Athletes - Ben Roethlisberger

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	Athletes - Ben Roethlisberger

Benjamin Roethlisberger (born March 2, 1982 in Findlay, Ohio) nicknamed "Big Ben," is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. He led his team to a victory against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL in just his second year in the league and is the youngest quarterback to do so. Ben attended Miami University in Ohio.

Early years

At Findlay High School in Findlay, Ohio, Roethlisberger was captain of the football, basketball, and baseball teams. In baseball he batted .300.

Roethlisberger did not play quarterback until his senior year, giving way to Ryan Hite, the coach's son. Instead, Roethlisberger played wide receiver because coach Cliff Hite explained to The (Toledo) Blade, "My son throwing to Ben was a better combination."

Roethlisberger threw for 4,041 yards, 54 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his one season as quarterback at Findlay.

The elder Hite is most renowned nationally as the punch line to the joke: "Who is the only person who could stop Ben Roethlisberger from throwing a touchdown? Cliff Hite."

In a twist of irony, both players had record-setting college careers after swapping positions. Roethlisberger played quarterback at Division I Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where in his three year career, he set every major passing record in addition to a number of Mid-American Conference passing records. Ryan Hite, meanwhile, set numerous receiving records playing football at Division III Denison University.

NFL career

Roethlisberger was taken 11th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft. On August 4 2004 Roethlisberger signed his first contract with the Steelers, a six-year, $14 million contract with a signing bonus around $9 million, and was touted by Steelers coach Bill Cowher in a press conference as a franchise quarterback.

He took over from Steelers starting quarterback Tommy Maddox after Maddox was injured during a game against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2. As a rookie, he went 13-0 in the regular season as a starting quarterback, 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. Roethlisberger received much praise from coaches in the NFL including Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells who compared him to NFL legend Dan Marino. On January 5, 2005 Roethlisberger was unanimously selected as The NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press, the second quarterback to be so honored.

In 2004, perhaps Roethlisberger's greatest feat was leading the Steelers to a 34-20 victory over the defending Super Bowl champions, the previously undefeated New England Patriots, ending their NFL-record 21-game winning streak. He completed 18 of his 24 pass attempts, including a 47-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress. He racked up 196 yards, two touchdowns, and threw no interceptions. The week after that game the Steelers defeated the also previously undefeated Philadelphia Eagles 27-3. Roethlisberger was 11 for 18, with two touchdowns and one interception.

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

On January 23, 2005 in the AFC Championship Game in Pittsburgh, Roethlisberger completed 14 of 24 pass attempts for 226 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw three costly interceptions. The Steelers lost the game to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots by a score of 41-27.

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Athletes - Ben Roethlisberger

Early years

NFL career

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