Mark Whipple: “My report had him over Rivers. I was the coach at U Mass when we played Rivers. He was a tremendously talented guy. In fact, two of those three quarterbacks taken first in the draft that year should be first ballot Hall of Famers. Rivers just didn’t have the team around him the other guys did.”
Why did you like Ben better?
“I was really impressed with Phil but Ben was a year younger which we valued, and he was a lot more athletic. I didn’t meet Phil’s parents but Ben’s were great people. And playing well in the cold weather was a huge thing. His senior year he played Bowling Green in a snow storm and threw for over 430 yards. That’s huge for a player playing in Pittsburgh. We’re not playing in a dome.
He didn’t even play quarterback until his junior year in high school. He was a wide receiver before then because they were starting someone else there instead.”
You mentioned before that Ben never gets the credit he deserves. Talk more about that?
“Well, he was a natural and a good leader. He never got enough credit, but I think when he leaves he’ll get more. We weren’t a great team when he got there and Bill wasn’t sure if he was going to get a new contract. I thought about it a lot when I was in Cleveland – what if we had drafted Ben instead of Pittsburgh?”
Ken Anderson: “Ben and I had a great working relationship. When I got there, I knew that if there was one quarterback I wanted to start a franchise with, it would be Ben. He could stand in the pocket and be successful there, but was also so good at extending plays. The year I got there Bruce had asked me to work on cutting down Ben’s turnovers – they happened a lot when he tried to extend plays. We trusted him and handed over the offense to him so he could call protections and run the no-huddle. He showed he could handle it- he won a lot of games running the no-huddle. Even at the end of the Super Bowl after Arizona scored and we had just two minutes left we had confidence in him. Even after that holding penalty. Ben handled the whole thing so well. He is a tremendous player and was a pleasure to work with.”
Kelvin Beachum: “Ben is going to be in the Hall of Fame. No one can dispute his talent or legacy. He’s a two time champ and a tough competitor and has earned that respect.”
CJ Goodwin: “Ben is another great dude. My father passed away last year – at the end of March – two weeks before the offseason. But when I came back he was he first person to offer his condolences – he, then Coach T. It was humbling. Ben didn’t have to say anything – I was surprised he knew my dad passed and that he would be the first person to send his kindness.”
Paul Sams, Owner: “On one of my trips to Pittsburgh to watch a game, I spent part of an evening with Big Ben. As I understand it, Ben used to have dinner with his parents a night or two before most games. Because Thomas Tull is close with Ben, I guess he would join sometimes. Anyhow, Thomas invited me along since I was in town and I ate with Ben, his parents and Thomas. A couple of things stood out to me during that dinner. First, Ben is a really down to earth guy that clearly loves and respects his parents. Second, Ben is accessible and kind. As an example, while we were eating, Ben noticed that there was a young couple with a baby looking over at us. After we were done eating and without prompting, Ben went over and kneeled down next to the family’s table and talked and took a couple pictures with them. I loved sitting back and watching him do that – some guys in his position aren’t nearly as accessible. He was very nice them and he clearly made their night. It was awesome to see that even with all of his success, he didn’t lose that connection with the fans.”
Jaylen Samuels: “Well, he helped me on the field. Helped me with routes and plays, that sort of stuff. Off the field it’s my job to watch film and prepare myself to play the best that i can. He has his own part. But he’s a great leader – on and off the field.”
Xavier Grimble: “He’s a super-competitor. That’s how he is. He was the greatest competitor I’d ever seen. He has a will to win that’s different than most guys. He doesn’t blink or lose confidence under pressure – or if he does he never shows it. You never feel like you’re going to lose when you’re in the huddle with him. It didn’t matter what the score was. I played with some quarterbacks who were nervous in the huddle and that changed games. He was a dog – he was unfazed. I haven’t played with anyone else like that. We almost liked it better when we were down to feel that pressure.”
Ryan Switzer: “It’s funny. Ben takes a lot of heat. As a young dude I see all of it. No one says anything about the good things he does though. You see them bashing him on First Take and all. But my experience is the opposite. Hey-Bey reached out to me with the do’s and don’ts of the team. I owe him a lot. But Ben jump-started my career.”
How so?
“Well as an example. I got there two days before the season started and before the last preseason game. Look at it from his perspective. Here’s a guy who won two Super Bowls and is a future Hall of Fame quarterback. He sees this young kid come in who was traded twice before the season come there.
But on the sidelines of that preseason game, he sat with me going through film on the iPad. He knew me what, two days. But just off the bat – to do that made me feel good.
I grew up watching the legend of Ben Roethlisberger. When my wife got into a car accident – it wasn’t serious – but Ben reached out to me. He got my cell and called me to make sure she was ok. I’m not saying he took me under his wing, but he did a lot of good. I owe him for not throwing me to the waste side. He gave me a chance to earn his trust.”
Charlie Batch: “I sat next to Ben nine out of ten years in the meeting rooms. We had conversations on the struggles we faced and just in getting to the NFL. Remember, I played at Eastern Michigan and he played at Miami of Ohio – we knew how hard it was just to get to the NFL from that conference – we knew how special it was for both of us to be sitting in the same room together in the NFL.”
Jack McGinley Jr. (owner): “I told my kids and grandkids though every time they go to a game now, to appreciate what you see. You may never see a player like Ben again for a long time. Put him in your memory when you watch him play. You may never see that again.
It can be a desert after Ben. I hope not and that they find someone to come in and be able to do well. But who will replace number seven? That’s what I worry about – the quarterback position is the most important one in football. He’s such a marvelous player. There is a whole generation that doesn’t know another starting quarterback for the Steelers but him. Soon there could be three Heisman Trophy winners at quarterback in our division. So finding a quarterback after Ben is a big worry!”
Michael Fabus (team photographer): “After winning his first Super Bowl Ben Roethlisberger and his family was invited to Switzerland. He took me along to take pictures of the trip. It was a great time. He was very friendly – we had a few drinks together in the hotel – we stayed in the same hotel. They put us up in 5-Star hotels all around the country. I followed them around and stayed out of their way – I didn’t want to be in their way. But it was a lot of fun.”
Dallas Baker: “I’d go to Ben’s (Roethlisberger’s) house and go on his go-carts and zipline. The coaches and players liked me and took care of me. I was like a little brother to them.”
Todd Haley: “The friction thing was overblown. We’d play golf and go out to dinner together. It was tough at the beginning for sure – he and Bruce {Arians| were very close. But I had nothing to do with Bruce leaving. My only regret is in not talking to Ben sooner about implementing the new offense – not talking to him right away. I didn’t understand his sensitivity to losing a good friend in Bruce. But we had a good relationship and had fun together too. I enjoyed it there and being with him.”
Zamir Cobb: “Ben seemed to provide a breath of fresh air. His unwavering enthusiasm was contagious and his energy provided a spark. After Ben proved he could play, the adjustment by the vets is best described as fluid.”
Vance McDonald: “We were also invited to Ben and Ashley’s house and we did Bible study together and became friends. It was great – when I got there I could really see him grow as a leader – it was cool to see. It spoke volumes to his character. Everyone knows what a competitor he is. But it really shows his character – he went above and beyond with his kind of leadership.”
Justin Hunter: “If you were a new guy, Ben would test you. He’d tell you he was going to come to you to see what you got – to throw it to use to see what we could handle. It was a lot of pressure, but as a receiver you want the ball. You want him to say that.”
Peter Gergely (Steelers Producer): “Oh yeah – I went to Switzerland with Michael Fabus and Ben’s family to film his trip with his family. There I was with Ben drinking beer on top of a mountain! We went to Berne and watched these big bearded men play this weird version of golf – but imagine eight-foot long flexible clubs and hitting this hockey-puck looking thing that sits on a tee. They had to hit targets held by guys far away, and of course the first guy nailed it!
We all ate bratwurst and watched guys mud-wrestle then went to a castle and ate a six-course dinner. A row of servers came in with big silver platters and I looked at Ben and he just lost it and started laughing, and I lost it then too. We apologized to the servers and told them the food was amazing!
After that we took a train to another mountain and went to the Aletsch Glacier in Jungfrau – the highest peak in Switzerland I think. In the glacier there’s a hollowed-out area where I did curling with Ben, then after Ben rode on a dog sled.”
Bruce Gradkowski: “Watching Ben was fun too – he’s such an amazing player and I was happy to play my part and be a good teammate and to make sure I was ready if needed.”
Terence Garvin: “Ben – he’s special. He was the Mahomes style of play before there was a Mahomes.”
Eli Rogers: “One recent memory was the opportunity to go to Ben’s house and experience his life an spend time with him. To bond and connect with him as a person. We shared some good times and talks – I’m very thankful for that memory. That always stays in the center of my mind.”
Derek Moye: “He pushed guys a lot. He’s been to the highest points in the game – winning Super Bowls. He knows what it takes to win. He held everyone accountable – whether you were a lineman, receiver, running back…”