Ben Roethlisberger

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Roethlisberger led the Steelers to a second Super Bowl title in four seasons in Super Bowl XLIII. In 2011, his third Super Bowl appearance, the Steelers lost in Super Bowl XLV. Upon retirement, he ranked 5th all-time in NFL career passing yards (64,088), 8th all-time in touchdowns (418), and 5th in completions (5,440) among quarterbacks with a minimum of 1,500 career attempts. He also had the fourth-highest career winning percentage (.710) as a starter in the regular season among quarterbacks with a minimum of 100 starts and was one of only six quarterbacks in NFL history to have beaten at least 31 of the current 32 NFL teams. Known for playing outside the passing pocket in what he calls "backyard football", Roethlisberger grew up idolizing John Elway and has often been compared to him, wearing number 7 in his honor.

In Their Own Story

At Findlay High School in Findlay, Ohio, Roethlisberger was captain of the Trojans' football, basketball, and baseball teams. He did not play quarterback until his senior year, giving way to the coach's son, Ryan Hite. Instead, Roethlisberger played wide receiver. "I'm a nationally known knucklehead in many people's eyes," Hite conceded in a 2004 interview to the Toledo Blade, but insisted his decision had not been an act of nepotism. "We did a bunch of drills and my son throwing to Ben was a better combination," he said. Ken Roethlisberger, a former Georgia Tech quarterback, never publicly criticized Hite, stating, "It was a coach's call. You make good ones, you make bad ones. And I'm not even saying this was a bad one."

Reader's Guide

Roethlisberger played college quarterback at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. After being redshirted in 2000, he made his collegiate debut against Michigan in 2001, completing 18 of 35 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns in a 31–13 loss. Against Akron, he broke the school single-game passing record with 399 passing yards, with 70 of those yards coming on a Hail Mary to Eddie Tillitz to win 30–27 as time expired. He finished his first year with 3,105 passing yards, 241 completions, and 25 touchdown completions while leading the RedHawks to a 7–5 record. In 2002, he broke the MAC single-game record for passing yards in a 48–41 loss against Northern Illinois on October 12 when he threw for 525 yards and four touchdowns. In 2003, he led Miami to an unbeaten record in the MAC, 12 consecutive wins, a #10 ranking in the Associated Press poll, and a 49–28 victory over Louisville in the 2003 GMAC Bowl. He finished with a conference-leading 343 completions, 4,486 passing yards, and 37 passing touchdowns, and was named MAC Offensive Player of the Year. His jersey number 7 was retired by the RedHawks during homecoming on October 13, 2007.

Did You Know?

• Roethlisberger became the youngest Super Bowl–winning quarterback in NFL history at age 23, winning Super Bowl XL in his second season.
• He is one of only six quarterbacks in NFL history to have beaten at least 31 of the current 32 NFL teams.
• At Findlay High School, Roethlisberger did not play quarterback until his senior year, instead playing wide receiver because the coach's son, Ryan Hite, was the quarterback.
• His jersey number 7 was retired by the Miami RedHawks during homecoming on October 13, 2007, the first time in 34 years Miami retired a football jersey number.
• The Steelers almost didn't select Roethlisberger in the 2004 draft, but owner Dan Rooney overrode head coach Bill Cowher and director Kevin Colbert to pick him.