Too much, too soon… The rise and fall of Big Ben

When Ben Roethlisberger came out of college he was a wonder at the quarterback position, he was big and physical, had a cannon for an arm and also had a never say die attitude when he took the field. For the Steelers they were looking for a quarterback someone that could lead them to the Promised Land and Roethlisberger fit the mold. He was the classic Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback, big, tough and a winning attitude, now we all know that in the Steel city they like their players rough and tough and the quarterback position is no exception, as the Steelers drafted Big Ben they got exactly what they had hoped for…a proven winner that makes the players around him better. Roethlisberger did wonders in his first couple of years in the NFL, bringing championships to Pittsburgh, rallying the team around him and truly becoming what the team needed a leader. In his first season in Pittsburgh he was the AP NFL offensive rookie of the year and in just his second season he was the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl but somewhere something went wrong.

Not that Ben has had problems on the field it is his off the field issues that are catching up to him. In 2006 he was in a near fatal motorcycle accident (and to be honest he was never the same after this accident), in 2008 he had sexual assault allegations in Lake Tahoe and now in 2010 another sexual assault allegation this time in Milledgeville, Georgia. For the first 4 games of this NFL season Roethlisberger will be suspended a judgment made by Commissioner Roger Goddell as he was in violation to the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

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After seeing and hearing all this it made me wonder was it all just too much too soon for Big Ben. Did the bright lights and the big expectations get to him? We often forget that these are college kids being thrust into the limelight of professional sports where many fans worship these players. Should Roethlisberger have known better? You would have hoped that with his time in the league he would have understood the dangers and how there is always a target on his back, especially someone like him. How often do we see it, many players just can’t handle what has been given to them and they find themselves lost in the shuffle of the NFL and they never recover. Big Ben has an opportunity to bounce back (he has had many opportunities) but can he do it? Can he overcome those things that have plagued his past, in order for him to have a brighter future he must understand he is an NFL star and he has to surround himself with better people, he must always think and understand his actions not only affect him but also his team. Can Ben Roethlisberger do it, I don’t know only time will tell but know this he will be the most watched man off the field for a long time to come.

By: Sam Adams
Pro Football Fans Staff Writer