Did that headline grab your attention? Mine too. In a recent interview on NFL Live with Merril Hoge, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger admitted that his tumultuous offseason of legal trouble and public scrutiny led him to contemplate quitting the game. I have yet to see the interview, so it’s not clear the context of the statement. It sure seems to contradict what I’ve heard out of Big Ben this summer – that above all else, this whole ordeal made him realize how much he loved football.
“There was a time when I was going through all this that I contemplated not playing anymore. I didn’t want to be Big Ben anymore. And I know that’s what goes along with being No. 7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Roethlisberger said on NFL Live. “So part of me, I can admit didn’t want to play anymore. And go coach or do something else.”
Roethlisberger says his love of football and teammates ultimately made it impossible to stay away.
Did Roethlisberger really contemplate quitting, or was he just trying to be candid and forthright about just how difficult it was for him to be cast as the bad guy around the country? We’ll never know, I suppose. For now, let’s just get this debut out of the way so that Roethlisberger can stay away from the mic and focus on leading his team to a seventh Super Bowl.