Ben Roethlisberger Press Conference Transcript Thursday February 3rd Super Bowl XLV
QUOTES FROM PITTSBURGH STEELERS PRESS CONFERENCE
QUARTERBACK BEN ROETHLISBERGER
(on why he thought it was a good idea to go out Tuesday night) “It was superstition and tradition. Tuesday night I take my linemen out to dinner and we went to a great barbeque spot. We went there and wanted to listen to some live music, so we went to a piano bar. We just had an enjoyable night.”
(on if going out Tuesday night is a tradition for the Super Bowl) “We go to dinner a lot during the regular season. The tradition for the Super Bowl is that I take the guys out one night and they get to pick. Usually it’s a steakhouse or something. They wanted to go to a barbeque place this time, so it was really good.”
(on if he feels that he is at the top of his game) “I think you always strive to get better and perform the way and the ability you want to. You either improve or deteriorate, and I never want to go backwards. I’m always trying to get better. I figure that as you become more of a veteran in this league, and you play more games, things start to slow down and get more comfortable. I think it’s kind of natural that you would start to play better football as you keep going.”
(on where he thinks he has improved the most) “I think its decision making. I’m trying to make better decisions, smarter decisions that help this team. I try not to put us in a bad situation.”
(on his relationship with Coach Tomlin) “We have a great relationship. He’s a player’s coach and I like playing for him. He’s one of the reasons we want to win football games. We are blessed to have him as our coach.”
(on how special this Super Bowl would be if they won) “Any time you get a chance to play in a Super Bowl is pretty awesome. To have a chance to win it is even that much more special because they talk about you a long time in the offseason. To lose your last game is not fun.”
(on neither Maurkice Pouncey nor Mike Tomlin not being up for postseason awards) ”That’s amazing to me because I think he should win it. It’s not because he’s my teammate. That’s sad. I didn’t know that. I knew that Coach Tomlin wasn’t in the talk for Coach of the Year, which is kind of a snub I guess. I don’t know who votes for it though, so I don’t know how to comment on that.”
(on the difference between his feelings now compared to his first Super Bowl) “It can be overwhelming. To do this every day and answer the same questions over and over can be very overwhelming. You have to find a way to kind of go to your happy place and deal with it and enjoy it. I know what Aaron is going through with it being his first time. Every time it gets a little bit easier because you know what to get used to and you know what it is. People think that its going to be a big difference for the Packers team because it is there first time, but once you get on the field and the ball is kicked off, it’s just football. You may have a little extra jitters. Aaron is a good enough player that he should be able to put that all behind him and play.”
(on why he thinks Troy Polamalu is such a threat to opposing quarterbacks) “He’s really smart. He sees things. He can cover so much ground. He practices in tennis shoes on a grass field and still makes every play. It’s truly amazing. His athleticism and everything he is able to do is amazing.”
(on his legacy) “It is kind of a tough thing to comment on because legacies are usually something that is asked when you are done. I think you can always build towards your legacy and what you want it to be. Just trying to win championships is what I am trying to do.”
(oh if he has a curfew this week and if so, what time) “We have a curfew. We have a one o’clock curfew. I heard that the crack TMZ staff that they are, they know their facts that I was out past then, but really we were home way before curfew. It’s kind of an ironic thing there. I think the first night there is no curfew and then there is curfew every other night.”
(on how he feels about the curfew) “I think a key to it is that you have to trust your guys. I honestly feel like if coach said there was no curfew any night this week, guys would still come in early and get their rest. I think it is just something to say that you have in place. We don’t want to be out doing stuff, because we want to win this game. We know how important it is.”
(on if this Super Bowl means more because of what he has been through) “This game is so huge for all of us. We want to win it. Rest is really important. For instance, last night I went to a movie and I was done and in bed by 10. You start tapering things off and going to bed early.”
(on if he feels like this Super Bowl is a chance to pay the team back for missing the first four games of the season) “I always want to win. A chance to win it is all that matters to me.”
