Ben Roethlisberger was almost always an amazing athlete. At Findley High School in Findlay, Ohio, Ben was captain of his high school’s Football, Baseball, and Basketball teams, although he did not play quarterback until his senior year. His position was wide receiver.
Not only was Ben gifted, but he has been known as “Big Ben” for many years, as Ben grew into a 6 foot five inch, 240 bruiser.
Then in college, at Miami University, ranked as a fantastic school by all indicators, Ben grew in stature. Although he was red-shirted as a freshman, by his sophomore year he stepped into excellence, and by the third and fourth year, Ben was exceeding all expectations.
So great was his play that in 2004, when he stepped into the pros, Ben was not only the Pittsburgh Steeler’s first pick, but he signed a 6-year contract worth millions in salary and bonuses.
And Ben did not disappoint. While most rookie quarterbacks get a couple of years in the league to acclimate, shortly after the start of his rookie NFL season, the Steeler’s primary quarterback became injured, and Ben stepped in.
As always, Ben Roethlisberger stepped into the role with unparalleled grace, and led the Steelers to 13 consecutive wins, taking them all the way to the AFC championship game.
Two years later, Ben led the Steelers to become the Super Bowl Champions, a feat that the Steelers accomplished twice under his storied 18-year career.
Yet Ben Roethlisberger, despite the accolades, is a fairly humble man. Married, with children, and a devoted Christian, he loves to give back.
One of Ben’s favorite activities is to be actively involved in the Make-A-Wish Foundation, having personally met several kids in their fight against terminal diseases.
Another philanthropy effort that Ben was involved in is paying back his alma mater by donating substantial money to create an indoor sports center.
However, the charity with the biggest impact has been his own family charity which assists fire departments and police departments with grants to acquire and train service dogs. The family charity has sponsored hundreds of service dogs, a quiet but fantastic charity that has ultimately impacted thousands and which to the family is more valuable than all of Ben’s accolades in football. See this article for additional information.
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