Ben Roethlisberger
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger (ˈrɒθlɨsbɜrɡər; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football
quarterback
for the Pittsburgh Steelers
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round (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 and his first Pro Bowl
selection in 2007
. He became the youngest Super Bowl-winning quarterback in NFL history, helping lead the Steelers, in his second professional season, to a 21–10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks
in Super Bowl XL
at the age of 23. Roethlisberger led the Steelers to a second Super Bowl title in four seasons as they defeated the Arizona Cardinals
in Super Bowl XLIII
, 27–23, after completing a game-winning touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes
in the final 35 seconds.
Roethlisberger has been one of the most efficient passers in NFL history. He currently ranks 8th all-time in NFL passer rating (92.8), 5th in yards per attempt (8.04), and 11th in completion percentage (63.2%) among quarterbacks with a minimum of 1,500 career attempts. He has the fourth highest career winning percentage (.710) as a starter in the regular season among quarterbacks with a minimum of 100 starts.
Off the field, Roethlisberger has been involved in high-profile incidents, including a nearly fatal motorcycle accident in 2006 and sexual assault allegations in Lake Tahoe
in 2008 and in Milledgeville, Georgia
, in 2010. Neither allegation resulted in charges being filed; however, the latter act resulted in Roethlisberger being suspended for six games (reduced to four) under the NFL's personal conduct policy
for the start of the 2010 season.
Known for playing outside the quarterback pocket
in what he calls "backyard football
", Roethlisberger also grew up idolizing Pittsburgh area native Joe Montana
. Roethlisberger wears number 7 in John Elway
's honor.
On July 23, 2011, Roethlisberger married Ashley Harlan, a physician's assistant from New Castle
, Pennsylvania
.
. At Findlay High School
in Findlay, Ohio
, Roethlisberger was captain 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, as coach Cliff Hite
explained to the Toledo Blade, "My son throwing to Ben was a better combination." Hite told the Toledo Blade regarding the decision to start his son at quarterback over Roethlisberger: "I'm a nationally known knucklehead."
Roethslisberger played college quarterback at Miami University
in Oxford, Ohio
. At Miami, he got a chance to start as a redshirt freshman and started three years of Division I college football despite only a single year experience 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). He played just three years before joining the NFL.
As a redshirt freshman, Roethlisberger threw for over 3,100 yards. In 2002, he threw more than 3,200 yards, and in 2003, he threw more than 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 John Pont
and Bob Hitchens
. It was the first time in 34 years Miami retired a football jersey number.
At the combine, Roethlisberger scored a 25 on the Wonderlic. 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."
, Eli Manning
, and J.P. Losman
. Due to the trade between Manning and Rivers, Roethlisberger was the highest-drafted quarterback that year that played for the team that drafted him. Before Paul Tagliabue
announced the selection of Roethlisberger, the phone call he received by Steelers head coach Bill Cowher
was shown live on ESPN
, confirming the team's selection before the official announcement.
Roethlisberger, Rivers, and Manning have been voted to the Pro Bowl since becoming starters, none have produced a season with a losing record (although each has had an 8-8 season), and Roethlisberger and Manning have each won a Super Bowl. They have been compared favorably to the Quarterback class of 1983, which included Hall of Fame quarterbacks Dan Marino
, John Elway
, and Jim Kelly
.
Roethlisberger was selected 11th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft
by the Pittsburgh Steelers
. On August 4, 2004, he 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 4, 2008, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Roethlisberger agreed to an eight-year, $102 million contract. Roethlisberger had two years left on his original that he signed after the draft. He has stated that he wants to retire as a Steeler.
and Charlie Batch
. When Batch was injured in the preseason, however, Roethlisberger moved up to no. 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 to Maddox, Roethlisberger stepped in for his first NFL action. Despite spurring a mild comeback, the Steelers lost the game. Maddox's injury changed the Steelers' original plan for Roethlisberger, which was for him to sit on the bench or play sparingly during the first season or two in order to learn the team's system. Instead, he started 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 under Roethlisberger) in a single regular 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 24 pass attempts for 196 yards, two 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, with two TDs and one 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 two TDs. Jeff Reed's 37-yard field goal in the final minute gave the Steelers and Roethlisberger their tenth straight win.
Two weeks later, Roethlisberger faced off against the New York Giants
and the no. 1 overall pick of the 2004 draft, Eli Manning. Roethlisberger posted his first career 300-yard passing game, with 18 of 28 passes for 316 yards and a TD. He led his fifth 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 two minutes of the game), forcing 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 fourth 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 two TDs, but he also threw three costly interceptions, one of 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.
In the 2005 regular season, the Steelers finished 11-5. After securing an AFC wild card spot en route to victory in the Super Bowl, 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 2005 season, Roethlisberger missed four games due to various knee injuries. The Steelers went 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 third in passer rating behind Peyton Manning
and Carson Palmer
with a 98.6.
The Super Bowl run began on 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 seven points in the regular season to win the division championship. The rematch featured two teams with identical records, having split their regular season series since each team won 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 three 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 January 15. Roethlisberger led the 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 less than two minutes left in the game. 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, which 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
" 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 in playoff history that a sixth-seeded NFL playoff team defeated the top-seeded team.
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 and scored one TD himself on a four-yard play-action
bootleg
. His run was the last touchdown of the game, sealing 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 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. Though he did convert eight third-down situations in the game to help the Steelers win, none of them was bigger than his 37-yard pass to Super Bowl XL MVP Hines Ward on a third-and-28 that set up the Steelers' first TD (a one-yard quarterback sneak by Roethlisberger on third and goal). With the victory, Roethlisberger, at 23 years old, became the youngest quarterback to win the Super Bowl
, a record previously held by Tom Brady
of the New England Patriots.
After an off-season motorcycle crash in which he was seriously injured, Roethlisberger missed the opening game of the 2006 season after having an emergency appendectomy
on September 3. 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 performance as he threw two interceptions with no touchdowns in a 9-0 loss. In week three, Roethlisberger completed fewer 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-five game against the San Diego Chargers
on Sunday Night Football
, Roethlisberger looked sharp throughout the first half, leading three scoring drives. However, in the second half, he threw two interceptions, both of which shifted momentum away from the Steelers and led to the Chargers' 23-13 win. In week six 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. During week seven in Atlanta, Roethlisberger continued his success, going 16 of 22 for 237 yards and three TDs. But during the third quarter, Roethlisberger was helped off the field after suffering a concussion following a controversial hit by Falcons 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 four 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 six TDs, on the season. In a week-nine rematch of the 2005 AFC championship game against Denver, Roethlisberger threw a career-high 433 yards but had three of the six Steelers 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 265 yards and three TDs in a 38-31 win.
In week 11, Roethlisberger overcame three first-half INTs by throwing for 224 yards and two TDs in the fourth quarter, leading the Steelers to score 21 points and 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 and two INTs. He was sacked nine times, including once by Ravens linebacker Bart Scott
, which sent him to the sidelines briefly. He also fumbled once, which the Ravens returned for a TD in the second half. Roethlisberger bounced back the following game, throwing for 198 yards and two 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 yards with one 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, one TD, and one 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.
.
Week 2 vs. Buffalo Bills
(W 26-3): After settling for four field goals in the first half, Roethlisberger threw a one-yard TD pass to rookie tight end Matt Spaeth
in the third quarter.
Week 3 vs. San Francisco 49ers
(W 37-16): Roethlisberger was 13 of 20 passing for 160 yards and a touchdown pass to the third TE, Jerame Tuman.
Week 4 at Arizona Cardinals (L 21-14): Roethlisberger looked to get a win over his former offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt
, now the head coach of the Cardinals. However, 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.
Week 5 vs. Seattle Seahawks (W 21-0): Despite starting wide receivers Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes missing the game due to injury, Roethlisberger completed 18 of 22 passes for 206 yards and a touchdown pass to Heath Miller.
Week 7 at Denver Broncos (L 31-28): On Sunday Night Football, Roethlisberger turned the ball over three times in the first half, before throwing three touchdown passes on the Steelers' three offensive drives in the second half; his last score tied the game at 28. Denver won on a last second field goal.
Week 8 at Cincinnati Bengals (W 24-13): Roethlisberger threw a pair of touchdown passes to Hines Ward in the first half, and finished the game with 230 yards passing.
Week 9 vs. Baltimore Ravens (W 38-7): On Monday Night Football, Roethlisberger passed for a career-high five touchdown passes, which tied the team record held by Terry Bradshaw
and Mark Malone
. 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
, finishing 13/16 for 209 yards and no interceptions.
Week 10 vs. Cleveland Browns (W 31-28): Roethlisberger helped the Steelers erase a 15-point deficit against the rival Browns. With the Steelers trailing 21-16 in the fourth quarter and facing a third-and-10 from the Cleveland 30-yard line, 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 two-point conversion pass to Hines Ward. After the Browns returned the ensuing kickoff for a TD, Roethlisberger again had to drive the offense with a four-point deficit. This time he made three crucial plays on third down: an 18-yard pass to Santonio Holmes on third-and-six, a 20-yard pass to Heath Miller on a third-and-18, and a 10-yard scramble on third-and-nine. Roethlisberger capped off the drive with a short TD pass to Heath Miller
, which proved to be the game winner.
Week 11 at New York Jets (L 19-16 OT): After Roethlisberger led a go ahead field goal drive in the fourth quarter, the Jets forced the Steelers to overtime, where after a three and out by Pittsburgh, the Jets kicked the winning field goal. Roethlisberger was sacked seven times in the game.
Week 12 vs. Miami Dolphins (W 3-0): 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 Monday night game 30 minutes due to lightning, while turning the new sod on the field, laid earlier that week, into a soggy mess. In many parts of the field, players sunk several inches with each step. After one of the game's punts, the ball infamously stood straight up, stuck in the ground upon impact. With the game scoreless in the fourth quarter, Roethlisberger led a game-winning field goal drive for the only points of the night.
Week 15 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (L 29-22): 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
. The score also helped complete a 15-point comeback in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 22. On the final drive, down 29-22 and facing a fourth-and-seven, Roethlisberger completed a 6-yard pass to Heath Miller, short of the first down.
Week 16 at St. Louis Rams
(W 41-24): On Thursday Night Football, Roethlisberger became the first quarterback in NFL history to have two perfect passer rating (158.3) games in the same regular season, completing 16/20 passes for 261 yards and 3 TDs. It was his third career perfect passer rating game, tying Peyton Manning
for the most such regular-season games in NFL history. Roethlisberger and other key starters did not play in the week 17 finale at Baltimore, as they had already clinched the AFC North division title and their spot in the AFC playoffs.
To cap his comeback season, Roethlisberger was selected to his first Pro Bowl, joining five other Steelers teammates on the AFC squad. Roethlisberger's 32 touchdown passes ranked third in the NFL, behind Tony Romo
and Tom Brady, while his 104.1 passer rating was second only to Brady. Roethlisberger also set a new Steelers single-season record with 32 touchdown passes.
AFC Wild Card vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (L 31-29): In a week 15 rematch, Roethlisberger struggled early, throwing three interceptions in the 2nd quarter, one being returned for a TD by Rashean Mathis
as the Steelers trailed 21-7 at halftime. With the injury to Willie Parker, the Steelers were never able to mount a rushing attack as the backs finished with 22 carries for 30 yards. The Steelers trailed 28-10 to start the 4th quarter, and were facing a 4th & 12 at the Jaguar 37 yard line. Roethlisberger completed a quick slant against the blitz to Santonio Holmes, who broke a tackle and scored to make it 28-17. Roethlisberger led a TD drive on each of the next two Steeler possessions as they took a 29-28 lead with just over six minutes remaining. However, they failed to convert the two-point conversion both times, and the Jaguars were able to get the game-winning FG after Jacksonville QB David Garrard
scrambled for 32 yards on a fourth-and-two play. In the second half alone, Roethlisberger completed 17 of 23 passes for 263 yards and 2 TD passes. Roethlisberger did get the ball back with twenty-nine seconds left, but was sacked for the sixth time in the game and fumbled.
Despite the disappointing playoff loss, Roethlisberger enjoyed a successful comeback season. He finished third in Comeback Player of the Year voting, behind the Patriots' Randy Moss
and the Dallas Cowboys' Greg Ellis, who won the award. Roethlisberger played in his first Pro Bowl
in Hawaii, and played three series in the 2nd quarter, going 5/9 for 42 yards and a TD, and he led the AFC team in rushing with an 18-yard scramble. The NFC won the game 42-30.
(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 two TD passes. Byron Leftwich
took over in the fourth 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. He also had the first pass reception of his career, a negative-seven 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, Roethlisberger was sacked eight times, fumbled twice, threw one interception, and was called for a safety in the fourth quarter. He 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 rival, the Steelers trailed 13-3 at halftime. Roethlisberger threw a TD pass to Santonio Holmes
in the third quarter to start a comeback. He completed two passes to Mewelde Moore
for 31 yards in overtime, setting 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 three TDs. His 239 yards passing in the first half was a career high. After falling behind 21-20 in the fourth quarter, Roethlisberger directed the game-winning drive, passing for an eight-yard TD to Hines Ward to put the Steelers ahead. He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week and the FedEx Air Player of the Week
for his performance.
Week 7 at Cincinnati Bengals (W 38-10): Off the bye, Roethlisberger passed for 216 yards and two touchdowns. It was the Steelers' eighth straight win in Cincinnati, and Roethlisberger was the quarterback for six of those games (it was 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 tied a career-high with four interceptions.
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 of 17 for 50 yards, an interception, three sacks. Before halftime, Roethlisberger re-injured his throwing shoulder in the game when he rushed for a one-yard TD that put the Steelers ahead 10-6. He did not return in the second half, as backup Byron Leftwich
finished the game.
Week 10 vs. Indianapolis Colts (L 24-20): Despite missing practice until Friday with the sore shoulder, Roethlisberger started. The Steelers led 17-7 in the second quarter before a costly interception late in the half, which the Colts used to score a touchdown. The game was tied at 17 in the fourth quarter when Roethlisberger led a field-goal drive. But on the next drive he was intercepted, which set up Peyton Manning for the game-winning TD pass. Roethlisberger was intercepted a third time on a Hail Mary
attempt in the end zone on the game's final play. Overall, Roethlisberger completed 29 passes for 280 yards, no TDs, and three 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 third 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): On Thursday Night Football, Roethlisberger threw for 243 yards and one TD and rushed for his second TD of the season.
Week 13 at New England Patriots (W 33-10): In consistent rain, Roethlisberger completed 17 of 33 passes for 179 yards, two TDs, and one INT. After falling behind 10-3 in the second quarter, Roethlisberger and the fierce Steelers' defense 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 fourth quarter before tying the game on Roethlisberger's six-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 and one TD. It was Roethlisberger's 49th victory as a starting QB, breaking the record for the most ever by a QB in their first five 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 four-yard TD pass to Santonio Holmes for the 13-9 victory. The TD was confirmed by instant replay from a booth review. It was Roethlisberger's 50th victory as a starter and fifth game-winning/tying drive in the fourth quarter/OT of the season, and it clinched the second straight AFC North title for the Steelers. Roethlisberger threw for 246 yards and rushed for 21 more in the game. He completed seven passes for 89 yards on the winning drive.
Week 16 at Tennessee Titans (L 31-14): After falling behind 10-0, Roethlisberger threw two TD passes to take a 14-10 lead in the third 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 second interception, which was returned for an 83-yard TD in the final minute. The Steelers' loss clinched the no. 2 seed. Roethlisberger completed 25 of 39 passes for 329 yards, two TDs, two INTs, and four fumbles (lost two).
Week 17 vs. Cleveland Browns (W 31–0): Roethlisberger suffered simultaneous hard hits from Willie McGinest
and D'Qwell Jackson
just after the two-minute warning in the first half. He lay on the field for roughly 15 minutes before being carted off on a stretcher and taken to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. He was diagnosed with a mild concussion, but practiced during the week leading up to the playoff opener.
AFC Divisional Playoffs 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 third-and-long passes on a 7:56 TD drive to start the second half, putting 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, with no 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, with one TD and no turnovers to help the Steelers beat Baltimore for the third time in the '08-'09 season and return to the Super Bowl. It was Roethlisberger's seventh playoff win in his first five seasons, moving him past Troy Aikman for second-most all-time (first is Tom Brady with nine).
Super Bowl 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 seven of eight passing attempts, which was 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 eight plays, hooking up with game MVP Santonio Holmes four times for 73 yards on the drive, including the six-yard TD pass that put the Steelers ahead with 0:35 remaining. Overall, Roethlisberger finished 21 of 30 for 256 yards, one TD, and one INT. He had a passer rating of 93.2.
Week 2 at Chicago Bears
(L 17-14): With the game tied at 14, Roethlisberger drove the Steelers into field goal range. However, Jeff Reed missed his second attempt of the quarter and Chicago would win on a field goal in the final seconds.
Week 3 at Cincinnati Bengals (L 23-20): The Steelers were dominant in the first half and led 20-9 in the fourth quarter, but the defense surrendered the lead with fourteen seconds left. Roethlisberger got the ball back with two seconds remaining and his hail mary was incomplete. It is his first NFL loss in the state of Ohio, snapping an 11-0 record.
Week 4 vs. San Diego Chargers (W 38-28): Roethlisberger led the Steelers to touchdowns on four of their first five possessions to take a 28-0 lead in the second half. The Steelers hung on for victory, as Roethlisberger recorded his second 300 yard passing game of the season with 333 yards, 2 TDs and no turnovers.
Week 5 vs. Detroit Lions
(W 28-20): Roethlisberger completed over 70% of his passes for the third straight game and threw a season-high 3 TD passes.
Week 6 vs. Cleveland Browns (W 27-14): Improved his record to 10-0 against the Browns by throwing for 417 yards and 2 TDs.
Week 7 vs. Minnesota Vikings
(W 27-17): Against the 6-0 Vikings, Roethlisberger completed 14 of 26 passes for 175 yards and threw a 40 yard TD pass to Mike Wallace before halftime.
Week 9 at Denver Broncos (W 28-10): On Monday Night Football, Roethlisberger used the no-huddle offense to lead a dominant second half, as he threw for 233 yards and 3 TD passes to get his first regular season win over Denver.
Week 10 vs. Cincinnati Bengals (L 18-12): After completing 70.6% of his passes through the first eight games of the season, Roethlisberger was 20/40 (50%) against Cincinnati for a season-low 174 yards. He was sacked 4 times and failed to throw a TD pass for the first time in 2009.
Week 11 at Kansas City Chiefs (L 27-24 OT): Roethlisberger had thrown for 398 yards and three touchdowns before leaving the game in overtime after taking a knee to the helmet on a scramble attempt. He suffered the fourth concussion of his NFL career.
Week 13 vs. Oakland Raiders (L 27-24): After sitting out the overtime loss in week 12 at Baltimore, Roethlisberger started against the Raiders and passed for 278 yards and 2 TD passes. He threw a go ahead TD pass to Hines Ward with 1:56 remaining, only to have the Raiders answer back with a winning TD with nine seconds left. The Steelers could not hold three leads in the fourth quarter. They led 10-6, 17-13 and 24-20. It was the fifth loss of the season in which they surrendered the lead in the final quarter.
Week 14 at Cleveland Browns (L 13-6): On a frigid Thursday night in Cleveland, Roethlisberger was sacked 8 times and did not lead a touchdown drive in his first career loss to Cleveland, ending a perfect 10-0 record against the rival Browns. It is the first time he lost four straight starts.
Week 15 vs. Green Bay Packers
(W 37-36): Roethlisberger broke several franchise passing records in ending the five game losing streak for the Steelers with the biggest passing day in franchise history. His first pass of the day was a 60 yard TD to Mike Wallace, and his last pass was a game-winning 19 yard TD to Wallace on the final play of the game. He passed for 503 yards, 3 TDs, and had no turnovers. He broke Terry Bradshaw's single-season record of 3,724 passing yards, and set a new mark for single-season completions (302). After leading a FG drive to take a 30-28 lead, the defense again surrendered the lead and the Steelers trailed 36-30. Roethlisberger used all 2:01 he had left to drive the team 86 yards for the winning TD with no time remaining. Roethlisberger was named AFC Player of the Week for his effort; the 5th time he has won that award in his career.
Week 16 vs. Baltimore Ravens (W 23-20): Roethlisberger's 259 yard effort helped him become the first QB in franchise history to pass for over 4000 yards in a single season. With the game tied at 20 in the final quarter, he led the Steelers on the game-winning FG drive as they improved to 8-7.
Week 17 at Miami Dolphins (W 30-24): Roethlisberger ended the season with a win in Miami as he threw for 220 yards and 3 TD passes to finish the season with 4,328 yards and 26 TD passes. He was 9-6 as a starter and his 100.5 passer rating was the second time in his career he had a season with a rating over 100. He was sacked 50 times in 2009. Despite the three game win streak to end the season, the Steelers did not make the playoffs after tie-breakers eliminated them. Roethlisberger was voted as team MVP by the Steelers for the first time in his career. He 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.
Week 7 at Miami Dolphins (W 23-22): Trailing 22-20 with 2:37 remaining in the game, Roethlisberger was at the center of controversy when he ran a QB draw and dove for the end zone, appearing to score a TD in the process. The play was ruled a TD on the field, but reviews showed Roethlisberger had fumbled short of the end zone. However, the review failed to provide conclusive evidence as to who recovered the ball after the fumble. By rule, possession was given to Pittsburgh, resulting in the game-winning field goal. Roethlisberger passed for 302 yards and 2 TDs in the game. "Just a bizarre kind of play. You hate to win it that way, but you'll take a win," Roethlisberger said.
Week 8 at New Orleans Saints
(L 20-10): In his 90th regular season game, Roethlisberger reached the 20,000 yard passing mark, but failed to throw a TD pass as the Steelers lost on Halloween night in the Superdome.
Week 9 at Cincinnati Bengals (W 27-21): Roethlisberger improved to 8-2 as a starter on Monday Night Football, and 63-27 over his first 90 regular season starts (tied with Jim McMahon
for 3rd highest win percentage through first 90 starts).
Week 10 vs. New England Patriots (L 39-26): Roethlisberger passed for a season-high 387 yards and 3 TDs, but also had an interception returned for a score and was sacked five times as he tried to rally the Steelers from a 23-3 deficit in the second half on Sunday Night Football.
Week 11 vs. Oakland Raiders (W 35-3): In his first win over the Raiders, Roethlisberger passed for 275 yards and 3 TDs, and rushed for a career-high 55 yards and a TD. Celebrating a second quarter TD pass, Roethlisberger was punched in the face by Raiders' defensive lineman Richard Seymour
, who was then ejected.
Week 12 at Buffalo Bills (W 19-16 OT): Roethlisberger passed for 246 yards and led a 13-play, 58-yard drive in overtime, kept alive by a completion to Mike Wallace for 17 yards on third and eight, to set up new Steeler kicker Shaun Suisham
for the 41-yard winning field goal.
Week 13 at Baltimore Ravens (W 13-10): Roethlisberger was questionable to start the Sunday night game 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
. Trailing 10-6 in the fourth quarter, Roethlisberger threw a go-ahead TD pass to Isaac Redman
with 2:51 remaining and the Steelers held on for the win as he finished with 253 yards passing.
Week 14 vs. Cincinnati Bengals (W 23-7): Roethlisberger passed for 258 yards in his 75th win as a starter (including playoffs).
Week 15 vs. New York Jets (L 22-17): After getting the ball back, trailing 22-17 with 2:08 left, Roethlisberger drove the Steelers 82 yards to the Jets' 10 yard line, but his last two passes fell incomplete in the end zone and time expired.
Week 16 vs. Carolina Panthers
(W 27-3): On Thursday Night Football, Roethlisberger passed for 320 yards, a TD, and rushed for another score.
Week 17 at Cleveland Browns (W 41-9): Roethlisberger passed for 280 yards and 2 TDs as the Steelers clinched the AFC North and the #2 seed in the AFC playoffs. He finished the season with a 9-3 record in 12 starts, passing for 3200 yards, 17 TDs and a career-low five interceptions.
AFC Divisional Playoffs vs. Baltimore Ravens (W 31-24): Late in the first quarter 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 TD. The Steelers trailed 21-7 in the third quarter before Roethlisberger completed TD passes to Heath Miller and Hines Ward to tie the game at 21. With just over two minutes left, the game was tied 24-24 and the Steelers faced a 3rd & 19. Roethlisberger completed a deep pass to rookie wide receiver Antonio Brown for 58 yards and Rashard Mendenhall's rushing TD put the Steelers ahead for good, 31-24, with 1:33 left. It was Roethlisberger's third game-winning drive in a playoff game. He finished with 19 completions on 32 attempts for 226 yards and 2 TD passes.
AFC Championship vs. New York Jets (W 24-19): Roethlisberger rushed for a TD in the first half as the Steelers built a 24-0 lead, before the Jets scored 19 unanswered points. With two minutes remaining in the game, Roethlsiberger faced a 3rd & 6. He 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. Roethlisberger completed 10 of 19 passes for a season-low 133 yards and two interceptions in the game.
Super Bowl XLV
vs. Green Bay Packers (L 31-25): In his third Super Bowl start, 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
. The Steelers trailed 21-3 in the second quarter before Roethlisberger completed a touchdown pass to Hines Ward to make it 21-10 at halftime. The Steelers closed to within 21-17 in the third quarter, but were unable to score on their next three drives. After falling behind 28-17 in the fourth quarter, Roethlisberger threw a 25 yard TD pass to Mike Wallace, and then pitched the ball to Antwaan Randle El
on a lateral for the two-point conversion to make it 28-25. Taking over at his own 13 with 1:59 left and down 31-25, Roethlisberger was unable to lead the game-winning drive against Green Bay this time after his pass fell incomplete to Wallace on 4th & 5 at his own 33 yard line, ensuring the first Super Bowl loss of his career. Roethlisberger finished the game 25/40 for 263 yards, 2 TDs and 2 interceptions. "I feel like I let the city of Pittsburgh down, the fans, my coaches and my teammates," Roethlisberger said, "and it's not a good feeling."
Week 2 vs. Seattle Seahawks (W 24-0): Roethlisberger became the fourth quarterback to reach 70 wins in his first 100 starts, as he threw for 298 yards and did not turn the ball over. He took a shot to his right knee in the second quarter, but returned after missing two plays to finish the game.
Week 3 at Indianapolis Colts (W 23-20): Roethlisberger threw for a career-high 171 yards in the first quarter, turned the ball over three times in the second quarter, then led the Steelers to the 20th fourth quarter comeback of his career, passing Terry Bradshaw for the most in Steelers' history.
Week 4 at Houston Texans (L 17-10): Roethlisberger was sacked five times and beat up all day by the Houston defense, finishing the game with a sprained left foot. He passed for 206 yards and threw an interception on a Hail Mary attempt in the final seconds of the game.
Week 5 vs. Tennessee Titans (W 38-17): For the second time in his career, Roethlisberger threw five touchdown passes in a game. He earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the seventh time in his career.
Week 6 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (W 17-13): Roethlisberger passed for 181 yards in the first half, but only 19 in the second half as the Steelers hung on for the win.
Week 7 at Arizona Cardinals (W 32-20): Roethlisberger set the franchise record for longest pass with a 95-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace. He finished with 361 yards and 3 touchdowns in his first regular season win over the Cardinals.
Week 8 vs. New England Patriots (W 25-17): Roethlisberger beat the Tom Brady-led Patriots for the first time in seven years, completing 36/50 passes for 365 yards and 2 touchdowns. He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the 8th time in his career.
Note: Roethlisberger also has 1 reception for -7 yards that he completed to himself versus Cleveland on 9/14/2008
is in Oxford, Ohio, and all records are from the 2008 media guide.
In 2005, Roethlisberger donated one game check to aid the tsunami relief fund. He has also donated over $100,000 to fund police dogs in Pittsburgh. Roethlisberger participated in the 2009 US Open Challenge with Michael Jordan
, Justin Timberlake
, and essay winner Larry Giebelhausen in a quest to break 100 on the Bethpage Black course. He shot an 81, the low of the group.
), 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. 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 which had expired in March.
Roethlisberger was traveling 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 claimed 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 several chipped teeth. 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 at Mercy Hospital, he went immediately into surgery, where he remained for more than seven hours. The broken bones in his face were repaired. The subsequent news conference with the hospital staff was brief but confirmed early reports that the most serious injuries were to the head and face. There was no neck, spinal, or 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 the Steelers' 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 did not 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 the accident.
Roethlisberger was released from the hospital at 11:46 PM on June 14, 2006. The next day, he released a statement apologizing 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.
, Nevada
District Court accusing Roethlisberger of sexually assaulting Andrea McNulty, 31, in June 2008 in his hotel room while he was in Lake Tahoe
for a celebrity golf tournament. Roethlisberger is one of nine defendants listed in the docket report. McNulty could not obtain criminal charges to be filed against him due to lack of evidence, and thus no investigation was launched to obtain any possible physical evidence. Roethlisberger's attorney denied the claim.
The Lake Tahoe suit seeks at least $440,000 in damages from the quarterback and also alleges hotel officials for Harrah's Lake Tahoe went to great lengths to cover up the incident. The woman is seeking $50,000 in damages from the Harrah's officials. According to the woman, she was working as an executive casino host in July 2008, when she said Roethlisberger struck up a friendly conversation at her desk during the golf tournament, the next night she said Roethlisberger telephoned her to tell her that the television sound system in his room wasn't working and asked her to look at it. The woman said she determined that the TV was functioning properly, but as she turned to leave he stood in front of the door and blocked her, then grabbed her and started to kiss her. According to the lawsuit, the woman obtained hospital treatment after the alleged attack.
On August 8, 2009, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
published details of an affidavit filed as part of a motion by two of the other defendants named in the suit to relocate the case from Washoe County
to Douglas County
. In the affidavit, Angela Antonetti, McNulty's former co-worker, delivered a sworn statement that McNulty had bragged to her about having consensual sex with Roethlisberger. As part of the affidavit, Antonetti said she was "absolutely shocked" upon hearing of the case on the radio on July 21. Antonetti explained, "I knew that [her] lawsuit and false allegations would unfairly and unjustly hurt Mr. Roethlisberger".
According to the affidavit, defendant Antonetti claimed that McNulty had revealed she was hoping she had gotten pregnant with a "little Roethlisberger". Antonetti also claimed that she had been asked to travel to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in August 2008 in an attempt to "run into" the quarterback. In response, Antonetti advised McNulty she "shouldn't try to chase Mr. Roethlisberger".
, Georgia
were investigating Roethlisberger for an unrelated sexual assault inside the women's restroom of the Capital City nightclub. The accuser, a then-20-year-old student at nearby Georgia College & State University
, was seen at several establishments with Roethlisberger leading up to the incident, including posing for a photograph with him. 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 her head.
Roethlisberger hired lawyer Ed Garland, who had previously defended Baltimore Ravens
linebacker Ray Lewis
in his murder trial. Head coach Mike Tomlin
stated at the time that he was "highly concerned" for the franchise and Roethlisberger.
The accuser was treated at Oconee Regional Medical Center
. An emergency-room doctor and two nurses examined her and noted in their report a "superficial laceration and bruising and slight bleeding in the genital area", but could not say if trauma or sexual assault was the cause. The remaining examination was "normal". A rape kit was collected, but no semen was recovered, and the amount of male DNA found was insufficient to create a profile or establish that an assault had taken place. The doctor's report also quoted the alleged victim telling them that, "A boy kind of raped me."
In interviews with the police on the night of the incident, the woman alleged that Roethlisberger, after inviting her and her friends to the V.I.P. area of the nightclub, encouraged them to do numerous shots of alcohol before one of his bodyguards—an off-duty Coraopolis, Pennsylvania
/"Pittsburgh International Airport
interdiction" officer—led her down a hallway to a stool and left. Roethlisberger allegedly approached and exposed himself and, despite the woman's protests, followed her into what turned out to be a bathroom when she tried to leave through the first door she saw. The woman claims Roethlisberger then had sex with her. It is further alleged that friends of the woman attempted to intervene out of worry, but the second of Roethlisberger's bodyguards—an off-duty Pennsylvania State Trooper
—avoided eye contact and said he did not know what they were talking about. The policemen later claimed to "have no memory" of meeting the woman.
On April 12, 2010, district attorney Fred Bright held a press conference to announce that Roethlisberger would not be charged. Bright said "looking at all the evidence here, "I can not prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt". " Furthermore, the accuser wrote to the D.A. through her lawyer expressing she no longer wanted to pursue criminal charges because the level of media attention would make a criminal trial too "intrusive" of a personal experience. The letter stressed that she was not recanting her accusation.
As a result of the unabridged details revealed in Bright's press conference, reaction was swift. Steelers president Art Rooney II
was reported to be "furious". The owner of Pittsburgh-based PLB Sports, which marketed "Big Ben's Beef Jerky", terminated the company's five-year sponsorship of Roethlisberger, the first such action in the company's 14 year history.
Milledgeville Police Sergeant Jerry Blash, who had been photographed with Roethlisberger earlier in the evening, was the first officer to respond to the scene. He resigned on April 15, 2010, after apparently making a comment at the scene that "this bitch is drunk" in reference to the accuser.
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
, Bill Clinton
, and others. Titled "Sexual Healing
", the episode aired shortly after the second accusation of sexual assault was made.
announced that Roethlisberger would be suspended without pay for the first six games of the 2010 season
due to a violation of the NFL's personal conduct policy
. Roethlisberger was ordered to undergo a league-mandated "professional behavior evaluation" and "must adhere to any counseling or treatment that is recommended by the professional evaluators." The suspension was subsequently reduced to four games.
, 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.
He has his own line of barbecue sauce, Big Ben's BBQ.
His younger sister, Carlee Roethlisberger, played women's volleyball for the University of Oklahoma
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round (11th overall) in the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Miami University (Oxford, Ohio)
Miami RedHawks football
The Miami University RedHawks, known as the Miami Redskins before 1996, are a NCAA Division I FBS college football program that competes in the Mid-American Conference...
.
Roethlisberger earned the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2004 and his first Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
selection in 2007
2008 Pro Bowl
The 2008 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2007 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 10, 2008. The game was televised in the United States by Fox and began shortly after 11:40am local time . The NFC won, 42–30, despite a 17-point first half AFC...
. He became the youngest Super Bowl-winning quarterback in NFL history, helping lead the Steelers, in his second professional season, to a 21–10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
in Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
at the age of 23. Roethlisberger led the Steelers to a second Super Bowl title in four seasons as they defeated the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
, 27–23, after completing a game-winning touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Ohio State...
in the final 35 seconds.
Roethlisberger has been one of the most efficient passers in NFL history. He currently ranks 8th all-time in NFL passer rating (92.8), 5th in yards per attempt (8.04), and 11th in completion percentage (63.2%) among quarterbacks with a minimum of 1,500 career attempts. He has the fourth highest career winning percentage (.710) as a starter in the regular season among quarterbacks with a minimum of 100 starts.
Off the field, Roethlisberger has been involved in high-profile incidents, including a nearly fatal motorcycle accident in 2006 and sexual assault allegations in Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
in 2008 and in Milledgeville, Georgia
Milledgeville, Georgia
Milledgeville is a city in and the county seat of Baldwin County in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is northeast of Macon, located just before Eatonton on the way to Athens along U.S. Highway 441, and it is located on the Oconee River. The relatively rapid current of the Oconee here made this an...
, in 2010. Neither allegation resulted in charges being filed; however, the latter act resulted in Roethlisberger being suspended for six games (reduced to four) under the NFL's personal conduct policy
National Football League player conduct controversy
On April 10, 2007, the National Football League introduced a new conduct policy to help control off-field behavior by its players and preserve the league's public image...
for the start of the 2010 season.
Known for playing outside the quarterback pocket
Passing pocket
The passing pocket is a term used in American football to describe the area in the backfield that is created on a passing play where the offensive line forms a wall of protection around the quarterback to protect him...
in what he calls "backyard football
Street football (American)
Street football, also known as backyard football or sandlot football, is a simplified variant of American football primarily played informally by youth...
", Roethlisberger also grew up idolizing Pittsburgh area native Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
. Roethlisberger wears number 7 in John Elway
John Elway
John Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
's honor.
On July 23, 2011, Roethlisberger married Ashley Harlan, a physician's assistant from New Castle
New Castle, Pennsylvania
New Castle is a city in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Pittsburgh and near the Pennsylvania-Ohio border just east of Youngstown, Ohio; in 1910, the total population was 36,280; in 1920, 44,938; and in 1940, 47,638. The population has fallen to 26,309 according to the...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Early years
Roethlisberger was born in Lima, OhioLima, Ohio
Lima is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio along Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton and south-southwest of Toledo....
. At Findlay High School
Findlay High School
Findlay High School is a public high school in Findlay, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Findlay City School District, and the second largest high school in northwest Ohio. Their nickname is the Trojans. They are members of the Three Rivers Athletic Conference. The new conference is going to...
in Findlay, Ohio
Findlay, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 38,967 people, 15,905 households, and 10,004 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,266.3 people per square mile . There were 17,152 housing units at an average density of 997.6 per square mile...
, Roethlisberger was captain 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, as coach Cliff Hite
Cliff Hite
Cliff Hite was an American high school teacher and coach who represents the First District in the Ohio Senate. He also serves as the Chairman of the Senate Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Committee.-Career:...
explained to the Toledo Blade, "My son throwing to Ben was a better combination." Hite told the Toledo Blade regarding the decision to start his son at quarterback over Roethlisberger: "I'm a nationally known knucklehead."
College career
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
in Oxford, Ohio
Oxford, Ohio
Oxford is a city in northwestern Butler County, Ohio, United States, in the southwestern portion of the state. It lies in Oxford Township, originally called the College Township. The population was 21,943 at the 2000 census. This college town was founded as a home for Miami University. Oxford...
. At Miami, he got a chance to start as a redshirt freshman and started three years of Division I college football despite only a single year experience 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
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
(MAC). He played just three years before joining the NFL.
As a redshirt freshman, Roethlisberger threw for over 3,100 yards. In 2002, he threw more than 3,200 yards, and in 2003, he threw more than 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
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
poll and a 49-28 victory over Louisville in the 2003 GMAC Bowl
2003 GMAC Bowl
The 2003 GMAC Bowl was an American college football bowl game. It was part of the 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season, and was the 6th edition. The game took place in December 2003, and featured the , and the Miami RedHawks....
.
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 John Pont
John Pont
John Pont was an American football player and coach. He served as head coach at Miami University, Yale University, Northwestern University and Indiana University. He was the only Indiana University coach to take a team to the Rose Bowl. Later in his career, Pont was recruited to start a football...
and Bob Hitchens
Bob Hitchens
Bob Hitchens was a college football running back at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio from 1971-1973.-College career:Hitchens received all-Mid-American Conference honors as a tailback for three consecutive years from 1971-73...
. It was the first time in 34 years Miami retired a football jersey number.
| Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GP | Cmp | Att | Cmp% | Yds | TDs | Int | YPA | W | L | Att | Yds | TDs | Avg |
| 2001 | Miami (OH) | 12 | 241 | 381 | 63.3 | 3,105 | 21 | 2 | 8.1 | 120 | 189 | 3 | 1.6 | ||
| 2002 | Miami (OH) | 12 | 271 | 428 | 63.3 | 3,238 | 22 | 11 | 7.6 | 82 | 54 | 1 | 0.7 | ||
| 2003 | Miami (OH) | 14 | 342 | 495 | 69.1 | 4,486 | 37 | 10 | 9.1 | 67 | 111 | 3 | 1.7 | ||
| Career | 38 | 854 | 1304 | 65.5% | 10,829 | 80 | 23 | 8.3 | 269 | 354 | 7 | 1.3 | |||
The Draft
The success of the 2003 Miami Redhawks led to the expectation that Roethlisberger would be drafted early. During the GMAC Bowl, commentators discussed some of his skills that would translate to success in the NFL.At the combine, Roethlisberger scored a 25 on the Wonderlic. 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."
Quarterback class of 2004
Roethlisberger was one of four quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft along with Philip RiversPhilip Rivers
Philip Rivers is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League . He was one half of the Manning-Rivers draft trade which sent him to San Diego and the 1st overall pick, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, to the New York Giants. Rivers played college...
, Eli Manning
Eli Manning
Eli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
, and J.P. Losman
J.P. Losman
Jonathan Paul "J. P." Losman is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills 22nd overall in the 2004 NFL Draft...
. Due to the trade between Manning and Rivers, Roethlisberger was the highest-drafted quarterback that year that played for the team that drafted him. Before Paul Tagliabue
Paul Tagliabue
Paul John Tagliabue is a former Commissioner of the National Football League. He took the position in 1989 and was succeeded by Roger Goodell, who was elected to the position on August 8, 2006. Tagliabue's retirement took effect on September 1, 2006. He had previously served as a lawyer for the NFL...
announced the selection of Roethlisberger, the phone call he received by Steelers head coach Bill Cowher
Bill Cowher
William Laird "Bill" Cowher is a former American football coach and player. Cowher resigned after 15 seasons as the Steelers' coach on January 5, 2007, 11 months to the day after winning 2005–06's Super Bowl XL...
was shown live on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, confirming the team's selection before the official announcement.
Roethlisberger, Rivers, and Manning have been voted to the Pro Bowl since becoming starters, none have produced a season with a losing record (although each has had an 8-8 season), and Roethlisberger and Manning have each won a Super Bowl. They have been compared favorably to the Quarterback class of 1983, which included Hall of Fame quarterbacks Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
, John Elway
John Elway
John Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
, and Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
.
Professional career
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
by the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. On August 4, 2004, he 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
Bill Cowher
William Laird "Bill" Cowher is a former American football coach and player. Cowher resigned after 15 seasons as the Steelers' coach on January 5, 2007, 11 months to the day after winning 2005–06's Super Bowl XL...
in a press conference as a franchise quarterback.
On March 4, 2008, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Roethlisberger agreed to an eight-year, $102 million contract. Roethlisberger had two years left on his original that he signed after the 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 No. 3 QB behind Tommy MaddoxTommy Maddox
Thomas "Tommy" Alfred Maddox is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, the XFL and the Arena Football League. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at UCLA.-Early years:At L. D...
and Charlie Batch
Charlie Batch
Charles "Charlie" Batch is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
. When Batch was injured in the preseason, however, Roethlisberger moved up to no. 2. Maddox started, and won, the season opener against the Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and started versus the Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
. But after an ineffective outing and third-quarter injury to Maddox, Roethlisberger stepped in for his first NFL action. Despite spurring a mild comeback, the Steelers lost the game. Maddox's injury changed the Steelers' original plan for Roethlisberger, which was for him to sit on the bench or play sparingly during the first season or two in order to learn the team's system. Instead, he started 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 under Roethlisberger) in a single regular season, surpassing former Steeler Mike Kruczek
Mike Kruczek
-External links:*...
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
Chris Chandler
Christopher Mark Chandler is a retired American football player, who played as a quarterback in the National Football League for 17 seasons. He is known for leading the Atlanta Falcons to a 14-2 season in 1998, followed up with an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIII.-Early years:Chris Chandler was...
and Joe Ferguson
Joe Ferguson
Joseph Carlton Ferguson, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the NFL. Ferguson played college football at the University of Arkansas, where he still holds the school's single game record for most completions and in that same season was named the Southwest Conference's Offensive...
. On January 5, 2005, Roethlisberger was unanimously selected as the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
NFL Rookie of the Year Award
Since 1967, the Associated Press has given two annual Rookie of the Year Awards to National Football League players: one for an offensive player and one for a defensive player. These two are often regarded as the "official" awards...
by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, 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
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
champion and previously undefeated New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, ending their NFL-record 21-game winning streak. He completed 18 of 24 pass attempts for 196 yards, two TDs and no turnovers. The week after that game, the Steelers defeated the also previously undefeated Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
27–3. Roethlisberger was 11 of 18 for 183 yards, with two TDs and one interception.
In his first nationally-televised game on Sunday Night Football, he led the Steelers to a 17–16 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was near-perfect on the night, completing 14 of 17 passes for 226 yards and two TDs. Jeff Reed's 37-yard field goal in the final minute gave the Steelers and Roethlisberger their tenth straight win.
Two weeks later, Roethlisberger faced off against the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the no. 1 overall pick of the 2004 draft, Eli Manning. Roethlisberger posted his first career 300-yard passing game, with 18 of 28 passes for 316 yards and a TD. He led his fifth 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
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 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
Doug Brien
Douglas Robert Zachariah Brien is a former American football placekicker. He played twelve seasons for seven teams in the National Football League:...
. Brien missed the kick as time expired (his second missed kick in the last two minutes of the game), forcing 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 fourth 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 two TDs, but he also threw three costly interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown by Rodney Harrison
Rodney Harrison
Rodney Scott Harrison is a retired professional football player of the National Football League. Harrison played safety for the San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots...
. 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
During the course of the regular 2005 season, Roethlisberger missed four games due to various knee injuries. The Steelers went 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 third in passer rating behind Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
and Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer is an American professional football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals first overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the University of Southern California and won the Heisman Trophy in 2002...
with a 98.6.
The Super Bowl run began on January 8, 2006 as Roethlisberger helped lead the Steelers to a playoff win over the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
—an AFC North rival that had beaten the Steelers by seven points in the regular season to win the division championship. The rematch featured two teams with identical records, having split their regular season series since each team won on the road. Early in the game on Carson Palmer's first throw, a tackle by former Steeler Kimo von Oelhoffen
Kimo von Oelhoffen
Kimo K. von Oelhoffen is a retired American football defensive tackle. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at Boise State....
resulted in Palmer's anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) being completely torn. The Bengals' backup quarterback, Jon Kitna
Jon Kitna
Jon K. Kitna is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 1996...
, 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 three 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 January 15. Roethlisberger led the Steelers against the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, 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
Nick Harper (American football)
Nicholas Necosi Harper is a currently a free agent American football cornerback in the National Football League. He was signed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as an street free agent in 2000. He played college football at Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Georgia.Harper has played for the...
, who had just recovered a Jerome Bettis
Jerome Bettis
Jerome Abram "The Bus" Bettis is a retired American football halfback who played for the NFL's Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers. Bettis is considered one of the best big backs ever because his footwork and power, and is currently fifth on the National Football League's all-time...
fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
with less than two minutes left in the game. 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, which overturned a Troy Polamalu
Troy Polamalu
Troy Aumua Polamalu is an American football strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Steelers. He played college football at the University of Southern California.-High school:Troy Polamalu graduated...
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
Immaculate Reception
The Immaculate Reception is the nickname given to one of the most famous plays in the history of American football. It occurred in the AFC divisional playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland Raiders at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on December 23, 1972...
" in 1972, when Franco Harris
Franco Harris
Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall...
made a miraculous reception and scored the game-winning touchdown against the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The victory marked the first time in playoff history that a sixth-seeded NFL playoff team defeated the top-seeded team.
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 and scored one TD himself on a four-yard play-action
Play action pass
A play-action pass is a type of American football play. The play action, or "PA" for short, appears to be a running play, but is actually a pass play; in this way, it can be considered the opposite of a draw play. Play-action passes are often used against defenses that are presently focused on...
bootleg
Bootleg play
In American football, a bootleg play is a play in which the quarterback runs with the ball in the direction of either sideline behind the line of scrimmage...
. His run was the last touchdown of the game, sealing the win for the Steelers.
The Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
won Super Bowl XL 21-10 over the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
in Detroit on February 5, 2006. 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
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
of 22.6 was the lowest in Super Bowl history by a winning quarterback. Though he did convert eight third-down situations in the game to help the Steelers win, none of them was bigger than his 37-yard pass to Super Bowl XL MVP Hines Ward on a third-and-28 that set up the Steelers' first TD (a one-yard quarterback sneak by Roethlisberger on third and goal). With the victory, Roethlisberger, at 23 years old, became the youngest quarterback to win the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
, a record previously held by Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
of the New England Patriots.
2006 season
Appendicectomy
An appendectomy is the surgical removal of the vermiform appendix. This procedure is normally performed as an emergency procedure, when the patient is suffering from acute appendicitis...
on September 3. Backup Charlie Batch
Charlie Batch
Charles "Charlie" Batch is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
started and led the Steelers to a victory over Miami. Roethlisberger played the following game against Jacksonville on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
. His return resulted in a sub-par performance as he threw two interceptions with no touchdowns in a 9-0 loss. In week three, Roethlisberger completed fewer 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-five game against the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color...
, Roethlisberger looked sharp throughout the first half, leading three scoring drives. However, in the second half, he threw two interceptions, both of which shifted momentum away from the Steelers and led to the Chargers' 23-13 win. In week six against the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, 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. During week seven in Atlanta, Roethlisberger continued his success, going 16 of 22 for 237 yards and three TDs. But during the third quarter, Roethlisberger was helped off the field after suffering a concussion following a controversial hit by Falcons defensive end Patrick Kerney
Patrick Kerney
-Atlanta Falcons:Kerney was drafted as the thirtieth overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons, wearing the number 97 jersey. The Falcons signed Kerney to a 5-year $5.6 million contract. As a rookie, Kerney started two games and recorded 25 tackles and 2.5 sacks...
. 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 four 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 six TDs, on the season. In a week-nine rematch of the 2005 AFC championship game against Denver, Roethlisberger threw a career-high 433 yards but had three of the six Steelers 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
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
. He passed for 265 yards and three TDs in a 38-31 win.
In week 11, Roethlisberger overcame three first-half INTs by throwing for 224 yards and two TDs in the fourth quarter, leading the Steelers to score 21 points and come back to beat the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
24-20. The following week, Roethlisberger and the Steelers were held scoreless in a 27-0 loss to the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
. Roethlisberger finished 21 of 41 for 214 yards and two INTs. He was sacked nine times, including once by Ravens linebacker Bart Scott
Bart Scott
Bartholomew Edward Scott is an American football linebacker for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
, which sent him to the sidelines briefly. He also fumbled once, which the Ravens returned for a TD in the second half. Roethlisberger bounced back the following game, throwing for 198 yards and two 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 yards with one 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
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
. 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
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
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, one TD, and one 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.
Season recap
Week 1 at Cleveland Browns (W 34-7): Roethlisberger threw four TD 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 Steeler head coach Mike TomlinMike Tomlin
Michael Tomlin is the current head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. Tomlin is the third youngest head coach in any of the four major North American professional sports. He is the tenth African-American head coach in NFL history, and first in Steelers history...
.
Week 2 vs. Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(W 26-3): After settling for four field goals in the first half, Roethlisberger threw a one-yard TD pass to rookie tight end Matt Spaeth
Matt Spaeth
Matt Spaeth is an American football tight end for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
in the third quarter.
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
(W 37-16): Roethlisberger was 13 of 20 passing for 160 yards and a touchdown pass to the third TE, Jerame Tuman.
Week 4 at Arizona Cardinals (L 21-14): Roethlisberger looked to get a win over his former offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt
Ken Whisenhunt
Kenneth "Ken" Moore Whisenhunt is the current head coach of the Arizona Cardinals NFL football team, leading them to the first Super Bowl in franchise history during the 2008 season...
, now the head coach of the Cardinals. However, 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.
Week 5 vs. Seattle Seahawks (W 21-0): Despite starting wide receivers Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes missing the game due to injury, Roethlisberger completed 18 of 22 passes for 206 yards and a touchdown pass to Heath Miller.
Week 7 at Denver Broncos (L 31-28): On Sunday Night Football, Roethlisberger turned the ball over three times in the first half, before throwing three touchdown passes on the Steelers' three offensive drives in the second half; his last score tied the game at 28. Denver won on a last second field goal.
Week 8 at Cincinnati Bengals (W 24-13): Roethlisberger threw a pair of touchdown passes to Hines Ward in the first half, and finished the game with 230 yards passing.
Week 9 vs. Baltimore Ravens (W 38-7): On Monday Night Football, Roethlisberger passed for a career-high five touchdown passes, which tied the team record held by Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
and Mark Malone
Mark Malone
Mark M. Malone is a former American football quarterback in the NFL.-Playing career:Malone was the nation's most recruited quarterback in 1975 out of El Cajon Valley High School near San Diego, California...
. All five touchdowns were thrown in the first half, making Roethlisberger one of two quarterbacks in the 2007 season
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
(the other being Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
), and only the fifth quarterback since the 1970 merger, to accomplish such a feat. He also posted a perfect 158.3 passer rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
, finishing 13/16 for 209 yards and no interceptions.
Week 10 vs. Cleveland Browns (W 31-28): Roethlisberger helped the Steelers erase a 15-point deficit against the rival Browns. With the Steelers trailing 21-16 in the fourth quarter and facing a third-and-10 from the Cleveland 30-yard line, 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 two-point conversion pass to Hines Ward. After the Browns returned the ensuing kickoff for a TD, Roethlisberger again had to drive the offense with a four-point deficit. This time he made three crucial plays on third down: an 18-yard pass to Santonio Holmes on third-and-six, a 20-yard pass to Heath Miller on a third-and-18, and a 10-yard scramble on third-and-nine. Roethlisberger capped off the drive with a short TD pass to Heath Miller
Heath Miller
Earl Heath Miller, Jr. is an American football tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. He was selected as the 30th overall pick of the 2005 NFL Draft out of the University of Virginia.-Early years:...
, which proved to be the game winner.
Week 11 at New York Jets (L 19-16 OT): After Roethlisberger led a go ahead field goal drive in the fourth quarter, the Jets forced the Steelers to overtime, where after a three and out by Pittsburgh, the Jets kicked the winning field goal. Roethlisberger was sacked seven times in the game.
Week 12 vs. Miami Dolphins (W 3-0): 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 Monday night game 30 minutes due to lightning, while turning the new sod on the field, laid earlier that week, into a soggy mess. In many parts of the field, players sunk several inches with each step. After one of the game's punts, the ball infamously stood straight up, stuck in the ground upon impact. With the game scoreless in the fourth quarter, Roethlisberger led a game-winning field goal drive for the only points of the night.
Week 15 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (L 29-22): Roethlisberger threw his 29th TD pass of the season, to Nate Washington
Nate Washington
Nate Washington is an American football wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2005...
, breaking the team single-season TD pass record previously held by Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
. The score also helped complete a 15-point comeback in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 22. On the final drive, down 29-22 and facing a fourth-and-seven, Roethlisberger completed a 6-yard pass to Heath Miller, short of the first down.
Week 16 at St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
(W 41-24): On Thursday Night Football, Roethlisberger became the first quarterback in NFL history to have two perfect passer rating (158.3) games in the same regular season, completing 16/20 passes for 261 yards and 3 TDs. It was his third career perfect passer rating game, tying Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
for the most such regular-season games in NFL history. Roethlisberger and other key starters did not play in the week 17 finale at Baltimore, as they had already clinched the AFC North division title and their spot in the AFC playoffs.
To cap his comeback season, Roethlisberger was selected to his first Pro Bowl, joining five other Steelers teammates on the AFC squad. Roethlisberger's 32 touchdown passes ranked third in the NFL, behind Tony Romo
Tony Romo
Antonio Ramiro "Tony" Romo is a professional American football quarterback in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys. Romo's career passer rating - at 95.8 - ranks third-best all time. Tony Romo didn't play in the regular season in 2003, 2004, or 2005...
and Tom Brady, while his 104.1 passer rating was second only to Brady. Roethlisberger also set a new Steelers single-season record with 32 touchdown passes.
AFC Wild Card vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (L 31-29): In a week 15 rematch, Roethlisberger struggled early, throwing three interceptions in the 2nd quarter, one being returned for a TD by Rashean Mathis
Rashean Mathis
Rashean Jamil Mathis is an American football cornerback currently playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL.-High school:Mathis attended Englewood High School in Jacksonville at the same time as Brett Myers of the Houston Astros, and was a student and a letterman in football. In football, he...
as the Steelers trailed 21-7 at halftime. With the injury to Willie Parker, the Steelers were never able to mount a rushing attack as the backs finished with 22 carries for 30 yards. The Steelers trailed 28-10 to start the 4th quarter, and were facing a 4th & 12 at the Jaguar 37 yard line. Roethlisberger completed a quick slant against the blitz to Santonio Holmes, who broke a tackle and scored to make it 28-17. Roethlisberger led a TD drive on each of the next two Steeler possessions as they took a 29-28 lead with just over six minutes remaining. However, they failed to convert the two-point conversion both times, and the Jaguars were able to get the game-winning FG after Jacksonville QB David Garrard
David Garrard
David Douglas Garrard is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent.Garrard played college football at East Carolina. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft, and served as the team's starting quarterback from 2007 to 2010...
scrambled for 32 yards on a fourth-and-two play. In the second half alone, Roethlisberger completed 17 of 23 passes for 263 yards and 2 TD passes. Roethlisberger did get the ball back with twenty-nine seconds left, but was sacked for the sixth time in the game and fumbled.
Despite the disappointing playoff loss, Roethlisberger enjoyed a successful comeback season. He finished third in Comeback Player of the Year voting, behind the Patriots' Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
and the Dallas Cowboys' Greg Ellis, who won the award. Roethlisberger played in his first Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
in Hawaii, and played three series in the 2nd quarter, going 5/9 for 42 yards and a TD, and he led the AFC team in rushing with an 18-yard scramble. The NFC won the game 42-30.
Season recap
Week 1 vs. Houston TexansHouston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(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 two TD passes. Byron Leftwich
Byron Leftwich
Byron Antron Leftwich is an American football quarterback in the National Football League who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars seventh overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Marshall University.Leftwich has also played...
took over in the fourth 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. He also had the first pass reception of his career, a negative-seven yard completion to himself after a deflected pass in the 2nd quarter.
Week 3 at Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
(L 15-6): Behind a relentless pass rush by Philadelphia, Roethlisberger was sacked eight times, fumbled twice, threw one interception, and was called for a safety in the fourth quarter. He did not finish the game, as his throwing hand was injured.
Week 4 vs. Baltimore Ravens (W 23-20 OT): On Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
against a division rival, the Steelers trailed 13-3 at halftime. Roethlisberger threw a TD pass to Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Ohio State...
in the third quarter to start a comeback. He completed two passes to Mewelde Moore
Mewelde Moore
Mewelde Jaem Cadere Moore is an American football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
for 31 yards in overtime, setting up Jeff Reed for the winning 46-yard field goal.
Week 5 at Jacksonville Jaguars (W 26-21): On Sunday Night Football
Sunday Night Football
Sunday Night Football is a weekly American football game held throughout most of the season by the National Football League. Sunday night games have been played regularly since 1987 and have thus far aired on three different television outlets:...
, completed 26 of 41 passes for 309 yards and three TDs. His 239 yards passing in the first half was a career high. After falling behind 21-20 in the fourth quarter, Roethlisberger directed the game-winning drive, passing for an eight-yard TD to Hines Ward to put the Steelers ahead. He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week and the FedEx Air Player of the Week
FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week
Every week during the NFL season, six finalists are chosen for the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week award, 3 nominated as the FedEx Air player and 3 nominated as the FedEx Ground player , online at...
for his performance.
Week 7 at Cincinnati Bengals (W 38-10): Off the bye, Roethlisberger passed for 216 yards and two touchdowns. It was the Steelers' eighth straight win in Cincinnati, and Roethlisberger was the quarterback for six of those games (it was his overall 11th win in 11 games in the state of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
).
Week 8 vs. New York Giants (L 21-14): Against the defending champions, Roethlisberger was sacked five times, threw one touchdown, and tied a career-high with four interceptions.
Week 9 at Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
(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 of 17 for 50 yards, an interception, three sacks. Before halftime, Roethlisberger re-injured his throwing shoulder in the game when he rushed for a one-yard TD that put the Steelers ahead 10-6. He did not return in the second half, as backup Byron Leftwich
Byron Leftwich
Byron Antron Leftwich is an American football quarterback in the National Football League who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars seventh overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Marshall University.Leftwich has also played...
finished the game.
Week 10 vs. Indianapolis Colts (L 24-20): Despite missing practice until Friday with the sore shoulder, Roethlisberger started. The Steelers led 17-7 in the second quarter before a costly interception late in the half, which the Colts used to score a touchdown. The game was tied at 17 in the fourth quarter when Roethlisberger led a field-goal drive. But on the next drive he was intercepted, which set up Peyton Manning for the game-winning TD pass. Roethlisberger was intercepted a third time on a Hail Mary
Hail Mary pass
A Hail Mary pass or Hail Mary route in American football refers to any very long forward pass made in desperation with only a small chance of success, especially at or near the end of a half....
attempt in the end zone on the game's final play. Overall, Roethlisberger completed 29 passes for 280 yards, no TDs, and three 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 third 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): On Thursday Night Football, Roethlisberger threw for 243 yards and one TD and rushed for his second TD of the season.
Week 13 at New England Patriots (W 33-10): In consistent rain, Roethlisberger completed 17 of 33 passes for 179 yards, two TDs, and one INT. After falling behind 10-3 in the second quarter, Roethlisberger and the fierce Steelers' defense 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 fourth quarter before tying the game on Roethlisberger's six-yard TD pass to Heath Miller
Heath Miller
Earl Heath Miller, Jr. is an American football tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. He was selected as the 30th overall pick of the 2005 NFL Draft out of the University of Virginia.-Early years:...
. The Steelers won 20-13 after Deshea Townsend intercepted a Tony Romo pass for a TD. Roethlisberger passed for 204 yards and one TD. It was Roethlisberger's 49th victory as a starting QB, breaking the record for the most ever by a QB in their first five 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 four-yard TD pass to Santonio Holmes for the 13-9 victory. The TD was confirmed by instant replay from a booth review. It was Roethlisberger's 50th victory as a starter and fifth game-winning/tying drive in the fourth quarter/OT of the season, and it clinched the second straight AFC North title for the Steelers. Roethlisberger threw for 246 yards and rushed for 21 more in the game. He completed seven passes for 89 yards on the winning drive.
Week 16 at Tennessee Titans (L 31-14): After falling behind 10-0, Roethlisberger threw two TD passes to take a 14-10 lead in the third 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 second interception, which was returned for an 83-yard TD in the final minute. The Steelers' loss clinched the no. 2 seed. Roethlisberger completed 25 of 39 passes for 329 yards, two TDs, two INTs, and four fumbles (lost two).
Week 17 vs. Cleveland Browns (W 31–0): Roethlisberger suffered simultaneous hard hits from Willie McGinest
Willie McGinest
William Lee "Willie" McGinest, Jr. is a retired American football linebacker in the National Football League.-Early life and career:...
and D'Qwell Jackson
D'Qwell Jackson
-Cleveland Browns:Jackson was signed by the Cleveland Browns on July 24, 2006. In his rookie season, he started thirteen games at weakside linebacker and finished second on the team in tackles with 115, including 58 solo and three tackles for a loss. Jackson posted a career-high 16 tackles at...
just after the two-minute warning in the first half. He lay on the field for roughly 15 minutes before being carted off on a stretcher and taken to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. He was diagnosed with a mild concussion, but practiced during the week leading up to the playoff opener.
AFC Divisional Playoffs 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 third-and-long passes on a 7:56 TD drive to start the second half, putting 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, with no 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, with one TD and no turnovers to help the Steelers beat Baltimore for the third time in the '08-'09 season and return to the Super Bowl. It was Roethlisberger's seventh playoff win in his first five seasons, moving him past Troy Aikman for second-most all-time (first is Tom Brady with nine).
Super Bowl vs. Arizona Cardinals (W 27–23): Wanting to atone for his performance in Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
, 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 seven of eight passing attempts, which was 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 eight plays, hooking up with game MVP Santonio Holmes four times for 73 yards on the drive, including the six-yard TD pass that put the Steelers ahead with 0:35 remaining. Overall, Roethlisberger finished 21 of 30 for 256 yards, one TD, and one INT. He had a passer rating of 93.2.
Season recap
Week 1 vs. Tennessee Titans (W 13-10 OT): Completed 33 of 43 passes for 363 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs in the 16th fourth quarter comeback of his career on the opening night of the 2009 season.Week 2 at Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
(L 17-14): With the game tied at 14, Roethlisberger drove the Steelers into field goal range. However, Jeff Reed missed his second attempt of the quarter and Chicago would win on a field goal in the final seconds.
Week 3 at Cincinnati Bengals (L 23-20): The Steelers were dominant in the first half and led 20-9 in the fourth quarter, but the defense surrendered the lead with fourteen seconds left. Roethlisberger got the ball back with two seconds remaining and his hail mary was incomplete. It is his first NFL loss in the state of Ohio, snapping an 11-0 record.
Week 4 vs. San Diego Chargers (W 38-28): Roethlisberger led the Steelers to touchdowns on four of their first five possessions to take a 28-0 lead in the second half. The Steelers hung on for victory, as Roethlisberger recorded his second 300 yard passing game of the season with 333 yards, 2 TDs and no turnovers.
Week 5 vs. Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
(W 28-20): Roethlisberger completed over 70% of his passes for the third straight game and threw a season-high 3 TD passes.
Week 6 vs. Cleveland Browns (W 27-14): Improved his record to 10-0 against the Browns by throwing for 417 yards and 2 TDs.
Week 7 vs. Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
(W 27-17): Against the 6-0 Vikings, Roethlisberger completed 14 of 26 passes for 175 yards and threw a 40 yard TD pass to Mike Wallace before halftime.
Week 9 at Denver Broncos (W 28-10): On Monday Night Football, Roethlisberger used the no-huddle offense to lead a dominant second half, as he threw for 233 yards and 3 TD passes to get his first regular season win over Denver.
Week 10 vs. Cincinnati Bengals (L 18-12): After completing 70.6% of his passes through the first eight games of the season, Roethlisberger was 20/40 (50%) against Cincinnati for a season-low 174 yards. He was sacked 4 times and failed to throw a TD pass for the first time in 2009.
Week 11 at Kansas City Chiefs (L 27-24 OT): Roethlisberger had thrown for 398 yards and three touchdowns before leaving the game in overtime after taking a knee to the helmet on a scramble attempt. He suffered the fourth concussion of his NFL career.
Week 13 vs. Oakland Raiders (L 27-24): After sitting out the overtime loss in week 12 at Baltimore, Roethlisberger started against the Raiders and passed for 278 yards and 2 TD passes. He threw a go ahead TD pass to Hines Ward with 1:56 remaining, only to have the Raiders answer back with a winning TD with nine seconds left. The Steelers could not hold three leads in the fourth quarter. They led 10-6, 17-13 and 24-20. It was the fifth loss of the season in which they surrendered the lead in the final quarter.
Week 14 at Cleveland Browns (L 13-6): On a frigid Thursday night in Cleveland, Roethlisberger was sacked 8 times and did not lead a touchdown drive in his first career loss to Cleveland, ending a perfect 10-0 record against the rival Browns. It is the first time he lost four straight starts.
Week 15 vs. Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
(W 37-36): Roethlisberger broke several franchise passing records in ending the five game losing streak for the Steelers with the biggest passing day in franchise history. His first pass of the day was a 60 yard TD to Mike Wallace, and his last pass was a game-winning 19 yard TD to Wallace on the final play of the game. He passed for 503 yards, 3 TDs, and had no turnovers. He broke Terry Bradshaw's single-season record of 3,724 passing yards, and set a new mark for single-season completions (302). After leading a FG drive to take a 30-28 lead, the defense again surrendered the lead and the Steelers trailed 36-30. Roethlisberger used all 2:01 he had left to drive the team 86 yards for the winning TD with no time remaining. Roethlisberger was named AFC Player of the Week for his effort; the 5th time he has won that award in his career.
Week 16 vs. Baltimore Ravens (W 23-20): Roethlisberger's 259 yard effort helped him become the first QB in franchise history to pass for over 4000 yards in a single season. With the game tied at 20 in the final quarter, he led the Steelers on the game-winning FG drive as they improved to 8-7.
Week 17 at Miami Dolphins (W 30-24): Roethlisberger ended the season with a win in Miami as he threw for 220 yards and 3 TD passes to finish the season with 4,328 yards and 26 TD passes. He was 9-6 as a starter and his 100.5 passer rating was the second time in his career he had a season with a rating over 100. He was sacked 50 times in 2009. Despite the three game win streak to end the season, the Steelers did not make the playoffs after tie-breakers eliminated them. Roethlisberger was voted as team MVP by the Steelers for the first time in his career. He 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.
Season recap
Week 6 vs. Cleveland Browns (W 28-10): After being suspended for the first four games of the season under the NFL player conduct policy, Roethlisberger returned to the Steelers during their Week 5 bye week. In his first game of the season he completed 16 of 27 passes for 258 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT.Week 7 at Miami Dolphins (W 23-22): Trailing 22-20 with 2:37 remaining in the game, Roethlisberger was at the center of controversy when he ran a QB draw and dove for the end zone, appearing to score a TD in the process. The play was ruled a TD on the field, but reviews showed Roethlisberger had fumbled short of the end zone. However, the review failed to provide conclusive evidence as to who recovered the ball after the fumble. By rule, possession was given to Pittsburgh, resulting in the game-winning field goal. Roethlisberger passed for 302 yards and 2 TDs in the game. "Just a bizarre kind of play. You hate to win it that way, but you'll take a win," Roethlisberger said.
Week 8 at New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
(L 20-10): In his 90th regular season game, Roethlisberger reached the 20,000 yard passing mark, but failed to throw a TD pass as the Steelers lost on Halloween night in the Superdome.
Week 9 at Cincinnati Bengals (W 27-21): Roethlisberger improved to 8-2 as a starter on Monday Night Football, and 63-27 over his first 90 regular season starts (tied with Jim McMahon
Jim McMahon
James Robert "Jim" McMahon, Jr. is a former American football player. He played college football at Brigham Young University, where he was a two-time All-American and later in the professional ranks with the Chicago Bears, San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona...
for 3rd highest win percentage through first 90 starts).
Week 10 vs. New England Patriots (L 39-26): Roethlisberger passed for a season-high 387 yards and 3 TDs, but also had an interception returned for a score and was sacked five times as he tried to rally the Steelers from a 23-3 deficit in the second half on Sunday Night Football.
Week 11 vs. Oakland Raiders (W 35-3): In his first win over the Raiders, Roethlisberger passed for 275 yards and 3 TDs, and rushed for a career-high 55 yards and a TD. Celebrating a second quarter TD pass, Roethlisberger was punched in the face by Raiders' defensive lineman Richard Seymour
Richard Seymour
Richard Vershaun Seymour is an American football defensive tackle for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots sixth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft...
, who was then ejected.
Week 12 at Buffalo Bills (W 19-16 OT): Roethlisberger passed for 246 yards and led a 13-play, 58-yard drive in overtime, kept alive by a completion to Mike Wallace for 17 yards on third and eight, to set up new Steeler kicker Shaun Suisham
Shaun Suisham
Shaun Christopher Suisham is a Canadian placekicker of American football for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League . He was signed by the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2005...
for the 41-yard winning field goal.
Week 13 at Baltimore Ravens (W 13-10): Roethlisberger was questionable to start the Sunday night game 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
Haloti Ngata
-Baltimore Ravens:Ngata decided to leave Oregon a year early because his mother, 'Ofa, was in the early stages of kidney dialysis. She died from her illness on January 13, 2006....
. Trailing 10-6 in the fourth quarter, Roethlisberger threw a go-ahead TD pass to Isaac Redman
Isaac Redman
Isaac Redman is an American football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Bowie State University in Bowie, Maryland.-Early years:Redman played high school football...
with 2:51 remaining and the Steelers held on for the win as he finished with 253 yards passing.
Week 14 vs. Cincinnati Bengals (W 23-7): Roethlisberger passed for 258 yards in his 75th win as a starter (including playoffs).
Week 15 vs. New York Jets (L 22-17): After getting the ball back, trailing 22-17 with 2:08 left, Roethlisberger drove the Steelers 82 yards to the Jets' 10 yard line, but his last two passes fell incomplete in the end zone and time expired.
Week 16 vs. Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
(W 27-3): On Thursday Night Football, Roethlisberger passed for 320 yards, a TD, and rushed for another score.
Week 17 at Cleveland Browns (W 41-9): Roethlisberger passed for 280 yards and 2 TDs as the Steelers clinched the AFC North and the #2 seed in the AFC playoffs. He finished the season with a 9-3 record in 12 starts, passing for 3200 yards, 17 TDs and a career-low five interceptions.
AFC Divisional Playoffs vs. Baltimore Ravens (W 31-24): Late in the first quarter Roethlisberger was sacked and fumbled the ball, and after both teams thought the pass was incomplete, it was eventually picked up by Cory Redding
Cory Redding
Cory Bartholomew Redding is an American football defensive end for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
for a Baltimore TD. The Steelers trailed 21-7 in the third quarter before Roethlisberger completed TD passes to Heath Miller and Hines Ward to tie the game at 21. With just over two minutes left, the game was tied 24-24 and the Steelers faced a 3rd & 19. Roethlisberger completed a deep pass to rookie wide receiver Antonio Brown for 58 yards and Rashard Mendenhall's rushing TD put the Steelers ahead for good, 31-24, with 1:33 left. It was Roethlisberger's third game-winning drive in a playoff game. He finished with 19 completions on 32 attempts for 226 yards and 2 TD passes.
AFC Championship vs. New York Jets (W 24-19): Roethlisberger rushed for a TD in the first half as the Steelers built a 24-0 lead, before the Jets scored 19 unanswered points. With two minutes remaining in the game, Roethlsiberger faced a 3rd & 6. He 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. Roethlisberger completed 10 of 19 passes for a season-low 133 yards and two interceptions in the game.
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League champion for the 2010 season. The game was held at Cowboys Stadium in...
vs. Green Bay Packers (L 31-25): In his third Super Bowl start, 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
Nick Collins
Nicholas Cardell Collins is an American football free safety who plays for the Green Bay Packers of the NFL.-High school:...
. The Steelers trailed 21-3 in the second quarter before Roethlisberger completed a touchdown pass to Hines Ward to make it 21-10 at halftime. The Steelers closed to within 21-17 in the third quarter, but were unable to score on their next three drives. After falling behind 28-17 in the fourth quarter, Roethlisberger threw a 25 yard TD pass to Mike Wallace, and then pitched the ball to Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He attended Indiana University, after turning down a Major League Baseball draft selection by the Chicago Cubs in 1997...
on a lateral for the two-point conversion to make it 28-25. Taking over at his own 13 with 1:59 left and down 31-25, Roethlisberger was unable to lead the game-winning drive against Green Bay this time after his pass fell incomplete to Wallace on 4th & 5 at his own 33 yard line, ensuring the first Super Bowl loss of his career. Roethlisberger finished the game 25/40 for 263 yards, 2 TDs and 2 interceptions. "I feel like I let the city of Pittsburgh down, the fans, my coaches and my teammates," Roethlisberger said, "and it's not a good feeling."
Season recap
Week 1 at Baltimore Ravens (L 35-7): In his 100th regular season game, Roethlisberger set career-worsts for turnovers (5) and largest margin of defeat (28) in his first loss against the Ravens since 2006.Week 2 vs. Seattle Seahawks (W 24-0): Roethlisberger became the fourth quarterback to reach 70 wins in his first 100 starts, as he threw for 298 yards and did not turn the ball over. He took a shot to his right knee in the second quarter, but returned after missing two plays to finish the game.
Week 3 at Indianapolis Colts (W 23-20): Roethlisberger threw for a career-high 171 yards in the first quarter, turned the ball over three times in the second quarter, then led the Steelers to the 20th fourth quarter comeback of his career, passing Terry Bradshaw for the most in Steelers' history.
Week 4 at Houston Texans (L 17-10): Roethlisberger was sacked five times and beat up all day by the Houston defense, finishing the game with a sprained left foot. He passed for 206 yards and threw an interception on a Hail Mary attempt in the final seconds of the game.
Week 5 vs. Tennessee Titans (W 38-17): For the second time in his career, Roethlisberger threw five touchdown passes in a game. He earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the seventh time in his career.
Week 6 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (W 17-13): Roethlisberger passed for 181 yards in the first half, but only 19 in the second half as the Steelers hung on for the win.
Week 7 at Arizona Cardinals (W 32-20): Roethlisberger set the franchise record for longest pass with a 95-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace. He finished with 361 yards and 3 touchdowns in his first regular season win over the Cardinals.
Week 8 vs. New England Patriots (W 25-17): Roethlisberger beat the Tom Brady-led Patriots for the first time in seven years, completing 36/50 passes for 365 yards and 2 touchdowns. He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the 8th time in his career.
Career statistics
| Passing | Rushing | Defensive | Punting | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | Games | Cmp | Att | Cmp% | Yds | YPA | Lg | TD | Int | Rating | Att | Yds | Avg | Lg | TD | Total | Tkl | Ast | No | Yds | Lg | Avg | Fum | Lost | |
| 2004 2004 NFL season The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005... |
PIT 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers looked to rebound after a disappointing 6–10 season the year before, which saw the team go through the entire season without winning consecutive games.... |
14 | 196 | 295 | 66.4 | 2,621 | 8.88 | 58 | 17 | 11 | 98.1 | 56 | 144 | 2.6 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2005 2005 NFL season The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006... |
PIT 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers season began with the team trying to improve on their 15–1 record from 2004 in which they lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game at Heinz Field. The Steelers, with the sixth and final seed to the playoffs, became just the second team ever to win... |
12 | 168 | 268 | 62.7 | 2,385 | 8.90 | 85 | 17 | 9 | 98.6 | 31 | 69 | 2.2 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 2 | 72 | 39 | 36.0 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2006 2006 NFL season The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006... |
PIT 2006 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2006 Pittsburgh Steelers season began with the team trying to improve on their 11–5 record from 2005 and trying to defend their Super Bowl XL championship.-Offseason:... |
15 | 280 | 469 | 59.7 | 3,513 | 7.49 | 67 | 18 | 23 | 75.4 | 32 | 98 | 3.1 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2007 2007 NFL season The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30.... |
PIT 2007 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2007 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the 75th season of the Steelers franchise. The season saw the team improve upon their 8–8 record from 2006, finish with a record of 10–6, and win the AFC North Division... |
15 | 264 | 404 | 65.3 | 3,154 | 7.81 | 83 | 32 | 11 | 104.1 | 35 | 204 | 5.8 | 30 | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 9 | 3 | |
| 2008 2008 NFL season The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the... |
PIT 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 76th season in the National Football League . The season concluded with the team winning Super Bowl XLIII to become the first franchise in the NFL with six Super Bowl titles.... |
16 | 281 | 469 | 59.9 | 3,301 | 7.04 | 65 | 17 | 15 | 80.1 | 34 | 101 | 3.0 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 14 | 7 | |
| 2009 2009 NFL season The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at... |
PIT 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 77th season in the National Football League . They were coming off a season in which they compiled a 12–4 regular season record and capped the season by winning the franchise's record sixth Super Bowl... |
15 | 337 | 506 | 66.6 | 4,328 | 8.55 | 60 | 26 | 12 | 100.5 | 40 | 82 | 2.1 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 7 | 3 | |
| 2010 2010 NFL season The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League.The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9.Tom Brady,... |
PIT 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the team's 78th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League and the eleventh season under the leadership of general manager Kevin Colbert and the fourth under head coach Mike Tomlin... |
12 | 240 | 389 | 61.7 | 3,200 | 8.23 | 56 | 17 | 5 | 97.0 | 34 | 176 | 5.2 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 35 | 35 | 35.0 | 7 | 3 | |
| 2011 2011 NFL season The 2011 NFL season, the 92nd regular season of the National Football League, began on Thursday, September 8, 2011 with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers defeating the New Orleans Saints 42–34 at Lambeau Field and will end with Super Bowl XLVI, the league's championship game, on... |
PIT 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers season will be the team's 79th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League . It is expected to be the twelfth season under the leadership of general manager Kevin Colbert and the fifth under head coach Mike Tomlin... |
8 | 183 | 284 | 64.4 | 2,302 | 8.10 | 95 | 14 | 7 | 95.7 | 20 | 51 | 2.6 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 6 | 4 | |
| Career | 106 | 1,949 | 3,084 | 63.2% | 24,804 | 8.04 | 95 | 158 | 93 | 92.8 | 282 | 925 | 3.3 | 31 | 14 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 3 | 107 | 39 | 36.6 | 52 | 25 | ||
Note: Roethlisberger also has 1 reception for -7 yards that he completed to himself versus Cleveland on 9/14/2008
| Passing | Rushing | Defensive | Punting | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | Games | Cmp | Att | Cmp% | Yds | YPA | Lg | TD | Int | Rating | Att | Yds | Avg | Lg | TD | Total | Tkl | Ast | No | Yds | Lg | Avg | Fum | Lost | Rec |
| 2004 | PIT | 2 | 31 | 54 | 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 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | PIT | 4 | 58 | 93 | 62.3 | 803 | 8.63 | 54 | 7 | 3 | 101.7 | 19 | 37 | 1.9 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | PIT | 1 | 29 | 42 | 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 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2008 | PIT | 3 | 54 | 89 | 60.7 | 692 | 7.78 | 65 | 3 | 1 | 91.6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 25 | 25 | 25.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | PIT | 3 | 54 | 91 | 59.3 | 622 | 6.84 | 58 | 4 | 4 | 76.4 | 21 | 63 | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Career | 13 | 226 | 369 | 61.3% | 2,861 | 7.75 | 65 | 19 | 16 | 84.5 | 59 | 188 | 3.2 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 1 | 25 | 25 | 25.0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | |
Comebacks/game-winning drives in the fourth quarter/overtime
Roethlisberger set a NFL rookie record in 2004 with five comeback wins in the fourth quarter, and six game-winning drives in the fourth quarter/overtime (including one playoff game). Roethlisberger has the most comeback wins (19) and game-winning drives (25) through the first seven seasons of a player's career. He is the only quarterback to reach 20 comeback wins before the age of 30.| No. | Date | Opponent | Down | Go-ahead Play | Scoring Drive(s) Stats | Drive Started | Clock at end | Final Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 3, 2004 | Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL... |
14-17 | J. Bettis 1 yd TD run | 3/4, 23 yards | 0:44 (3rd QT) | 9:06 | 28-17 |
| 2 | October 17, 2004 | @ Dallas Cowboys 2004 Dallas Cowboys season Even before 2004 season began, the Cowboys would face adversity and be forced to adjust. Coming off their first winning season in 5 years, the team, under Bill Parcells direction, would continue to bring in veteran talent and draft promising prospects. In the off-season, the Cowboys would sign... |
10-20 | J.Bettis 2 yd TD run | 9/9, 72 yards, TD (2 drives) | 2:20 | 0:30 | 24-20 |
| 3 | December 5, 2004 | @ Jacksonville Jaguars 2004 Jacksonville Jaguars season The 2004 season brought about Jack Del Rio's second year as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Byron Leftwich's first full year as a starter... |
14-16 | Reed 37 yd FG | 3/4, 40 yards | 1:50 | 0:18 | 17-16 |
| 4 | December 12, 2004 | New York Jets 2004 New York Jets season The 2004 New York Jets season saw the team try to improve on its 6–10 2003 record. The Jets started the season by winning their first five games, which was a franchise record. They ultimately finished 10–6, and clinched the fifth seed in the playoffs, reaching the postseason for the third time in... |
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 | December 12, 2004 | @ New York Giants 2004 New York Giants season The 2004 NFL season was the 80th season for the New York Giants. After starting the season 5–2, the Giants finished 6–10, 2nd in the NFC East.-Offseason:... |
26-30 | J. Bettis 1 yd TD run | 6/7, 109 yards (2 drives) | 8:10 | 4:57 | 33-30 |
| 6 | January 15, 2005 | New York Jets (AFC Divisional) | 10-17 | Reed 33 yd FG | 6/8, 52 yards, TD (2 drives) | 12:15 (OT) | 3:56 | 20-17 OT |
| 7 | October 10, 2005 | @ San Diego Chargers 2005 San Diego Chargers season The 2005 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 12–4 record in 2004. They finished the campaign 3rd in their division and as a result missed out on the playoffs. Outside linebacker Shawne Merriman was named rookie of the Year at the end of the season.-NFL... |
21-22 | Reed 40 yd FG | 6/6, 81 yards, TD (2 drives) | 4:36 | 0:06 | 24-22 |
| 8 | October 31, 2005 | Baltimore Ravens 2005 Baltimore Ravens season The 2005 Baltimore Ravens season was the team's tenth season in the NFL. They were unable to improve upon their previous output of 9–7, instead going 6–10 and missing the playoffs for the second straight season.-Staff:-Schedule:-References:... |
17-19 | Reed 37 yd FG | 2/2, 37 yards | 3:14 | 1:36 | 20-19 |
| 9 | November 12, 2006 | New Orleans Saints 2006 New Orleans Saints season The 2006 New Orleans Saints season began with the team trying to improve on their 3-13 record in 2005. All of the team's 2006 regular season home games were played in the Louisiana Superdome, which had been damaged all of the previous season by Hurricane Katrina... |
24-24 (tie) | W. Parker 3 yd TD run | 1 sack, minus-8 yards | 3:29 (3rd QT) | 14:55 | 38-31 |
| 10 | November 19, 2006 | @ Cleveland Browns 2006 Cleveland Browns season The 2006 Cleveland Browns season marked the 60th anniversary of the Browns franchise. It began with the team attempting to improve upon their win-loss record from 2005, where the team ended the year at 6–10. They were one of the most active teams during the free agency period, and looked to be one... |
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 | December 31, 2006 | @ Cincinnati Bengals 2006 Cincinnati Bengals season The 2006 Cincinnati Bengals season began with the team trying to improve on their 11–5 record in 2005, defending their AFC North Division Championship title, and progress further through the playoffs than they made in the 2005 season having lost to Pittsburgh in the 1st round after losing star... |
7-10 | Roethlisberger 67 yd TD pass to S. Holmes | 7/10, 182 yards, TD, 6 rush yds (3 drives) | 14:55 (OT) | 13:38 | 23-17 OT |
| 12 | November 11, 2007 | Cleveland Browns 2007 Cleveland Browns season The 2007 Cleveland Browns season began with the Browns attempting to improve upon their 4–12 record from the 2006 season, in which the team finished in fourth place in the AFC North. The Browns also attempted to overcome the many injuries that plagued the team throughout the 2006 season... |
24-28 | Roethlisberger 2 yd TD pass to H. Miller | 7/9, 99 yards, TD, 40 rush yards, TD, 2pt conv. pass (2 drives) | 11:10 | 3:13 | 31-28 |
| 13 | November 26, 2007 | Miami Dolphins 2007 Miami Dolphins season The 2007 Miami Dolphins season was the 38th season for the team in the National Football League and 42nd season overall. The team nearly went winless for the season, but on December 16, the third to last game of the regular season, they beat the Baltimore Ravens, giving them a final record of 1–15... |
0-0 (tie) | Reed 24 yd FG | 4/5, 44 yards | 4:13 | 0:17 | 3-0 |
| 14 | September 9, 2008 | Baltimore Ravens 2008 Baltimore Ravens season The 2008 Baltimore Ravens season was the 13th season for the team in the NFL. Despite having one of the toughest schedules in the NFL, the Ravens completed a major turnaround from the 2007 season, finishing the season with an 11–5 record and a playoff berth... |
20-20 (tie) | Reed 46 yd FG | 2/3, 31 yards | 12:51 (OT) | 9:01 | 23-20 OT |
| 15 | October 5, 2008 | @ Jacksonville Jaguars 2008 Jacksonville Jaguars season The 2008 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the 14th season for the team in the National Football League. The Jaguars failed to improve upon their 11–5 record from 2007 and did not make the playoffs, contrary to many preseason predictions.-2008 NFL Draft picks:... |
20-21 | Roethlisberger 8 yd TD pass to H. Ward | 6/8, 61 yards, TD | 6:33 | 1:53 | 26-21 |
| 16 | November 16, 2008 | San Diego Chargers 2008 San Diego Chargers season The 2008 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 49th overall season and their 39th in the NFL. While they completed the regular season with only an 8–8 record, they nonetheless captured their third consecutive AFC West championship... |
8-10 | Reed 32 yd FG | 6/6, 62 yards | 6:31 | 0:11 | 11-10 |
| 17 | December 7, 2008 | Dallas Cowboys 2008 Dallas Cowboys season The 2008 Dallas Cowboys season was the 49th season for the team in the National Football League. The season was most noted for week 17, when the Cowboys were blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles 44–6, their worst loss since the 1985 Chicago Bears came to Texas Stadium and beat the Cowboys 44–0... |
3-13 | D. Townsend 25 yd Interception return | 5/7, 63 yards, TD, 10 rush yds (2 drives) | 5:10 | 2:04 | 20-13 |
| 18 | December 14, 2008 | @ Baltimore Ravens | 6-9 | Roethlisberger 4 yd TD pass to S. Holmes | 10/17, 130 yards, TD (2 drives) | 3:36 | 0:43 | 13-9 |
| 19 | February 1, 2009 | Arizona Cardinals 2008 Arizona Cardinals season The 2008 Arizona Cardinals season was the 89th season for the team in the National Football League and their 21st season in Arizona. The season marked the Cardinals' first-ever Super Bowl appearance, coming as a result of their victory against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship.The... (Super Bowl XLIII Super Bowl XLIII Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,... ) |
20-23 | Roethlisberger 6 yd TD pass to S. Holmes | 5/7, 84 yards, TD, 4 rush yds | 2:30 | 0:35 | 27-23 |
| 20 | September 10, 2009 | Tennessee Titans Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter... |
7-10 | Reed 33 yd FG | 12/14, 117 yards (2 drives) | 14:56 (OT) | 10:34 | 13-10 OT |
| 21 | December 20, 2009 | Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
30-36 | Roethlisberger 19 yd TD pass to M. Wallace | 8/15, 157 yards, TD (2 drives) | 2:01 | 0:00 | 37-36 |
| 22 | December 27, 2009 | Baltimore Ravens | 20-20 (tie) | Reed 38 yd FG | 2/5, 38 yards | 9:03 | 5:25 | 23-20 |
| 23 | October 24, 2010 | @ Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
20-22 | Reed 18 yd FG | 2/2, 31 yards, 1 rush yd | 5:05 | 2:26 | 23-22 |
| 24 | November 28, 2010 | @ Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
16-16 (tie) | Suisham 41 yd FG | 1/3, 17 yards | 9:20 (OT) | 2:14 | 19-16 (OT) |
| 25 | December 5, 2010 | @ Baltimore Ravens | 6-10 | Roethlisberger 9 yd TD pass to I. Redman | 1/3, 9 yards, TD | 3:13 | 2:51 | 13-10 |
| 26 | January 15, 2011 | Baltimore Ravens (AFC Divisional) | 24-24 (tie) | R.Mendenhall 2 yard TD run | 2/6, 70 yards | 3:48 | 1:33 | 31-24 |
| 27 | September 25, 2011 | @ Indianapolis Colts Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League .... |
10-13 | Suisham 38 yd FG | 7/12, 93 yards, 1 sack, minus-9 yards, 13 rush yards (4 drives) | 2:50 (3rd QT) | 0:04 | 23-20 |
Miami Redhawks records
Miami UniversityMiami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
is in Oxford, Ohio, and all records are from the 2008 media guide.
- 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)
- Most wins as a starting quarterback in first five NFL seasons (reg. season only) - 51 (from 2004–2008)
- Highest passer rating, rookie season — 98.1 (2004)
- Highest completion percentage, rookie season — 66.4% (2004)
- Highest single-game completion percentage, rookie season (min. 20 attempts) — 84.0% (completed 21/25 passes at Dallas on 10/17/2004)
- Most games with a completion percentage of 70.0% or higher, rookie season (min. 10 attempts) — 6 (2004)
- Most games with a completion percentage of 80.0% or higher, single season (min. 10 attempts) — 4 (2007)
- (Tie) Most touchdown passes, Monday Night FootballMonday Night FootballMonday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
game — 5 (11/5/2007 vs. Baltimore Ravens) - First QB to start two Conference ChampionshipAFC Championship GameThe American Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the American...
games in first two seasons in the NFL (2004 & 2005) - Youngest starting QB ever to win the Super Bowl (2005; second-youngest QB to play in the Super Bowl, behind Dan MarinoDan MarinoDaniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
) - Second quarterback in NFL history, along with Peyton Manning, to register three perfect passing games during the regular season, and the only quarterback to ever register two perfect passing games in one regular season.
- Lowest passer rating for a Super Bowl winning QB — 22.6 (Completed 9 of 21 passes for zero touchdowns with two interceptions)
- Tied for most seasons with one or more postseason starts in the first five years in the league since 1960, with four (tied with Bernie KosarBernie KosarBernard Joseph "Bernie" Kosar, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Kosar played for the Cleveland Browns from 1985 to 1993 and then finished his career with the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins.-Early life and high school career:A Hungarian-American...
, Donovan McNabbDonovan McNabbDonovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
, and Eli Manning). - Second-youngest quarterback to win two Super Bowls.
- Second-least attempts by a quarterback to reach 25,000 yards passing — 3,109 (Kurt WarnerKurt WarnerKurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a retired American football player. He played quarterback for three National Football League teams: the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing...
is first with 3,076)
Pittsburgh Steelers franchise records
In his eight seasons, Roethlisberger has many individual accomplishments that are record performances in Steelers history.Career records
- 87-35 (.713) record as starting QB (includes a 10-3 playoff record)
- .713 winning percentage is the highest among all Steelers QBs with at least 20 starts
- Highest Passer Rating (Min. 100 attempts) — 92.4
- Highest Completion Percentage (Min. 100 attempts) — 63.1%
- Highest Yards Per Attempt (Min. 100 attempts) — 8.03
- Longest Pass Completion — 95-yard touchdown to Mike WallaceMike Wallace (American football)-Pittsburgh Steelers:Wallace was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft with the 84th overall selection. Wallace was the 11th wide receiver chosen in the draft. On June 18, 2009, Wallace signed a three year contract with the Steelers worth $1.740 million which...
on 10/23/2011 against the Arizona Cardinals - Most 200+ Yard Passing Games — 78 (includes eight playoff games)
- Most 300+ Yard Passing Games — 20 (includes one playoff game)
- Most Consecutive Games With 300+ Yards Passing — 3 (from October 23, 2011 through November 6, 2011)
- Most 400+ Yard Passing Games — 3
- Most 500+ Yard Passing Games — 1
- Most 3000-Yard Passing Seasons — 6 (2006–2011)
- Most Consecutive 3000-Yard Passing Seasons — 6 (2006–2011)
- Most 4000-Yard Passing Seasons — 1 (2009)
- Most 3+ TD Passing Games — 20 (includes one playoff game)
- Most 4+ TD Passing Games — 4
- Most 5+ TD Passing Games — 2
- Most Consecutive Games With a TD Pass — 15 (from December 3, 2006 through November 18, 2007)
- Most 4th Quarter Comeback Wins — 20
- Most Games with a Passer Rating over 100.0 (regular season; min. 10 attempts) — 45
- Most Games with a Perfect Passer Rating — 3
- Most Games with 40+ Pass Attempts — 16
- Most Games with 20+ Completions — 41
- Most Games with 30+ Completions — 6
- Most Games with Completion Percentage of at least 60% — 74
- Most Games with Completion Percentage of at least 70% — 30
- Biggest contract in Steelers history (eight years, $102 million)
Season records
- Highest Completion Percentage — 66.6% (2009)
- Most Touchdown Passes — 32 (2007)
- Highest Touchdown Pass Percentage — 7.92% (2007)
- Highest Yards Per Attempt — 8.90 (2005)
- Highest Passer Rating — 104.1 (2007)
- Most Passing Yards — 4,328 (2009)
- Most 200+ Yard Passing Games — 13 (2009)
- Most 300+ Yard Passing Games — 5 (2009)
- Most 400+ Yard Passing Games — 2 (2009)
- Most 500+ Yard Passing Games — 1 (2009)
- Most 3+ TD Passing Games — 5 (2007 & 2009)
- (Tie) Most 4+ TD Passing Games — 3 (2007)
- Most Pass Completions — 337 (2009)
- Lowest Interception Percentage — 1.29% (2010; 5 INTs on 389 attempts)
- Fewest Interceptions (Min. 10 attempts/game) — 5 (2010)
Single-game records
- Most Passing Yards — 503 (Completed 29 of 46 passes for 503 yards and 3 touchdowns on December 20, 2009 against the Green Bay PackersGreen Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
) - Most Pass Completions — 38 (Completed 38 of 54 passes for 433 yards on November 5, 2006 against the Denver BroncosDenver BroncosThe Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
) - (Tie) Most Consecutive Passes Completed, Single Game — 15 (Completed 15 straight on November 26, 2007 against the Miami DolphinsMiami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on Monday Night FootballMonday Night FootballMonday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
. Bubby BristerBubby BristerWalter Andrew "Bubby" Brister, III is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, Denver Broncos, and Minnesota Vikings...
also completed 15 straight on October 1, 1989 against the Detroit LionsDetroit LionsThe Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
.) - 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 five TD passes in the first half against the Baltimore RavensBaltimore RavensThe Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
on a Monday-night game November 5, 2007. Tied his own record against the Tennessee TitansTennessee TitansThe Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
on October 9, 2011. Also tied with Terry Bradshaw and Mark MaloneMark MaloneMark M. Malone is a former American football quarterback in the NFL.-Playing career:Malone was the nation's most recruited quarterback in 1975 out of El Cajon Valley High School near San Diego, California...
)
Rookie records (achieved during 2004 season)
- Most Pass Attempts — 295
- Most Pass Completions — 196
- Highest Completion Percentage — 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 Percentage (Min. 50 attempts) — 61.3%
- Highest Passer Rating — 84.5
Charitable Works
Roethlisberger 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."In 2005, Roethlisberger donated one game check to aid the tsunami relief fund. He has also donated over $100,000 to fund police dogs in Pittsburgh. Roethlisberger participated in the 2009 US Open Challenge with Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
, Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
, and essay winner Larry Giebelhausen in a quest to break 100 on the Bethpage Black course. He shot an 81, the low of the group.
Motorcycle accident
On Monday, June 12, 2006, at 11:17 a.m. EDT (UTC-4UTC-4
UTC−04-00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of −04.This offset is used in the Atlantic Standard Time Zone in Canada and the North American Eastern Time Zone during daylight saving time , in the Caribbean region this is considered as the Eastern Caribbean timezone...
), 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. 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 which had expired in March.
Roethlisberger was traveling east on Second Avenue when a Chrysler New Yorker
Chrysler New Yorker
The Chrysler New Yorker was a premium automobile built by the Chrysler Corporation from 1939–1996, serving for several years as the brand's flagship model. A model named the "New York Special" first appeared in the 1930s...
made a left turn in front of the motorcycle and onto the South Tenth Street Bridge
South Tenth Street Bridge
South Tenth Street Bridge, most often called the Tenth Street Bridge, but officially dubbed the Philip Murray Bridge, is a suspension bridge spanning the Monongahela River in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
when the accident occurred. According to an eyewitness, Roethlisberger went over the handlebars of his bike, a 2005 Suzuki Hayabusa
Suzuki GSX1300R
The Suzuki Hayabusa is a sport bike motorcycle made by Suzuki since 1999. It immediately won acclaim as the world's fastest production motorcycle, with a top speed of ....
, shattering the windshield of the car with his head. The eyewitness reports claimed 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 several chipped teeth. 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 at Mercy Hospital, he went immediately into surgery, where he remained for more than seven hours. The broken bones in his face were repaired. The subsequent news conference with the hospital staff was brief but confirmed early reports that the most serious injuries were to the head and face. There was no neck, spinal, or 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
Kellen Winslow II
Kellen Boswell Winslow, II is an American football tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns sixth overall in the 2004 NFL Draft...
'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
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
warned Roethlisberger personally when he visited the Steelers' training camp at Saint Vincent College
Saint Vincent College
Saint Vincent College is a four-year, coeducational, Roman Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts college in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, located about 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. It was founded in 1846 by Boniface Wimmer, a monk from Bavaria, Germany. It was the first Benedictine monastery in the...
in Latrobe
Latrobe, Pennsylvania
Latrobe is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in the United States, approximately southeast of Pittsburgh.The city population was 7,634 as of the 2000 census . It is located near the Pennsylvania's scenic Chestnut Ridge. Latrobe was incorporated as a borough in 1854, and as a city in 1999...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, and on television, saying, "Ride it when you retire." In a segment put together by ESPN following Winslow's accident, Roethlisberger had said he did not 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
Suzy Kolber
Suzanne Lisa "Suzy" Kolber is a football sideline reporter, co-producer, and sportscaster for ESPN. She was one of the original anchors of ESPN2 when it launched in 1993. Three years later, she left ESPN2 to join Fox Sports, but rejoined ESPN in late 1999....
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 the accident.
Roethlisberger was released from the hospital at 11:46 PM on June 14, 2006. The next day, he released a statement apologizing 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
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
. 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.
Lake Tahoe
On July 17, 2009, a civil suit was filed in Washoe CountyWashoe County, Nevada
Washoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. The population was 421,407 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Reno. Washoe County includes the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area.-History:...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
District Court accusing Roethlisberger of sexually assaulting Andrea McNulty, 31, in June 2008 in his hotel room while he was in Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
for a celebrity golf tournament. Roethlisberger is one of nine defendants listed in the docket report. McNulty could not obtain criminal charges to be filed against him due to lack of evidence, and thus no investigation was launched to obtain any possible physical evidence. Roethlisberger's attorney denied the claim.
The Lake Tahoe suit seeks at least $440,000 in damages from the quarterback and also alleges hotel officials for Harrah's Lake Tahoe went to great lengths to cover up the incident. The woman is seeking $50,000 in damages from the Harrah's officials. According to the woman, she was working as an executive casino host in July 2008, when she said Roethlisberger struck up a friendly conversation at her desk during the golf tournament, the next night she said Roethlisberger telephoned her to tell her that the television sound system in his room wasn't working and asked her to look at it. The woman said she determined that the TV was functioning properly, but as she turned to leave he stood in front of the door and blocked her, then grabbed her and started to kiss her. According to the lawsuit, the woman obtained hospital treatment after the alleged attack.
On August 8, 2009, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
published details of an affidavit filed as part of a motion by two of the other defendants named in the suit to relocate the case from Washoe County
Washoe County, Nevada
Washoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. The population was 421,407 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Reno. Washoe County includes the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area.-History:...
to Douglas County
Douglas County, Nevada
Douglas County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of 2000, the population was 41,259. As of 2010, the population was estimated to be 46,997.- History :...
. In the affidavit, Angela Antonetti, McNulty's former co-worker, delivered a sworn statement that McNulty had bragged to her about having consensual sex with Roethlisberger. As part of the affidavit, Antonetti said she was "absolutely shocked" upon hearing of the case on the radio on July 21. Antonetti explained, "I knew that [her] lawsuit and false allegations would unfairly and unjustly hurt Mr. Roethlisberger".
According to the affidavit, defendant Antonetti claimed that McNulty had revealed she was hoping she had gotten pregnant with a "little Roethlisberger". Antonetti also claimed that she had been asked to travel to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in August 2008 in an attempt to "run into" the quarterback. In response, Antonetti advised McNulty she "shouldn't try to chase Mr. Roethlisberger".
Milledgeville, Georgia
On March 5, 2010, it was revealed that police in MilledgevilleMilledgeville, Georgia
Milledgeville is a city in and the county seat of Baldwin County in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is northeast of Macon, located just before Eatonton on the way to Athens along U.S. Highway 441, and it is located on the Oconee River. The relatively rapid current of the Oconee here made this an...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
were investigating Roethlisberger for an unrelated sexual assault inside the women's restroom of the Capital City nightclub. The accuser, a then-20-year-old student at nearby Georgia College & State University
Georgia College & State University
Georgia College & State University is a public liberal arts university in Milledgeville, Georgia, United States, with approximately 7,000 students...
, was seen at several establishments with Roethlisberger leading up to the incident, including posing for a photograph with him. 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 her head.
Roethlisberger hired lawyer Ed Garland, who had previously defended Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
linebacker Ray Lewis
Ray Lewis
Ray Lewis is a professional American football player.Ray Lewis may also refer to:* Ray Lewis , former English association football referee* Ray Lewis , Canadian track-and-field athlete...
in his murder trial. Head coach Mike Tomlin
Mike Tomlin
Michael Tomlin is the current head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. Tomlin is the third youngest head coach in any of the four major North American professional sports. He is the tenth African-American head coach in NFL history, and first in Steelers history...
stated at the time that he was "highly concerned" for the franchise and Roethlisberger.
The accuser was treated at Oconee Regional Medical Center
Oconee Regional Medical Center
Oconee Regional Medical Center is a seventy-four bed hospital in Milledgeville, Georgia, United States. Oconee Regional Medical Center serves the three areas of Baldwin, Hancock, and Wilkinson counties. ORMC also runs the hospital in Monticello, Georgia, United States.- History :In 1953, a bond...
. An emergency-room doctor and two nurses examined her and noted in their report a "superficial laceration and bruising and slight bleeding in the genital area", but could not say if trauma or sexual assault was the cause. The remaining examination was "normal". A rape kit was collected, but no semen was recovered, and the amount of male DNA found was insufficient to create a profile or establish that an assault had taken place. The doctor's report also quoted the alleged victim telling them that, "A boy kind of raped me."
In interviews with the police on the night of the incident, the woman alleged that Roethlisberger, after inviting her and her friends to the V.I.P. area of the nightclub, encouraged them to do numerous shots of alcohol before one of his bodyguards—an off-duty Coraopolis, Pennsylvania
Coraopolis, Pennsylvania
Coraopolis is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 5,677 at the 2010 census. In 1940 the population peaked at 11,086. It is a small community located to the west of Pittsburgh, along the Ohio River and to the east of the Pittsburgh International Airport...
/"Pittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and commonly referred to as Pittsburgh International, is a joint civil–military international airport located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Findlay Township, approximately west of...
interdiction" officer—led her down a hallway to a stool and left. Roethlisberger allegedly approached and exposed himself and, despite the woman's protests, followed her into what turned out to be a bathroom when she tried to leave through the first door she saw. The woman claims Roethlisberger then had sex with her. It is further alleged that friends of the woman attempted to intervene out of worry, but the second of Roethlisberger's bodyguards—an off-duty Pennsylvania State Trooper
Pennsylvania State Police
The Pennsylvania State Police is the state police force of Pennsylvania, responsible for statewide law enforcement. It was founded in 1905 by order of Governor Samuel Pennypacker, in response to the private police forces used by mine and mill owners to stop worker strikes and the inability or...
—avoided eye contact and said he did not know what they were talking about. The policemen later claimed to "have no memory" of meeting the woman.
On April 12, 2010, district attorney Fred Bright held a press conference to announce that Roethlisberger would not be charged. Bright said "looking at all the evidence here, "I can not prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt". " Furthermore, the accuser wrote to the D.A. through her lawyer expressing she no longer wanted to pursue criminal charges because the level of media attention would make a criminal trial too "intrusive" of a personal experience. The letter stressed that she was not recanting her accusation.
As a result of the unabridged details revealed in Bright's press conference, reaction was swift. Steelers president Art Rooney II
Art Rooney II
Arthur Joseph "Art" Rooney II is the president and co-owner of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers.-Biography:Rooney is the oldest of nine children of Dan and Patricia Rooney. The Rooney family has owned the Steelers since the team's founding by Art II's grandfather and namesake Art Rooney in 1933...
was reported to be "furious". The owner of Pittsburgh-based PLB Sports, which marketed "Big Ben's Beef Jerky", terminated the company's five-year sponsorship of Roethlisberger, the first such action in the company's 14 year history.
Milledgeville Police Sergeant Jerry Blash, who had been photographed with Roethlisberger earlier in the evening, was the first officer to respond to the scene. He resigned on April 15, 2010, after apparently making a comment at the scene that "this bitch is drunk" in reference to the accuser.
Roethlisberger was among the celebrities lampooned in the 14th season premiere of the Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
animated series South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
, appearing in a rehabilitation class for "sex addicts" along with David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
, Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, and others. Titled "Sexual Healing
Sexual Healing (South Park)
"Sexual Healing" is the fourteenth season premiere of the American animated television series South Park, and the 196th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on March 17, 2010, and on Comedy Central UK on March 19, 2010. The title of the episode...
", the episode aired shortly after the second accusation of sexual assault was made.
2010 suspension
On April 21, 2010, the NFL's Commissioner Roger GoodellRoger Goodell
Roger S. Goodell is the Commissioner of the National Football League , having been chosen to succeed the retiring Paul Tagliabue on August 8, 2006. He was chosen over four finalists for the position, winning a close vote on the fifth ballot before being unanimously approved by acclamation of the...
announced that Roethlisberger would be suspended without pay for the first six games of the 2010 season
2010 NFL season
The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League.The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9.Tom Brady,...
due to a violation of the NFL's personal conduct policy
National Football League player conduct controversy
On April 10, 2007, the National Football League introduced a new conduct policy to help control off-field behavior by its players and preserve the league's public image...
. Roethlisberger was ordered to undergo a league-mandated "professional behavior evaluation" and "must adhere to any counseling or treatment that is recommended by the professional evaluators." The suspension was subsequently reduced to four games.
Personal life
His surname "Roethlisberger" (Swiss-German spelling: Röthlisberger) is of Swiss origin with roots in the village of Geissbuehl LauperswilLauperswil
Lauperswil is a municipality in the administrative district of Emmental in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Geography:Lauperswil has an area, , of . Of this area, or 56.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 35.3% is forested...
, 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.
He has his own line of barbecue sauce, Big Ben's BBQ.
His younger sister, Carlee Roethlisberger, played women's volleyball for the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
.
In popular culture
- He has multiple sandwiches named after him, which are usually a punPunThe pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
on his last name (which ends with "berger," similar to "hamburger"). Pittsburgh restaurant chain Peppi's sells the "Roethlisburger," which costs $7.00 (his football jersey number is 7). A Findlay, Ohio restaurant Tony's also sells a "Roethlisburger," as does Brick Street in Oxford, Ohio. - He has appeared on the Late Show with David LettermanLate Show with David LettermanLate Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
twice, after each Super Bowl victory. - He introduced Kelly ClarksonKelly ClarksonKelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
at the 2006 Grammy Awards, one week after Pittsburgh won Super Bowl XLSuper Bowl XLSuper Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
.
See also
- List of NFL quarterbacks who have posted a perfect passer rating
- List of NFL quarterbacks who have passed for 400 or more yards in a game
- NFL career passer rating leaders
Additional sources
- Staff (September 2006) "Ben Roethlisberger 1982-" Biography Today 15(3): pp. 102–117
External links
- Ben Roethlisberger Official site
- Official Blog
- Profile at NFL.com
- Miami RedHawks Bio
- ESPN Profile
- Pro Football Reference Profile