3 victory over Tampa Bay. Pittsburgh kept their playoff hopes alive in week 14 with a 27-7 victory against the Browns. Roethlisberger went 11 of 21 for 225 with 1 TD and rushed for one more. In week 15, Roethlisberger threw for 140 yards and a TD in a 37-3 rout of the Carolina Panthers. The following week, Baltimore eliminated Pittsburgh from the playoffs. In the 31-7 defeat, Roethlisberger was intercepted twice and threw for 156 yards. Roethlisberger ended the season on a good note by defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 23-17 in overtime in what would be Bill Cowher's final game as Steelers coach. He was 19 for 28 passing with 280 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. In overtime Roethlisberger completed a slant pass to rookie Santonio Holmes, who went 67 yards for the game-winning TD. This win eliminated the Bengals from playoff contention.

2007 Season

Due to his subpar '06–'07 season, there were many questions surrounding Roethlisberger entering the season. In the first game of the season, Roethlisberger reached a personal milestone: his first career 4-touchdown game in a 34–7 rout of the Cleveland Browns. The 4 touchdowns went to Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes (a 40-yard strike), Heath Miller, and rookie TE Matt Spaeth. He followed that up with another solid performance against the Buffalo Bills. He was 21 of 34 passing for 242 yards and a 1-yard touchdown pass to rookie TE Matt Spaeth. He continued his solid season with a decent performance against the 49ers. He was 13 of 20 passing for 160 yards and another touchdown pass to the 3rd TE Jerame Tuman. In week five he had a good performance despite two top wide receivers Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes out due to injury completing 18 of 22 passes for 206 yards and touchdown pass to Heath Miller in the 1st quarter.

Roethlisberger wearing a Steelers throwback jersey during their 500th franchise win

In Week 9 against the Baltimore Ravens, Roethlisberger threw for a career-high five touchdowns, which tied a team record held by Terry Bradshaw and Mark Malone in a 38-7 rout of the Ravens on Monday Night Football. All five touchdowns were thrown in the first half, making Roethlisberger one of two quarterbacks in the 2007 season (the other being Tom Brady) and only the fifth quarterback since the 1970 merger to accomplish such a feat. He also posted a perfect 158.3 passer rating in that game.

The following Sunday, Roethlisberger continued to shine when he erased a 15 point deficit against the Browns. With the Steelers trailing 21-16 in the 4th quarter and facing a 3rd & 10 from the Cleveland 30, Roethlisberger scrambled up the middle of the field for a 30 yard TD run (the longest run of his career at that point). He then completed a 2-pt conversion pass to Hines Ward. After the Browns returned the ensuing kickoff for a TD, Roethlisberger again had to drive the offense with a 4 point deficit. This time he made three crucial plays on 3rd down: an 18 yd pass to Santonio Holmes on a 3rd & 6, a 20 yd pass to Heath Miller on 3rd & 18, and a 10 yd scramble on 3rd & 9. Roethlisberger capped off the drive with a short TD pass to Heath Miller that proved to be the game winner.

In Week 12, Roethlisberger set a Steelers record, completing 85.7% of his passes (18 of 21) as the Steelers beat the Miami Dolphins 3-0, a feat made all the more remarkable given the weather conditions. Pittsburgh was hit with a torrential storm, delaying the game 30 minutes due to lightning, while turning the new sod on the field, laid earlier that week, into a quagmire. In many parts of the field, players sunk several inches with each step.

During the Week 15 game versus the Jacksonville Jaguars, Roethlisberger threw his 29th TD pass of the season, to Nate Washington, breaking the team single season TD pass record previously held by Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw.

During Week 16 in St. Louis against the Rams, Roethlisberger posted his 2nd perfect passer rating (158.3) of the season. He was 16 of 20 for 261 yards and 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. It was his third career 158.3 rating game, tying Peyton Manning for the most such regular-season games in NFL history. He also became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw two perfect games in a single regular season.

To cap his comeback season, Roethlisberger was named to his first Pro Bowl, joining five other Steelers teammates on the AFC squad. Roethlisberger's 32 touchdown passes ranked 3rd in the NFL behind Tony Romo and Tom Brady, while his 104.1 passer rating was second only to Brady. On five different occasions during the season, Roethlisberger led the team back from a double-digit deficit to a lead or tie in the 4th quarter. However, the Steelers would lose four of those five games as the defense in the end could not hold off Denver, New York and Jacksonville twice. Roethlisberger also set a new Steelers single-season record with 32 touchdown passes in the 2007 season.

The Steelers hosted the Jaguars in the AFC Wild Card game on January 5, 2008. It was a rematch of the Week 15 contest. With the injury to Willie Parker, the Steelers could never mount a rushing attack and Roethlisberger struggled a great deal in the first half, throwing three interceptions (one being returned for a TD by Rashean Mathis) as the Steelers trailed at the half by a score of 21–7. He pulled himself together and went 17 of 23 for 263 yards and 2 TDs in the second half alone. The Steelers were trailing 28–10 as the 4th quarter began, when facing a 4th and 12 at the Jaguar 37, Roethlisberger threw a quick pass against the blitz to Santonio Holmes, who broke one tackle and scored a TD to pull within 11. The Steelers scored two TDs on their next two possessions to take a 29-28 lead, but failed on 2-pt conversions on each TD. That would be costly as David Garrard would later scramble 32 yards on a 4th & 2 to set up the winning field goal. Jacksonville finally won the game 31–29 after Roethlisberger was sacked for a 6th time on the night and fumbled with a drive that started under the 0:30 mark.

Having been sacked 47 times (2nd most in NFL), it must be speculated that his performances could have been even better given improved protection. He often showed great skill outside of the pocket, as well as being amongst the top rushing quarterbacks. While the team did not go as far as they would have liked, it was a successful comeback season for Roethlisberger. He finished 3rd in Comeback Player of the Year voting behind Patriots' Randy Moss and Dallas Cowboys' Greg Ellis, who won the award. In his first Pro Bowl, Roethlisberger played three series in the 2nd quarter, going 5 of 9 for 42 yards, a TD, and led the AFC team in rushing with an 18 yard scramble. The NFC won the game 42–30.

2008 Super Bowl Season

Season Recap

Week 1 vs. Houston Texans (W 38-17): Completed 13 of 14 passes for a career-high 92.9 completion percentage (min. 10 attempts), and finished with 137 yards passing and 2 TD passes. Byron Leftwich took over in the 4th quarter when Roethlisberger was on the sideline with a shoulder injury.

Week 2 at Cleveland Browns (W 10-6): Leading the Steelers to their 10th straight win over the Browns on a windy, rainy night in Cleveland, Roethlisberger completed 13 of 20 passes for 179 yards and a TD to Hines Ward. He also had the first pass reception of his career, a negative-7 yard completion to himself after a deflected pass in the 2nd quarter. .

Week 3 at Philadelphia Eagles (L 15-6): Behind a relentless pass rush by Philadelphia, he was sacked 8 times, fumbled twice, threw one interception, and was called for a safety in the 4th quarter. Roethlisberger did not finish the game as his throwing hand was injured.

Week 4 vs. Baltimore Ravens (W 23-20 OT): On Monday Night Football against a division rivals, the Steelers trailed 13-3 at halftime. Ben threw a TD pass to Santonio Holmes in the 3rd quarter to start a comeback. Completed two passes for 31 yards in overtime to Mewelde Moore to set up Jeff Reed for the winning 46 yard field goal.

Week 5 at Jacksonville Jaguars (W 26-21): On Sunday Night Football, completed 26 of 41 passes for 309 yards and 3 TDs. His 239 yards passing in the first half was a career high. After falling behind 21-20 in the 4th quarter, Roethlisberger directed the game-winning drive, passing for an 8 yard TD to Hines Ward to put the Steelers ahead. It was Roethlisberger's 15th career game-winning drive in the 4th quarter/overtime. Named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.

Week 7 at Cincinnati Bengals (W 38-10): Off the bye, Roethlisberger passed for 216 yards and 2 touchdowns. It was the Steelers' 8th straight win in Cincinnati, and Roethlisberger was the quarterback for 6 of those games (it's his overall 11th win in 11 games in the state of Ohio)..

Week 8 vs. New York Giants (L 21-14): Against the defending champions, Roethlisberger was sacked five times, threw one touchdown and four interceptions, ending the game with a Steelers loss.

Week 9 at Washington Redskins (W 23-6): On Monday Night Football, Roethlisberger had one of the worst performances of his career, posting career lows in passer rating (15.1), completions (5), passing yards (50), yards per attempt (2.94) and completion percentage (29.4%). Overall he was 5/17 for 50 yards, an interception, and sacked 3 times. Before halftime Roethlisberger re-injured his throwing shoulder in the game when he rushed for a 1 yard TD that put the Steelers up 10-6. He never returned in the second half. Byron Leftwich and the defense took the Steelers to a 23-6 victory.

Week 10 vs. Indianapolis Colts (L 24-20): Despite missing practice until Friday with the sore shoulder, Roethlisberger started. Steelers led 17-7 in the 2nd quarter before a costly interception late in the half that the Colts used to score a touchdown. The game was tied at 17 in the 4th quarter when Roethlisberger led a FG drive. But on the next drive he was intercepted, which setup Peyton Manning for the game-winning TD pass. Roethlisberger was intercepted a 3rd time on a hail mary attempt in the endzone on the game's final play. Overall, Roethlisberger completed 29 passes for 280 yards, 0 TDs and 3 INTs. After the game Roethlisberger was quoted as saying "You'll never hear me say 'I' anything, but I lost this game".

Week 11 vs. San Diego Chargers (W 11-10): Roethlisberger completed 31 of 41 passes for 308 yards and no interceptions. He led his 3rd game-winning drive of the season (16th of his career) as Jeff Reed's 32 yard field goal connected with 0:11 left. It was the first 11-10 game in NFL history.

Week 12 vs. Cincinnati Bengals (W 27-10): Four days later on Thursday Night Football, Roethlisberger threw for 243 yards, 1 TD and rushed for his second TD of the season.

Week 13 at New England Patriots (W 33-10): In a consistent rain, Roethlisberger completed 17 of 33 passes for 179 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT. After falling behind 10-3 in the 2nd quarter, Roethlisberger and the fierce Steelers' D led the Steelers to 30 unanswered points in a 33-10 victory.

Week 14 vs. Dallas Cowboys (W 20-13): Steelers trailed 13-3 in the 4th quarter before tying the game on Roethlisberger's 6 yard TD pass to Heath Miller. The Steelers won 20-13 after Deshea Townsend intercepted a Tony Romo pass for a TD. Roethlisberger passed for 204 yards, 1 TD and lost a fumble. It was Roethlisberger's 49th victory as a starting QB, breaking the record for the most ever by a QB in their first 5 NFL seasons.

Week 15 at Baltimore Ravens (W 13-9): Steelers trailed 9-3 in the 4th quarter. After a FG to make it 9-6, the Steelers took over with 3:38 remaining. Roethlisberger led a 92 yard, game-winning TD drive, culminating in a 4 yard TD pass to Santonio Holmes for the 13-9 victory. The TD was only confirmed by instant replay from a booth review. It was Roethlisberger's 50th victory as a starter, 5th game-winning/tying drive in the 4th QT/OT of the season, and it clinched the 2nd straight AFC North title for the Steelers. Roethlisberger threw for 246 yards and rushed for 21 more in the game. He completed 7 passes for 89 yards on the winning drive.

Week 16 at Tennessee Titans (L 31-14): After falling behind 10-0, Roethlisberger threw 2 TD passes to take a 14-10 lead in the 3rd quarter. Later, an interception ended a streak of 131 passes without an interception, the longest of his career. After 14 unanswered by the Titans, Roethlisberger threw a 2nd interception, which was returned for an 83-yard TD in the final minute. The Steelers loss clinched the #2 seed. Roethlisberger completed 25 of 39 passes for 329 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs and fumbled 4 times (lost 2).

Week 17 vs. Cleveland Browns (W 31-0): Roethlisberger suffered simultaneous hard hits from Willie McGinest and D'Qwell Jackson just after the 2 minute warning in the first half. He laid on the field for roughly 15 minutes before being carted off on a stretcher and taken to Magee Hospital. He was diagnosed with a mild concussion, but practiced during the week leading up to the playoff opener.

AFC Divisional Round vs. San Diego Chargers (W 35-24): Roethlisberger shook off past demons of returning from injury to lead the Steelers to a 35-24 victory against the Chargers. After a late TD drive to close the first half with a 14-10 lead, Roethlisberger converted three 3rd and long passes on a 7:56 TD drive to start the 2nd half to put the Steelers up by double-digits for the rest of the game. He completed 17 of 26 passes for 181 yards and a TD while being sacked just once and zero turnovers. After the game it was revealed that his injury suffered against Cleveland in week 17 was a spinal cord concussion.

AFC Championship vs. Baltimore Ravens (W 23-14): Roethlisberger threw for 255 yards, 1 TD and had no turnovers to help the Steelers beat Baltimore for the 3rd time this season and return to the Super Bowl. It was Roethlisberger's 7th playoff win in his first 5 seasons, moving him past Troy Aikman for 2nd most all time (1st - Tom Brady, 9).

Super Bowl 43 vs. Arizona Cardinals (W 27-23): Wanting to atone for his performance in Super Bowl XL, Roethlisberger led the Steelers to one of the more dramatic victories in Super Bowl history. On the first two offensive drives Roethlisberger passed for 122 yards on 7-of-8 passing, which is one yard shy of his total amount from his first Super Bowl start. The Steelers led 10-0 and went into halftime up 17-7. The lead grew to 20-7 before Arizona mounted a comeback. Trailing for the first time in the game, 23-20, with 2:30 remaining in the game, Roethlisberger took the field to start the winning drive. After a holding penalty on the first play, Roethlisberger marched the Steelers 88 yards in 8 plays, hooking up with game MVP Santonio Holmes 4 times for 73 yards on the drive, including the 6 yard TD pass that put the Steelers ahead with 0:35 remaining. Overall, Roethlisberger finished 21/30 for 256 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT and had a 93.2 passer rating.

Career statistics

Regular season

Regular Season			Passing									Rushing					Receiving					Defensive			Punting				Fumbles
Season	Team	Games	Att	Comp	Pct	Yds	YPA	Lg	TD	Int	Rating	Att	Yds	Avg	Lg	TD	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lg	TD	Total	Tkl	Ast	No	Yds	Lg	Avg	Fum	Lost	Rec
2004	Pittsburgh	14	295	196	66.4%	2621	8.9	58	17	11	98.1	56	144	2.6	20	1	0	0	0.0	0	0	1	1.0	0	0	0	0	0.0	2	2	0
2005	Pittsburgh	12	268	168	62.7%	2385	8.9	85	17	9	98.6	31	69	2.2	13	3	0	0	0.0	0	0	1	1.0	0	2	72	39	36.0	2	1	1
2006	Pittsburgh	15	469	280	59.7%	3513	7.5	67	18	23	75.4	32	98	3.1	20	2	0	0	0.0	0	0	1	1.0	0	0	0	0	0.0	5	2	0
2007	Pittsburgh	15	404	264	65.3%	3154	7.8	83	32	11	104.1	35	204	5.8	30	2	0	0	0.0	0	0	1	1.0	0	0	0	0	0.0	9	3	4
2008	Pittsburgh	16	469	281	59.9%	3301	7.0	65	17	15	80.1	34	101	3.0	17	2	1	-7	-7.0	-7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	14	7	2
Total	5 seasons	72	1,905	1,189	62.4	14,974	7.9	85	101	69	89.4	188	616	3.3	30	10	1	-7	-7.0	-7	0	4	4.0	0	2	72	39	36.0	32	15	7

Playoffs

Playoffs			Passing									Rushing					Receiving					Defensive			Punting				Fumbles
Season	Team	Games	Att	Comp	Pct	Yds	YPA	Lg	TD	Int	Rating	Att	Yds	Avg	Lg	TD	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lg	TD	Total	Tkl	Ast	No	Yds	Lg	Avg	Fum	Lost	Rec
2004	Pittsburgh	2	54	31	57.4%	407	7.54	34	3	5	61.3	9	75	8.3	20	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0.0	1	0	0
2005	Pittsburgh	4	93	58	62.3%	803	8.63	54	7	3	101.7	19	37	1.9	10	2	0	0.0	0	0	0	1	1	0.0	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0
2007	Pittsburgh	1	42	29	69.0%	337	8.02	40	2	3	79.2	4	13	3.3	6	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0.0	1	1	0
2008	Pittsburgh	3	89	54	60.7%	692	7.78	65	3	1	91.6	6	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	1	25	25	25.0	0	0	0
Total	4 seasons	10	278	172	61.9%	2239	8.05	65	15	12	87.2	38	125	3.3	20	2	0	0.0	0	0	0	1	1	0.0	1	25	25	25.0	2	1	0

Starting record vs. other teams

How the Steelers have done in regular season games that Roethlisberger has started.¹

	Team	Wins	Losses
1	Arizona Cardinals	0	1
2	Atlanta Falcons	0	1
3	Baltimore Ravens	6	2
4	Buffalo Bills	1	0
5	Carolina Panthers	1	0
6	Chicago Bears	1	0
7	Cincinnati Bengals	8	2
8	Cleveland Browns	9	0
9	Dallas Cowboys	2	0
10	Denver Broncos	0	2
11	Detroit Lions	1	0
12	Green Bay Packers	-	-
13	Houston Texans	2	0
14	Indianapolis Colts	0	2
15	Jacksonville Jaguars	2	2
16	Kansas City Chiefs	1	0
17	Miami Dolphins	2	0
18	Minnesota Vikings	1	0
19	New England Patriots	2	2
20	New Orleans Saints	1	0
21	New York Giants	1	1
22	New York Jets	1	1
23	Oakland Raiders	0	1
24	Philadelphia Eagles	1	1
25	St. Louis Rams	1	0
26	San Diego Chargers	2	1
27	San Francisco 49ers	1	0
28	Seattle Seahawks	1	0
29	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1	0
30	Tennessee Titans	1	1
31	Washington Redskins	2	0
	Totals	51	20

¹ As of 12/28/2008

Starting record vs. other teams(playoffs)

How the Steelers have done in playoff games that Roethlisberger has started.¹

	Team	Wins	Losses
1	Arizona Cardinals	1	0
2	Baltimore Ravens	1	0
3	Cincinnati Bengals	1	0
4	Denver Broncos	1	0
5	Indianapolis Colts	1	0
6	Jacksonville Jaguars	0	1
7	New England Patriots	0	1
8	New York Jets	1	0
9	San Diego Chargers	1	0
10	Seattle Seahawks	1	0
	Totals	8	2

¹ As of 02/01/2009

4th Quarter Comebacks

Victories which Roethlisberger rallied the team from a 4th quarter/OT deficit or tie:

No.	Date	Opponent	Down	Go-Ahead Score	Scoring Drive(s) Stats	Drive Started	Clock at End	Final Score
1	10/3/2004	Cincinnati Bengals	14-17	J. Bettis 1 yd TD run	3/4, 23 yards	0:44 (3rd QT)	9:06	28-17
2	10/17/2004	@Dallas Cowboys	10-20	J.Bettis 2 yd TD run	9/9, 72 yards, TD (2 drives)	2:20	0:30	24-20
3	12/5/2004	@Jacksonville Jaguars	14-16	Reed 37 yd FG	3/4, 40 yards	1:50	0:18	17-16
4	12/12/2004	New York Jets	3-3 (tie)	J.Bettis 10 yd TD pass to J.Tuman	2/2, 47 yards	2:30 (3rd QT)	12:51	17-6
5	12/18/2004	@New York Giants	26-30	J.Bettis 1 yd TD run	6/7, 109 yards (2 drives)	8:10	4:57	33-30
6	1/15/2005	vs.New York Jets AFC Divisional Round	10-17	Reed 33 yd FG	6/8, 52 yards, TD (2 drives)	12:15 (OT)	3:56	20-17 OT
7	10/10/2005	@San Diego Chargers	21-22	Reed 40 yd FG	6/6, 81 yards, TD (2 drives)	4:36	0:06	24-22
8	10/31/2005	Baltimore Ravens	17-19	Reed 37 yd FG	2/2, 37 yards	3:14	1:36	20-19
9	11/12/2006	New Orleans Saints	24-24 (tie)	W.Parker 3 yd TD run	1 sack, minus-8 yards	3:29 (3rd QT)	14:55 (4th QT)	38-31
10	11/19/2006	@Cleveland Browns	10-20	Roethlisberger 4 yd TD pass to W.Parker	18/28, 224 yards, 2 TDs, 13 rush yds (3 drives)	3:06	0:32	24-20
11	12/31/2006	@Cincinnati Bengals	7-10	Roethlisberger 67 yd TD pass to S.Holmes	7/10, 182 yards, TD, 6 rush yds	14:55 (OT)	13:38	23-17 OT
12	11/11/2007	Cleveland Browns						31-28
13	11/26/2007	Miami Dolphins	0-0 (tie)	Reed 24 yd FG	4/5, 44 yards			3-0
14	09/29/2008	Baltimore Ravens	20-20 (tie)	Reed 46 yd FG	2/3, 31 yards			23-20 OT
15	10/05/2008	@Jacksonville Jaguars	20-21		6/8, 61 yards, TD			26-21
16	11/16/2008	San Diego Chargers	8-10	Reed 32 yd FG	6/6, 62 yards			11-10
17	12/07/2008	Dallas Cowboys	3-13	D.Townsend 25 yd Interception return	5/7, 63 yards, TD, 2 carries, 10 rush yds (2 drives)	1:51	1:40	20-13
18	12/14/2008	@Baltimore Ravens	3-9	Roethlisberger 4 yd TD pass to S.Holmes	10/17, 130 yards, TD (2 drives)	3:36	0:43	13-9
19	2/1/2009	vs. Arizona CardinalsSuper Bowl XLIII	20-23	Roethlisberger 6 yd TD pass to S.Holmes	5/7, 84 yards, TD, 4 rush yds	2:30	0:35	27-23

Ranks among Steeler Quarterbacks

In just five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Roethlisberger has become the second most prolific quarterback in franchise history behind Pro Football Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw. As of 2008 sports broadcasters in the Pittsburgh region have been praising Roethlisberger as "the second coming of John Elway" due to his late clutch game winning drives, and the repeated sacks Roethlisberger has taken through out his career, as what happened through out Elways career. This is a list of where Roethlisberger ranks in the Steeler record books.

• [1st] Passer Rating - 89.4
• [1st] Completion % - 62.4%
• [1st] Yards Per Attempt - 7.86
• [1st] Most 300+ Yard Passing Games - 7
• [1st] 3000 Yard Passing Seasons - 3
• [2nd] Passing TDs - 101
• [2nd] Passing Yards - 14,974
• [2nd] Most Wins as a Starting QB - 51
• [2nd] Most Games w/Passer Rating over 100.0 (min. 10 attempts, regular season only*) - 29
• [3rd] Pass Completions - 1,189
• [3rd] Pass Attempts - 1,905
• [5th] Interceptions - 69

(*Terry Bradshaw - 35)

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 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 handlebars 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.

Roethlisberger gave his first television interview after the accident on July 13, with ABC's Good Morning America. He said 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

Miami RedHawks Records

(Miami University is in Oxford, Ohio and all records are from the 2008 media guide. [2])

• Most Pass Attempts, Career - 1,304 (2001-03)
• Most Pass Attempts, Season - 495 (2003)
• Most Pass Completions, Career - 854 (2001-03)
• Most Pass Completions, Season - 342 (2003; also a MAC record)
• Most Pass Completions, Game - 41 (vs. Northern Illinois, 2002; MAC record)
• Most Passing Yards, Career - 10,829 (2001-03)
• Most Passing Yards, Season - 4,486 (2003; also a MAC Record)
• Most Passing Yards, Game - 525 (vs. Northern Illinois, 2002)
• Most Passing Touchdowns, Career - 84 (2001-03)
• Most Passing Touchdowns, Season - 37 (2003)
• Most Passing Touchdowns, Game - 5 (did it at Ohio in 2001 and at UCF in 2003; tied with Sam Ricketts)
• Most Total Offense Yards, Career - 11,075 (2001-03)
• Most Total Offense Yards, Season - 4,597 (2003)
• Most Total Offense Yards, Game - 485 (vs. Northern Illinois, 2002)
• Most 300+ Yard Passing Games - 14
• Most 400+ Yard Passing Games - 4
• Most Games w/4+ TD Passes - 7
• Highest Completion %, Career (Min. 300 attempts) - 65.5% (2001-03)
• Highest Completion %, Season (Min. 100 attempts) - 69.1% (2003)
• (Tie) Most Games in a Season w/200+ Yards Passing - 14 (2003; NCAA Record)
• (Tie) Consecutive Games in a Season w/200+ Yards Passing - 14 (2003; NCAA Record)

NFL Records

• Most Regular Season Wins in a Season, Rookie QB - 13 (2004)
• Longest regular season win streak to start a career for a NFL QB - 15 games (won all 13 starts in the 2004 season, won first 2 games of the 2005 season)
• Highest Passer Rating, Rookie Season - 98.1 (2004)
• Highest Completion %, Rookie Season - 66.4% (2004)
• (Tie) Most Touchdown Passes, Monday Night Football game - 5 (11/5/2007 vs. Baltimore Ravens)
• First QB to start two Conference Championship games in first two seasons in the NFL (2004 & 2005)
• Youngest starting QB ever to win the Super Bowl (2005; 2nd youngest QB to play in the Super Bowl behind Dan Marino)
• Roethlisberger became the second quarterback in NFL history, along with Peyton Manning, to register 3 perfect passing games during the regular season and only quarterback to ever register 2 perfect passing games in one regular season.
• Lowest passer rating for a Super Bowl winning QB - 22.6 (Completed 9 of 21 passes for 0 touchdowns, with 2 interceptions)
• Most wins as a starting quarterback in first 5 NFL seasons (reg. season only) - 51 (from 2004-2008)
• Tied for most seasons with one or more postseason starts in first 5 years in the league since 1960 with 4 starts (tied w/ Bernie Kosar, Neil O'Donnell, Donovan McNabb, and Eli Manning).

Pittsburgh Steeler Franchise Records

In 5 seasons Roethlisberger has many individual accomplishments that are record performances in Steelers' history

Career Records

• 59-22 (.728) record as starting QB (includes a 8-2 playoff record)
• .728 winning percentage is the highest among all Steeler QB's with at least 20 starts
• Highest Passer Rating (Min. 100 attempts) - 89.4
• Highest Completion % (Min. 100 attempts) - 62.4%
• Highest Yards Per Attempt (Min. 100 attempts) - 7.86
• Most 300+ Yard Passing Games - 7
• (Tie) Most 400+ Yard Passing Games - 1 (tied w/Bobby Layne and Tommy Maddox)
• Most 3000 Yard Passing Seasons - 3
• Most Consecutive 3000 Yard Passing Season - 3 (2006-2008)
• Most Consecutive Games With a TD Pass - 15 (from December 3, 2006 through November 18, 2007)
• Most Games With a Perfect Passer Rating - 3
• Largest contract in Steelers history (8 yr, $102 million)

Season Records

• Highest Completion % - 66.4% (2004)
• Most Touchdown Passes - 32 (2007)
• Highest TD% - 7.92% (2007)
• Highest Yards Per Attempt - 8.90 (2005)
• Highest Passer Rating - 104.1 (2007)

Single-Game Records

• Most Pass Completions - 38 (Completed 38 of 54 passes for 433 yards on November 5, 2006 against the Denver Broncos)
• (Tie) Most Consecutive Passes Completed, Single 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)
• 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)
• (Tie) Most Touchdown Passes, Game - 5 (Threw 5 TD passes in the first half against the Baltimore Ravens on a Monday Night game November 5, 2007. Tied w/Terry Bradshaw and Mark Malone)

Rookie Records (achieved during 2004 season)

• Most Pass Attempts - 295
• Most Pass Completions - 196
• Highest Completion % - 66.4%
• Most Passing Yards - 2621
• Most Touchdown Passes - 17
• Highest Yards Per Attempt - 8.88
• Highest Passer Rating - 98.1
• Wins as starting QB - 13

Postseason Records

• Highest Completion % (Min. 50 attempts) - 61.9%
• Highest Passer Rating - 87.2

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 U.S. with a particular emphasis on service dogs and (b): to enhance the quality of life for residents of Findlay, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania."

Trivia

The "#7 Roethlisburger".

Peppi's restaurant, home of the "Roethlisburger".

• Has multiple sandwiches named after him; usually a pun on his last name (which ends with "berger", similar to "hamburger"). Pittsburgh chain Peppi's sells the "Roethlisburger", which costs $7.00 (his football jersey number is 7). Findlay, Ohio restaurant Tony's sells a "Roethlisburger", and so does Brick Street in Oxford, Ohio.
• Second youngest Quarterback to win 2 Super Bowls
• His surname "Roethlisberger" (Swiss-German spelling: Röthlisberger) is of Swiss origin with roots in the village of Geissbuehl Lauperswil, Switzerland. He is a spokesman for Swiss Roots: a campaign intended to help Americans of Swiss origin reconnect with their Swiss ancestral heritage. In May 2006, Roethlisberger and his family traveled to Switzerland for a week.
• 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.
• Has his own beef jerky called Big Ben's XL Beef Jerky.
• An auto dealer in Pittsburgh released a line of Roethlisberger signature GMC Sierras in 2007.
• Gave his Super Bowl XL ring to his father as a Father's Day gift.
• His younger sister Carlee Roethlisberger plays women's basketball for the University of Oklahoma
• In the Madden NFL series, his name is spelled "Roethlisbergr" due to a limit of characters. This does not happen, however on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of Madden NFL 09.

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
• Miami RedHawks Bio