Getting Personal With Big Ben
ABOUT A YEAR AGO, THE NATION WAS INTRODUCED TO BEN ROETHLISBERGER: THE FOOTBALL PLAYER. WHIRL INTRODUCES BEN ROETHLISBERGER: THE PERSON
It's around 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning, and already Pittsburgh Steelers 2004 rookie quarterback sensation Ben Roethlisberger has signed countless autographs. But just like his demeanor on the gridiron, he shows no signs of slowing down. The room at the Marriott City Center Downtown - where the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is holding its "Breakfast with the Champions" event, and Roethlisberger is the keynote speaker, and 2005 Athlete Champion Award recipient - is beginning to empty before the breakfast. The autograph signing is almost wrapped up when a tiny, charismatic little boy dressed in black dress pants, a white dress shirt, and a red tie walks in with his grandmother. "We're looking for Ben!" exclaims 4-year-old Christian Arthrell.
Those in the room - staff members of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, photographers, Roethlisberger's agent, and myself - all laugh and let the child know he's in the right place, pointing to the table that Big Ben is sitting behind. The child walks up to him, says hello, and hands him a poster to autograph. Roethlisberger makes small talk with him, asking his name and how old he is. Then, he comments on little Christian's tie.
Christian looks down at it and tells his hero that his grandma got it for him. The two pose for a picture, and Christian hams it up for the camera, all the while talking to Roethlisberger as though he has known him all his life and then some.
At the age of 4, Christian is already in the know - mention the name Ben Roethlisberger, anywhere, and a conversation immediately starts. His accomplishments on the field will be mentioned, plays recapped, records and statistics spouted off as though they were multiplication tables. Sure, it's well-known that Roethlisberger's talent is amazing, that at age 23, he's got the world at his fingertips, and that the Pittsburgh Steelers are quite possibly the luckiest team in the National Football League to have him. He's the first quarterback since Terry Bradshaw in 1970 to be selected by the Steelers in the first round, he has set several new NFL records, breaking two of Dan Marino's - Highest Completion Percentage in a Rookie Season and Rookie Season Passer Rating - and he's taken our football team further than we've gone in years. But what is he like when the uniform comes off?
At this point, it's nearly time to enter the ballroom for the breakfast to begin. Christian and his grandmother walk out into the lobby area, where Roethlisberger joins them a few minutes later as he, too, is on the same path to the ballroom for the Breakfast of Champions. Again, Christian is chatting it up and taking pictures with Roethlisberger. Though he knows who Ben Roethlisberger is, it seems Christian has no idea that the size of his celebrity is much, much, larger than the quarterback's immense 6'5", 242 lb. frame. But then again, neither does Ben Roethlisberger.
You went straight from college to the NFL. How did you handle the success?
I credit a lot of it to my parents, you know, being raised the way I was. My teammates, the guys around me are amazing - the players and the coaches. I get a lot of the credit and I don't deserve it all. My teammates deserve so much credit; more credit than they get. So it's easy for me just to pass it on to them.
On television you are very poised; you handle the camera very well. What kind of media grooming did you have before you started playing?
I never did anything like that. Like I said, my parents just brought me up to respect people. You know, use your head. I get a lot of my training from my father. My father was always the same exact way: calm, never gets riled up. So I probably get a lot of that from him.
Do you rely on the advice of others when you are doing public appearances?
I love to get others' opinions on anything. I may use it; I may not. But for the most part, I just try to go out and be me. Because I don't want to be anything but me, and if I use exactly what someone else says, then I'm not being me. So I take their advice and listen to it and try to incorporate it in the best way that I can.
Have you encountered any unexpected situations in the past year since you have been getting all this attention?
Um, like being thrown into a starting position? Playing last year obviously was a bit unexpected. I didn't plan on playing. But then an opportunity came and I did and from then on it's just [snowballing]. Just from unexpectedness to playing to the celebrity - if you will - style of people always knowing wherever you go. We [my friends and I] always joke around and call it the rock-star phenomena.
So are you able to lead a normal life? Or is it one of those things where you are walking down the street and everyone notices you?
I still live my normal life, pretty much. I still hang out with my friends and do the things I want to do, I just may not be able to do as much as I want to. But it's better that people know who you are and like you.
What has it been like for you to live here, in Pittsburgh?It's been basically a step up from Findlay, Ohio. It's one state over, a couple hours. It's a blue-collar town just like where I come from. It's just a bigger version of Findlay, which is good. It's not like I am going to this huge city or Southern California; I don't think I would fit in in Southern California. I am a blue-collared guy, a hard worker, and this is the city that's perfect for me. The transition has been easy. Being only four hours away, my parents can come to every game, and they can come over here for a weekend if they want to stay. It's not like they have to get on a plane and fly. So I am blessed that I went to school close to home, and when I play professionally, I'm close to home.
When you are on the road, how do you handle being away from them?
They go to most games, so it's great. I've been blessed with a great family. The only thing that slows them down now is my sister playing volleyball and basketball. So sometimes they may not be able to make it or she may not be able to make it. That's the only time I can think of, and I try to support her the best I can.
Is she in high school?
Yes, she's a sophomore in high school.
What have you been doing in the off-season?
[I've been] doing a little bit of traveling, making some appearances, playing golf, trying to relax. I just let my mind and body be free and try to get ready so I'm 100 percent for this season.
What relaxes you?
Golf, watching movies, riding motorcycles - stuff like that just helps [me] get out and relax.
What kind of movies do you like?
Oh, I am a movie fanatic. I've got hundreds of DVD's; I watch everything.
And do you ride your motorcycle around here?
Sometimes. I try to get out of the city into the country where I feel you are free.
What are your favorite places in Pittsburgh for going out?
I don't go out a lot as much as a lot of people think. But when I do go out, like I said, I love movies. I go out to movies. I love P.F. Chang's. I love food - that probably shows. So any restaurants; I love all kinds of restaurants.
What has been the hardest thing for you to learn during your first year here at Pittsburgh?
The hardest thing to learn - our offense? I think just learning and adapting to this new lifestyle and how fast it came on. It wasn't a gradual process. It was just like, BAM! So I think just trying to learn to adapt to what had been thrown at me.
How did you get involved in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society?
They called my agent and asked if I would be present at this event, and they were going to give me an award. I get invited to a lot of events and functions and stuff, but it's hard to go to them all. And this was an opportunity for me to come to a great event for a great cause and show my support.
Ryan Tollner [your agent] said you get nervous when you have to do public speaking, but you do such a good job at it. How do you overcome that?
Well, thank you. It gets easier now that I have been playing, and I kind of just take the approach that no matter what I say people will probably like me, as long as I don't act like an idiot or something. I just take the approach of going up there and being calm. I actually get more nervous doing those things than I do playing football - just because it's not what I am used to doing. But I just go up there and speak from the heart.
Have you been involved in any charities in the past?
Well, it's my first year, so I haven't had a lot of time to do it. We are in the process now of seeing what charities and foundations we want to get involved with and like [the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society]. We will definitely consider it and helping others like this one.
Are there any causes you are particularly interested in?
Well, cancer was one because one of my very good friends had cancer. So that's obviously a big [cause] of mine. I love sports and kids, so another thought was maybe helping kids get involved in sports who maybe aren't able to do it, or Toys for Tots, something like that.
You have done a lot of interviews in the past year, I'm sure. What has been the hardest question to answer?
I don't know if there's a necessarily hard question; I get the same questions a lot. You know, that's always tough when you just get the repetitiveness of questions. People always ask whom I like better, Hines [Ward] or Plex [Plaxico Burress]. Or, they ask which running back is better; people always want to try and cause controversy. So whenever you get controversial questions, it's difficult.
What's one thing you have not been asked yet that you wish you would have been?
I've been asked everything. There are very few questions I want to be asked.
Are you a music guy at all? Do you have an iPod?
I have, like, five iPods. Every event I go to, they seem to have them because it's the new thing, and they give them out. I have them sitting at home in boxes, so I give them out all the time to friends and family.
So you don't have one filled up with "Ben's Playlist"?
No, I want to. I am supposed to send one to a very good friend of mine who is in the music industry, and he said he would fill it up for me. But I haven't gotten around to it yet.
I just read that you are dating professional golfer Natalie Gulbis. Do you want to comment on that?"
No, that's OK.
How do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Hopefully in a Steelers uniform, with a couple Super Bowl Rings - a couple being four or five. Just enjoying Pittsburgh, enjoying my life. Hopefully married, having kids. Still having fun playing football. Have all my friends and family around me. Doing interviews for WHIRL magazine.