Miami Student

Issue date: 11/23/04 Section: OpEd Page

Ben Roethlisberger has done things on the field that no other NFL rookie quarterback has ever done - win his first eight starts and complete 68.8 percent of his passes - but its his off the field attributes that separate him from most NFL players. On Sunday I attended my first NFL game as a member of the media. I went to the Pittsburgh Steelers' 19-14 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium in order to write a feature story on Ben. (Shameless plug - see page 6.)I covered Ben for two seasons while he was a RedHawk and I was pleasantly surprised to see that he hasn't really changed since becoming the NFL's rookie sensation.He received $9 million when he signed his first contract at 22-years-old.He has won his first eight starts as an NFL starter, the only quarterback to do so since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970.But he didn't big time Matt Garrett (sports editor of The Miami Student) and I and blow us off after the game.Ben had so many people wanting to talk to him after the game, the Steelers put him in the press conference room - which is generally reserved for the head coach only - players are typically interviewed in the locker room.John Clayton, the NFL expert on ESPN was there. Side note: Clayton is even more tiny and dorky looking in person than he is on television. Even though it looks as if couldn't throw a football 10 yards you have to respect the man for knowing his stuff and always getting the inside scoop.Anyways, getting a question in at an NFL press conference is quite difficult. And the press conference was about the game - it was not the place to ask questions for a feature. I didn't really get the information I needed from Ben in the press conference so Garrett and I approached him in the locker room and asked him for a few minutes. He said he needed to go meet up with his family but he would answer my questions if we walked with him. Obviously, Ben didn't have to talk to us. He could have simply said, "Sorry guys, I have to go." He's the leading candidate for NFL Rookie of the Year and has been in the national media for weeks. Plus, he probably won't be seeing us again anytime soon, and we're a student newspaper that prints 9,000 copies. I appreciate that Ben didn't forget the fact that we had spent many hours covering him when he was here.In this age of professional athletes with huge heads always trying to promote themselves and look out for their own personal interests, it's nice to see an athlete (who has every reason to get a big head) who is down to earth.The only sign of his big-time status after Sunday's game was a fairly large, gaudy cross he wore around his neck, but you can't fault a guy for displaying his faith. Ben truly is religious; the cross is not just for show. His post-touchdown point to the sky is to thank God for what he has been given.Even his post-game comments, though basically 100 percent generic, show his humbleness. He's so full of his teammates that sometimes it seems as if he forgot that he has played a large role in the Steelers success. Ben landed in a perfect situation in Pittsburgh - great running game, great receivers and great defense - which has helped him succeed so early, but the Steelers probably would not be 9-1 and the best team in the NFL with Tommy Maddox at the helm.Ben also spent some time with Miami coach Terry Hoeppner and his high school coach, who has often been criticized for starting his son over Ben when Ben was a junior. Ben hasn't forgotten where he came from and hasn't let his success go to his head - at least that is the perception I have gotten. I would like to think that he truly is this way and it's not all a media act - not only because he is from Miami but because the NFL, and professional sports in general, needs some positive superstars.

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