156 Facts About Ben Roethlisberger

1.

Ben Roethlisberger played college football at Miami and was selected by the Steelers in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft.

2.

Ben Roethlisberger earned the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2004 and his first Pro Bowl selection in 2007.

3.

Ben Roethlisberger was one of the most prolific passers in NFL history.

4.

At Findlay High School in Findlay, Ohio, Ben Roethlisberger was captain of the Trojans' football, basketball, and baseball teams.

5.

Ben Roethlisberger did not play quarterback until his senior year, giving way to the coach's son, Ryan Hite.

6.

Ben Roethlisberger played college quarterback at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

7.

Ben Roethlisberger established the Miami single-season record with 3,238 passing yards and 271 completions in 2002.

8.

Ben Roethlisberger finished his 2003 season with a conference-leading 343 completions, 4,486 passing yards, and 37 passing touchdowns, breaking school single-season records in all three categories.

9.

Ben Roethlisberger was named as the MAC Offensive Player of the Year for the 2003 season.

10.

Ben Roethlisberger became the third athlete in Miami football history to have his number retired, joining John Pont and Bob Hitchens.

11.

Ben Roethlisberger's number being retired was the first time in 34 years Miami retired a football jersey number.

12.

At the combine, Ben Roethlisberger scored a 25 on the Wonderlic.

13.

Ben Roethlisberger was one of the players invited to attend the draft along with others in the "Green Room" and was featured on the show Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL.

14.

Ben Roethlisberger was projected to be taken by the New York Giants as the fourth overall pick, with the San Diego Chargers taking Manning first overall.

15.

However, Steelers owner Dan Rooney overrode both Cowher and Colbert upon seeing that Ben Roethlisberger was still available and the Steelers not wanting a repeat of passing on a franchise quarterback, as they had done in the 1983 NFL Draft when they drafted Gabriel Rivera while local product Dan Marino was still available.

16.

Ben Roethlisberger was being interviewed live on ESPN by Suzy Kolber when he received the phone call from Cowher, confirming his selection before it was officially announced by Paul Tagliabue.

17.

Ben Roethlisberger was one of 17 quarterbacks taken in the 2004 NFL Draft, along with Manning and Rivers.

18.

Ben Roethlisberger was touted by Steelers head coach Bill Cowher in a press conference as a franchise quarterback.

19.

Ben Roethlisberger started his rookie season as the third quarterback on the depth chart behind veterans Tommy Maddox and Charlie Batch.

20.

When Batch was injured in the preseason Ben Roethlisberger took over the backup quarterback role.

21.

Maddox started, and won, the season opener against the Oakland Raiders and started versus the Baltimore Ravens, but after an ineffective outing and third-quarter injury to Maddox, Ben Roethlisberger stepped in for his first NFL action.

22.

Ben Roethlisberger completed 18 of 24 pass attempts for 196 yards, two touchdowns, and no turnovers.

23.

Ben Roethlisberger was near-perfect on the night, completing 14 of 17 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns.

24.

Two weeks later, Ben Roethlisberger faced off against the New York Giants and the first overall pick of the 2004 draft, Eli Manning.

25.

Ben Roethlisberger posted his first career 300-yard passing game, with 18 of 28 passes for 316 yards and a touchdown.

26.

In overtime, Ben 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 fourth time in 10 years.

27.

Ben Roethlisberger led the league in Yards Per Attempt with an 8.90, and finished third in passer rating behind Peyton Manning and Carson Palmer with a 98.6.

28.

Ben 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 less than two minutes left in the game.

29.

Ben Roethlisberger completed 21 of 29 passes for 275 yards and threw two touchdown passes and scored one touchdown himself on a four-yard play-action bootleg.

30.

Ben Roethlisberger's run was the last touchdown of the game, sealing the win for the Steelers.

31.

Ben Roethlisberger had one of the worst passing games of his career, completing just nine 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.

32.

In Week 5 against the San Diego Chargers, Ben Roethlisberger looked sharp throughout the first half, leading three scoring drives.

33.

However, during the third quarter, Ben Roethlisberger was helped off the field after sustaining a concussion following a controversial hit by Falcons defensive end Patrick Kerney.

34.

Ben Roethlisberger finished 21 of 41 for 214 yards and two interceptions.

35.

Ben Roethlisberger was sacked nine times, including once by Ravens linebacker Bart Scott, which sent him to the sidelines briefly.

36.

Ben Roethlisberger fumbled once, which the Ravens returned for a touchdown in the second half.

37.

Ben Roethlisberger went 11 of 21 for 225 yards with one touchdown, and rushed for one more.

38.

Ben Roethlisberger was 19 for 28 passing with 280 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

39.

In overtime, Ben Roethlisberger completed a slant pass to rookie Santonio Holmes, who went 67 yards for the game-winning touchdown.

40.

In Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns, Ben Roethlisberger threw four touchdown passes in a game for the first time in his NFL career as he led the Steelers to a win in the debut of new Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.

41.

However, Ben Roethlisberger had his first loss of the season as he was intercepted twice; once in the red zone, and then on a desperation pass with six seconds left in the game.

42.

In Week 9 against the Baltimore Ravens, Ben Roethlisberger passed for a career-high five touchdown passes, which tied the team record held by Terry Bradshaw and Mark Malone.

43.

Ben Roethlisberger passed for 278 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception to earn AFC Offensive Player of the Week.

44.

Ben Roethlisberger threw his 29th touchdown pass of the season in Week 15 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, breaking the team single-season touchdown pass record previously held by Bradshaw.

45.

In Week 16 against the St Louis Rams, Ben Roethlisberger became the first quarterback in NFL history to have two perfect passer rating games in the same regular season, completing 16 of 20 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns.

46.

Ben Roethlisberger earned his second AFC Offensive Player of the Week nod for the 2007 season.

47.

Ben Roethlisberger set a new Steelers single-season record with 32 touchdown passes.

48.

Ben Roethlisberger finished third in Comeback Player of the Year voting, behind the Patriots' Randy Moss and the Dallas Cowboys' Greg Ellis, who won the award.

49.

On March 4,2008, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger agreed to an eight-year, $102 million contract.

50.

Ben Roethlisberger had two years left on his original that he signed after the draft.

51.

Ben Roethlisberger has stated that he wants to retire as a Steeler.

52.

Byron Leftwich took over in the fourth quarter when Ben Roethlisberger was on the sideline with a shoulder injury.

53.

Ben Roethlisberger did not finish the game, as his throwing hand was injured.

54.

Ben Roethlisberger threw a touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes in the third quarter to start a comeback.

55.

Ben Roethlisberger completed two passes to Mewelde Moore for 31 yards in overtime, setting up Jeff Reed for the winning 46-yard field goal.

56.

Ben Roethlisberger was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week and the FedEx Air Player of the Week for his performance.

57.

In Week 13 at New England, in consistent rain, Ben Roethlisberger completed 17 of 33 passes for 179 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.

58.

In Super Bowl XLIII against the Arizona Cardinals, Ben Roethlisberger led the Steelers to one of the more dramatic victories in Super Bowl history.

59.

Ben Roethlisberger got the ball back with two seconds remaining and his Hail Mary attempt was incomplete.

60.

Ben Roethlisberger suffered the fourth concussion of his NFL career.

61.

Ben Roethlisberger threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Hines Ward with 1:56 remaining, only to have the Raiders answer back with a winning touchdown with nine seconds left.

62.

In Week 15 against the Green Bay Packers, Ben Roethlisberger broke several franchise passing records in ending the five-game losing streak for the Steelers with the biggest passing day in franchise history.

63.

Ben Roethlisberger's first pass of the day was a 60-yard touchdown to Mike Wallace, and his last pass was a game-winning 19-yard touchdown to Wallace on the final play of the game.

64.

Ben Roethlisberger passed for 503 yards, three touchdowns, and had no turnovers.

65.

Ben Roethlisberger broke Terry Bradshaw's single-season record of 3,724 passing yards, and set a new mark for single-season completions.

66.

Ben Roethlisberger used all 2:01 he had left to drive the team 86 yards for the winning touchdown with no time remaining.

67.

Ben Roethlisberger was named AFC Player of the Week for his effort; the fifth time he has won that award in his career.

68.

Ben Roethlisberger finished the season with 4,328 yards and 26 touchdown passes.

69.

Ben Roethlisberger was voted as team MVP by the Steelers for the first time in his career.

70.

Ben Roethlisberger was selected as the first alternate to the Pro Bowl, but declined the invitation to rest his right shoulder which was injured in the Miami game.

71.

In Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns, after being suspended for the first four games of the season under the NFL player conduct policy, Ben Roethlisberger returned to the Steelers.

72.

The play was ruled a touchdown on the field, but reviews showed Ben Roethlisberger had fumbled short of the end zone.

73.

Ben Roethlisberger passed for 302 yards and 2 touchdowns in the game.

74.

In Week 8 against the New Orleans Saints, Ben Roethlisberger, playing in his 90th regular season game, reached the 20,000-yard passing mark, but failed to throw a touchdown pass as the Steelers lost on Halloween night in the Superdome.

75.

Ben Roethlisberger was questionable to start the Week 13 game against the Baltimore Ravens with a foot injury, but did start the game and suffered a broken nose on the first series after a hit to the face from Haloti Ngata.

76.

Late in the first quarter of the AFC Divisional Round against the Baltimore Ravens, Ben Roethlisberger was sacked and fumbled the ball, and after both teams thought the pass was incomplete, it was eventually picked up by Cory Redding for a Baltimore touchdown.

77.

Ben Roethlisberger finished with 19 completions on 32 attempts for 226 yards and 2 touchdown passes.

78.

Ben Roethlisberger scrambled right and completed a 14-yard pass to Antonio Brown to seal the victory for Pittsburgh, sending them to their third Super Bowl appearance in the last six seasons.

79.

In Super Bowl XLV against the Green Bay Packers, Ben Roethlisberger was hit as he attempted a pass to Mike Wallace in the first quarter, and it was intercepted for a touchdown by Nick Collins.

80.

In Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens, Ben Roethlisberger set career-worsts for turnovers and largest margin of defeat in his first loss against the Ravens since 2006.

81.

Ben Roethlisberger took a shot to his right knee in the second quarter, but returned after missing two plays to finish the game.

82.

In Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans, Ben Roethlisberger threw five touchdown passes for the second time in his career.

83.

Ben Roethlisberger earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the seventh time in his career.

84.

In Week 7 against the Arizona Cardinals, Ben Roethlisberger set the franchise record for longest pass with a 95-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace.

85.

Ben Roethlisberger finished with 361 yards and 3 touchdowns in his first regular season win over the Cardinals.

86.

Ben Roethlisberger beat the Tom Brady-led Patriots for the first time in seven years in Week 8, completing 36 of 50 passes for 365 yards and 2 touchdowns.

87.

Ben Roethlisberger was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the eighth time in his career.

88.

In Week 13 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Roethlisberger moved past Terry Bradshaw in the Steelers' record books; first for most times sacked, then for most pass completions in team history.

89.

Ben Roethlisberger returned for the second half and played the rest of the game, despite limping on his high-ankle sprain.

90.

Ben Roethlisberger finished the game without any touchdowns but had 330 yards passing while throwing three interceptions.

91.

Big Ben Roethlisberger completed 23 of 40 passes for 221 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.

92.

The game-tying touchdown came on a 2nd and 10 with 3:47 remaining in regulation, in which Big Ben Roethlisberger made a vintage play eluding pass rushers before connecting with Jerricho Cotchery on a 31-yard pass.

93.

Ben Roethlisberger was named to the Pro Bowl for the 2011 season.

94.

Ben Roethlisberger finished ranked 30th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012.

95.

Ben Roethlisberger finished ranked 61st by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2013.

96.

In 2012, Ben Roethlisberger returned to Miami University to complete his college degree, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Education on May 6,2012.

97.

Ben Roethlisberger walked with the other graduates at the commencement ceremony, with his parents, grandmother, and wife Ashley in attendance.

98.

Ben Roethlisberger had planned on finishing his degree sooner, but the Steelers having deep playoff runs earlier in his career prevented him from registering for classes in time for the winter term, only being able to do it after the Steelers were eliminated in the Wild Card round against the Denver Broncos the previous season.

99.

Ben Roethlisberger became the second member of the Steelers in less than a year to return to college and complete his degree, with teammate Polamalu doing the same thing the previous off-season during the 2011 NFL lockout.

100.

Ben Roethlisberger was ranked 31st by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014.

101.

Ben Roethlisberger became the first NFL quarterback to pass for over 500 yards twice in a career.

102.

Ben Roethlisberger earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his effort against the Colts.

103.

Ben Roethlisberger matched his career high in passing touchdowns with 32, as well as posting a passer rating of 103.3, the second highest of his career.

104.

Ben Roethlisberger was named to his third career Pro Bowl for the 2014 season.

105.

Ben Roethlisberger was ranked 26th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.

106.

Ben Roethlisberger sustained another injury against the Oakland Raiders on November 8,2015, suffering a left mid-foot sprain.

107.

However, early in the first quarter, Landry Jones sprained his left ankle, resulting in Ben Roethlisberger entering the game in relief for only the second time in his career.

108.

Ben Roethlisberger threw for 379 yards and three touchdowns on the way to a Steelers win and an AFC Offensive Player of the Week award; his 379 passing yards were the most by a quarterback in relief since Don Strock threw for 403 yards for the Miami Dolphins against the San Diego Chargers in the Epic in Miami playoff game in 1982.

109.

Ben Roethlisberger was named to his fourth career Pro Bowl and was ranked 21st by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.

110.

However, the following week on the road against the Miami Dolphins, Ben Roethlisberger left the game after suffering a knee injury.

111.

Ben Roethlisberger passed for 314 passing yards, one passing touchdown, and one interception.

112.

Ben Roethlisberger was named to his third consecutive and fifth career Pro Bowl on December 20,2016, and was ranked 22nd on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017, just one spot below his ranking from the previous year.

113.

In that game, Ben Roethlisberger recorded his 4,000th career completion on a three-yard pass to tight end Jesse James.

114.

On December 19,2017, Ben Roethlisberger was named to his fourth consecutive and sixth career Pro Bowl along with his star receiver Antonio Brown and three of his starting offensive lineman among others.

115.

Ben Roethlisberger was ranked 18th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.

116.

Ben Roethlisberger became the third player since 1950 with at least 450 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown in the same game.

117.

Ben Roethlisberger passed John Elway for seventh-most passing yards in NFL history.

118.

In Week 10 against the Carolina Panthers, Ben Roethlisberger had more touchdowns than incompletions on a statline of 22-of-25 for 328 yards and five touchdowns in his NFL-record fourth game with a perfect quarterback rating.

119.

Ben Roethlisberger led the league in passing yards for the second time in his career.

120.

Ben Roethlisberger led the league in completions, attempts and interceptions.

121.

Ben Roethlisberger's 5,129 passing yards and 34 touchdown passes set franchise records, both of which were held by Roethlisberger in his 2014 season.

122.

In Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks, Ben Roethlisberger injured his right elbow and was unable to play in the second half of the game.

123.

Subsequently, the team announced the following day that Ben Roethlisberger would be placed on the season ending injured-reserve list after undergoing surgery on his injured elbow.

124.

Ben Roethlisberger was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.

125.

Ben Roethlisberger's 47 pass competitions set an NFL record for most completions in a game while throwing for the second most passing yards ever in a playoff game.

126.

Ben Roethlisberger signed a renegotiated contract with the Steelers on March 4,2021, that saw him take a $5 million pay cut.

127.

On January 27,2022, Ben Roethlisberger announced his retirement from the NFL.

128.

Ben Roethlisberger has the most comeback wins and game-winning drives through the first seven seasons of a player's career.

129.

Ben Roethlisberger is the only quarterback in NFL history to reach 20 comeback wins before the age of 30.

130.

In 2005, Ben Roethlisberger donated one game check to aid the tsunami relief fund.

131.

Ben Roethlisberger has donated over $100,000 to fund police dogs in Pittsburgh.

132.

Ben Roethlisberger was born in Lima, Ohio, the son of Ida Jane and Kenneth Todd "Ken" Ben Roethlisberger.

133.

Ben Roethlisberger's father is a former pitcher and quarterback at Georgia Tech.

134.

Ben Roethlisberger is of part Swiss descent; his surname, Roethlisberger, is of Swiss origin, with roots in Geissbuhl, a farming hamlet in the municipality of Lauperswil, Switzerland.

135.

On July 23,2011, Ben Roethlisberger married Ashley Harlan, a physician assistant from New Castle, Pennsylvania.

136.

Ben Roethlisberger grew up as a Christian but recommitted to his faith in 2017.

137.

Ben Roethlisberger is a spokesman for Swiss Roots, a campaign intended to help Americans of Swiss origin reconnect with their Swiss ancestral heritage.

138.

Ben Roethlisberger has his own line of barbecue sauce, Big Ben's BBQ, and is an investor in tech startups, including neonatal care company, NeoLight.

139.

On June 12,2006, Ben Roethlisberger was in a motorcycle accident near downtown Pittsburgh, in which he was not wearing his helmet.

140.

Ben Roethlisberger was traveling east on Second Avenue when a 1996 Chrysler New Yorker made a left turn in front of the motorcycle on the South Tenth Street Bridge when the accident occurred.

141.

Reports from the scene and news media indicated that the accident was serious but "not life- or career-threatening," though Ben Roethlisberger related in interviews that paramedics on the scene stopped bleeding in his throat just in time to save his life.

142.

Ben Roethlisberger was transported to Mercy Hospital and was described as being in "serious but stable" condition in the operating room.

143.

Police sources indicated that Ben 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 several chipped teeth.

144.

The most serious injuries to Ben Roethlisberger were a broken upper and lower jaw and a broken nose.

145.

Ben Roethlisberger was released from the hospital on June 14,2006.

146.

Ben Roethlisberger was one of nine defendants listed in the docket report and Ben Roethlisberger's attorney denied the claim.

147.

The next night she claimed Ben Roethlisberger telephoned her to tell her that the television sound system in his room was not working and asked her to look at it.

148.

Ben Roethlisberger spoke with police the night of the incident and stated that he did have contact with the woman that was not "consummated" and afterward the accuser slipped and injured herself.

149.

Ben Roethlisberger hired lawyer Ed Garland, who previously defended Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis in his murder trial.

150.

Blash later admitted denigrating the accuser and never formally questioning Ben Roethlisberger; he did speak to the NFL player and his off-duty police bodyguards at the Capital City club.

151.

Ed Joyner was prohibited by the Pennsylvania State Troopers from continuing to work for Ben Roethlisberger, and lost a grievance case seeking to overturn the decision.

152.

Ben Roethlisberger was suspended for four games during the 2010 NFL season for violating the league's personal conduct policy.

153.

Ben Roethlisberger is the namesake of multiple sandwiches, which are usually named using a pun on his last name's similarity to "burger" or "hamburger".

154.

Ben Roethlisberger was among the celebrities lampooned in the 14th-season premiere of the Comedy Central animated series South Park, appearing in a rehabilitation class for "sex addicts" along with David Letterman and Bill Clinton.

155.

Ben Roethlisberger has appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman after both of his Super Bowl victories.

156.

At the 2006 Grammy Awards, one week after Pittsburgh won Super Bowl XL, Ben Roethlisberger introduced Kelly Clarkson.