Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr., in short, Ben Roethlisberger is a professional football quarterback. The American athlete currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). The 6 foot and 5-inch giant athlete is also ranked as the 7th best passer in NFL career passing yards.
Roethlisberger, nicknamed "Big Ben," is considered one of the best quarterbacks in the world. He has won two Super Bowls and six Pro Bowls with his team. With various awards and titles to his name, the Steelers's no. 7 is the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl at 23 when Pittsburgh defeated Seattle Seahawks in 2006. Let's look at Big Ben's biography in brief.
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Early life And Education
Ben Roethlisberger was born on 2nd March 1982 in Lima, Ohio, to Kenneth Todd "Ken" Roethlisberger and Ida Jane Foust. Ben Roethlisberger's father is a former quarterback and pitcher which means he inherited some talents. According to some sources, Roethlisberger's parents were having difficulty maintaining their relationship when Ben was born. His biological parents divorced when he was two, with his father getting his custody.
Sadly Ben Roethlisberger's mother Ida died in a tragic car accident when he was eight. Although his birth mother didn't get much time with her son, his stepmother Brenda Roethlisberger would fill the motherly love for him while he was a child. He also has a younger sister Carlee Roethlisberger.
High School
His athletic ability became apparent when he was in his high school years. Growing up in Findlay, he attended Findlay High School. At the time, he was slim but got the chance to captain various sports teams in football, basketball, and baseball. It wasn't until 1999 when coach Cliff Hite made him the team's first-choice quarterback. During the year, he was a runner-up for Mr. Football honors in Ohio.
Ben Roethlisberger holding basketball, baseball gloves and football in Findlay High School. Photo Source: Ben Roethlisberger's Facebook
By scoring seven touchdowns, a young Ben was named the Toledo Blade Player of the Year. In basketball, he played as a senior point guard and a shortstop in his baseball team.
College Career
After finishing high school, Ben enrolled at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in 2000 and graduated with a bachelor's degree in science education. In 2001, he debuted against Michigan, where he completed 18 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns.
Ben Roethlisberger as quarterback for Miami RedHawks during early 2000. Photo Source: Instagram / dailybigben7.
Here are some of his Miami Red Hawks' Statistics :
| Passing | Rushing | |||||
| Year | GP | Cmp | YDS | Att | Yds | TD |
| 2001 | 12 | 241 | 3,105 | 120 | 189 | 3 |
| 2002 | 12 | 271 | 3,238 | 82 | 54 | 1 |
| 2003 | 14 | 342 | 4,486 | 67 | 111 | 3 |
Ben Roethlisberger Miami Redhawks Records
- Most games in a season with 200+ yards passing - 14
- Most pass completion in a game - 41
- Most Passing Yards in career - 10,829
- Most Passing Yards in a season - 4,486
- Most passing touchdowns in a season - 37 on 2003 season
- Most 400+ yard passing games - 4
- and many more.
Professional Career
After three successful seasons in Miami RedHawks, Roethlisberger was hoping to be drafted early on NFL. However, Ole Miss' El Manning and Philip Rivers were put forth to that of Ben. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected him as the highest-drafted quarterback during the pick afterward. All three went on to have a lengthy and successful career in their respective teams. Roethlisberger is still active on NFL, whereas Manning and Rivers's have retired.
On the 4th of August, Roethlisberger signed a six-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. His first career touchdown came in his debut match against the Ravens. His first win came when he started for the team against Miami Dolphins.
On October 31, 2004, Roethlisberger played one of his biggest games which was a match against defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, who also were undefeated. He led his team to victory and ended their opposition's long winning streak. He completed 18 out of 24 pass attempts for 196 yards, two touchdowns, and no turnovers. In the Divisional Round, Roethlisberger helped the Steelers to the AFC Championship for the fourth time in 10 years.
In the 2005 season, Ben was on the road to his first Super Bowl championship with Pittsburgh Steelers. With a win over Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, and Denver Broncos, the Steelers advanced in Super Bowl XL.
On February 5, 2006, the Pittsburg Steelers won Super Bowl XL with a 21-20 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Detroit.
Ben suffered a serious off-season motorbike accident which resulted in a slow start of the 2006 season. Although sidelined for his first few games, Ben started in a big game against the Kansas City Chiefs. He completed 16 out of 19 passes for 238 yards with two touchdowns during a 45-7 win over the chiefs. Steelers were having a great run until Ben suffered a concussion with a controversial hit by Falcons defense Patrick Kerney which eventually led Steelers to lose the game. However, they had a good end to the season when Roethlisberger helped the team with some slant passes.
In 2007, Steelers opened the season with their new coach Mike Tomlin after Bill Cowher's departure in the previous season. In a game against Cleveland Browns, Roethlisberger threw four touchdown passes in a single game for the first time in his NFL career. He became one of two quarterbacks in 2007 and 5th since 1970 to throw five touchdowns in the first half. Roethlisberger's selection to his first Pro Bowl was not a surprise to anyone because of his passing, touchdowns, and interception abilities.
Steelers defeated San Diego Chargers and the Baltimore Ravens in AFC championships pursuing the Super Bowl XLIII.
On February 1, 2009, Super Bowl XLIII was held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Ben Roethlisberger showed great leadership in the game against Arizona Cardinals when he led Steelers with a passer rating of 93.2, finishing 21 out of 30 for 256 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. The game ended with one of the most dramatic victories when Ben and the Steelers came back from a trailing score to win the game.
Ben had a rough start to the 2009 season with losses and minor injuries. He soon picked up the pace, finished the season with 4,328 yards, 26 touchdowns, and a 100.5 passer rating. He was also voted as team MVP by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
After being suspended for the first four games under the rules of the NFL, Roethlisberger had a good season and also appeared in his third super bowl in the 2010 season. In an AFC Championship game against New York Jets, Ben rushed for a touchdown, building a 24-0 lead for the Steelers. He then secured the victory with a 14-yard pass to his teammate Antonio Brown.
In Super Bowl XLV, Pittsburgh Steelers was up against Green Bay Packers. The Steelers gave their opponent a tough competition but failed to clinch the victory at the dying moments. This was the first Super Bowl loss of Ben Roethlisberger.
In 2012, Roethlisberger was ranked 61st by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2013. Roethlisberger had 28 touchdowns in 16 games the following season, covering 4,261 yards as the Steelers finished 8-8. He was ranked 31st on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014.
From 2013 till date, he has been consistently breaking records with his quarterback roles for Pittsburgh Steelers. With some injuries and controversies along the way, the legendary quarterback is still his team's backbone and mentor.
Here are some of the NFL records of Ben Roethlisberger
- Most wins in a regular season by a rookie QB (2004)
- Most wins in first five NFL seasons as a starting quarterback
- First Quarterback to start two Conference Championship matches in first two seasons in NFL (2004 and 2005)
- Youngest Quarterback to ever win the Super Bowl (2005)
- Most consecutive 6+ touchdown pass games (2
- Most touchdown passes in consecutive games (12)
- Most career 500+ yard passing games (4)
- Most completion in a regular or post-season game
With over 15 seasons of experience as a professional footballer, Roethlisberger has also successfully achieved many individual accomplishments. Here are some of his most significant career records.
- Highest passer rating (93.8) and completion percentage (64.1%) in a minimum of 20 attempts
- Most pass attempts (6,434)
- Most pass completed (4,122)
- Most consecutive seasons of 3,000-yard passes (2006 to 2008)
- Most 6+ touchdown passing games (2)
- Most 4th quarter comeback wins (32)
- Most games with 30+ pass completion (22)
Family and Children
Apart from football, he has a sweet family of four. Ben Roethlisberger got married on July 23, 2011, to Ashley Harlan. According to ESPN, Ben's wedding was held in a private ceremony. Roethlisberger and Harlin took oaths in a local church in Ohio where guests came on expensive cars with tinted windows, leaving no clue to their identity.
Ben Roethlisberger with his family on Christmas. Photo Source: Ben Roethlisberger's Facebook.
The couple welcomed their first son Benjamin Roethlisberger Jr. (Ben Jr.) in 2012, their daughter Baylee Roethlisberger in 2014, and their second son Bodie Roethlisberger in 2016. With three children, the Roethlisberger couple has been living an exemplary life in Sewickley Heights, Pennsylvania.
Ben Roethlisberger's Net Worth, Salaries, and Investments
With 15 years of a professional career in the NFL, the legendary quarterback has secured an abundant amount of wealth through various endorsements, salary, bonuses, and incentives. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Ben Roethlisberger has a net worth of $100 Million.
Salary and Bonuses
Since his draft in 2004, Ben Roethlisberger has earned more than $250 million in salary and bonuses. According to Sportskeeda, Roethlisberger has earned $22,260,000 in his first 6-year contract deal with Pittsburgh Steelers, including a signing bonus of $600,000. From 2008 to 2015, he signed another contract of $87,986,500 with a signing bonus of $25,200,000. His current contract was signed in 2019 and had a clause of $68,000,000 payout, including a signing bonus of $37,500,000, making him a Steeler until the end of 2022. His average salary under the current contract is about $34,000,000.
Endorsements
Apart from salaries, Ben Roethlisberger also receives a substantial amount from endorsements. Numerous renowned brands such as Nike, Sprint, Panini, Fanatics, and Upper Deck have collaborated with the famous footballer. According to Sportskeeda, Roethlisberger's endorsement income adds up to $3 million annually.
Investments and Real Estate
Ben Roethlisberger is also an investor. He has invested $11 million in NeoLight. Also, he established his own barbecue sauce named Big Ben's BBQ. Also, Ben was the face of a famous American company, Big Ben which PLB sponsored. However, due to sexual assault allegations in 2010, sponsors terminated his contract.
With millions of dollars of net worth, Roethlisberger has also added some remarkable properties to his name. In his career with the Steelers, he purchased a home for $475,000 and later sold it at $114,500. Soon after, he bought another home in Gibson, Pennsylvania. Ben paid $2.2 million for the property. Adding various luxury features in the house, he put it back for sale in 2019 with an asking price of $2.7 million. Later, he settled for $2.2 million for the house.
Ben Roethlisberger spending time with his daughter Baylee and son Bodie in their luxurious home. Photo Source: Ben Roethlisberger's Facebook.
Ben Roethlisberger also has a lake house on his asset list. Purchased at $2.2 million, Roethlisberger's lake abode lies on the coast side of Lake Oconee. Furthermore, he purchased a 2-acre plot of land in Sewickley Heights, Pennsylvania, for $2 million, with other famous athletes such as Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby and Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux. He built a huge custom mansion with luxury features on the vacant land. The massive mansion spans a staggering 22,464 sq. ft. of living space. It looks like Ben has a financial relationship with the number 2.
Besides, he has piled up different models of expensive cars in his garage. Worth nearly $4 million, the car collection is comprised of Ferrari, Hummer, and an Alfa Romeo Disco Volante.
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Allegations
On July 17, 2009, Andrea McNulty filed a civil suit accusing Ben Roethlisberger of sexually assaulting in Lake Tahoe. The case sought in Roethlisberger compensating at least $440,000 in damages and $50,000 from Harrah's Lake Tahoe. The suit came to an end in December 2011 when both parties agreed to a settlement.
Next year, in Milledgeville, Georgia, Police investigated Roethlisberger's sexual assault in the Capital City nightclub. However, the case was dropped by the accuser due to various media attention.
Trivia and Facts
- Ben Roethlisberger grew up idolizing former quarterback John Elway and thus wears the no. 7 jerseys in his honor.
- Ben Roethlisberger started "The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation" to support police and fire departments and enhance Findlay residents' quality of life.
- In June 2006, Roethlisberger suffered a severe motorbike accident in Pittsburgh which impacted his early career as a Steeler.
- Ben vowed not to shave his beard in the midst of the corona pandemic until he could play football on the field again.
- Big Ben's Official Website: bigben7.com
