In his eventual first-ballot Hall-of-Fame career, former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger achieved quite a bit.
Two Super Bowl championships, all-time records in Steelers’ franchise history, more than 60,000 passing yards, twice leading the NFL in passing yards in a season, six trips to the Pro Bowl, the 2004 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and more.
Despite all those accomplishments on the field, Roethlisberger never seems to get that national recognition he deserves as one of the all-time greats, due in large part to the loaded AFC at the quarterback position featuring names like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Phillip Rivers and more during his prime.
Appearing on the Alpha 5 Method podcast with former Steelers’ quarterback Bruce Gradkowski Tuesday, Roethlisberger spoke about his legacy, hoping that now with his playing days over people will give him credit for being better than they thought he was. He also said that never having a losing season as a starting quarterback, something few can claim, is as important to him as anything he accomplished.
“I always kind of figured that when I got done, I always hoped people would be like, ‘Man, he was a lot better than we gave him credit for.’ Look at this, look at this, that, whatever. Because at the end of the day, it was about winning for me, never having a losing season. To me, that’s the stat that matters,” Roethlisberger said to Gradkowski, according to video via the show’s YouTube page. “I couldn’t tell you how many touchdowns I threw. I didn’t know how many yards I threw for, but I know that I never had a losing season. I know I’ve won two Super Bowls. So, that always meant the most to me.”
From the day he stepped into the starting lineup in Week 2 of the 2004 season after Tommy Maddox’s elbow injury, Roethlisberger went on a run that was quite remarkable.
He helped lead the Steelers to 15 straight wins as a rookie and an appearance in the AFC Championship Game. The following year, he helped get the Steelers to Super Bowl XL, where Pittsburgh defeated Seattle, 21-10, for the franchise’s fifth Super Bowl title.
After that, Roethlisberger had some issues off the field that have been well-documented, from sexual assault allegations to a serious motorcycle crash that nearly claimed his life.
Funny enough though, Roethlisberger is forgetting the 2006 season when he went 7-8 as a starter. Sometimes, time and distance cloud the memory.
Fair or not, those off-the-field incidents undoubtedly clouded his reputation within the league from a talent perspective. Media members had a hard time praising a guy like Roethlisberger with the off-the-field allegations he had. But looking at the numbers alone, there is no doubt he’s one of the best ever and is a lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot.
His legacy will be complicated, especially for his detractors, but there was no better warrior on the field at the quarterback position. He fought through injuries to lead his team to victory, leaning on a backyard style of football that made the Big Ben moniker stick, leading to some special moments in his 18-year career.
He was better than he gets credit for, and the fact that he never had a losing season (sort of) as the Steelers’ starting quarterback is quite remarkable, especially playing his entire career in the AFC North and in a historic time in the NFL overall, particularly in the AFC.
Check out the full Roethlisberger interview with Gradkowski below.
