Ben Roethlisberger has ended his 18-year career in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers. “The time has come to clean out my locker, hang up my cleats, and keep being the best I can be for my wife and kids.” I leave soccer as a man who is very thankful.
With the eleventh overall pick in 2004, the Steelers chose Ben Roethlisberger. He was named Offensive Rookie of the Year in his first season with the league.
During his time in Pittsburgh, he won two Super Bowl rings in 2005 and 2008, and he was chosen for the Pro Bowl six times.
As a player, Ben Roethlisberger was known for his toughness and dedication. He quickly became a big part of the Steelers’ success under coaches Invoice Cowher and later Mike Tomlin.
In his first season, he was the backup to Tommy Maddox for the first game of the season, but he started in the second game. From there, he led the team to a 13-0 record on their way to the AFC Championship game, which they lost to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
Being a rookie caller on an experienced offense where he wasn’t asked to be the offensive leader was hard for him. Jerome Bettis, a former teammate and running back in the Hall of Fame who now works for the NFL Network, said that.
“It was hard for him because you wanted him to be a leader on the field, but when he came off the field, he was a rookie again.” He did a great job with it. We have been able to keep going, and we leaned on him.
By the end of the year, he was a veteran because he had been thru a lot. The things he was able to do and how he played like a veteran in his first season were just amazing. He had a problem, but he was able to face it head on and do a very important job.
At the same time, the Steelers made the playoffs 12 times with the help of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The team also won eight AFC North Championships, played in five AFC Championship games, and went to three Super Bowls.
He became the youngest quarterback to win a Tremendous Bowl when the team won Tremendous Bowl XL at the age of 23. He also became the second-youngest quarterback to win a second Tremendous Bowl when the Steelers won Tremendous Bowl XLIII at the age of 25.
The 39-year-old quarterback retires near the top of most quarterback statistics in what is likely to be a Hall of Fame career.
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He’s fifth in NFL history with 5,440 pass completions and fifth with 64,088 passing yards. Only Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, and Brett Favre are ahead of him.
“I don’t know how to put into words how much the game of football has meant to me and how much it has been a blessing to me.” Sport has given me so much, and I’m so grateful for everything it has done for me.
As he said, “The journey has been thrilling, shaped by relationships, and driven by the spirit of competition.” Soccer has been a gift, and I want to thank God for letting me play it. I’m grateful. With love and honor, they surround me with people who are nice.
