Age: 22
College: Miami
(OH)
Height: 6’5” Weight: 242
Prelude:
Roethlisberger
passed for 10,829 yards and 80 touchdowns in three collegiate seasons and Miami
reached the Mid-American Conference Championship in his junior year. He entered
the NFL draft and was chosen by the Steelers in the first round (11th
overall, and the third quarterback) and, when QB Tommy Maddox went down with an
injury in the second game, “Big Ben” moved into the lineup.
2004 Season Summary
Appeared and
started in 14 of 16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Passing
Attempts – 295
Most
attempts, game – 28 at NY Giants 12/18
Completions –
196
Most
completions, game – 21 at Dallas 10/17
Yards – 2621
Most yards,
game – 316 at NY Giants 12/18
Completion
percentage – 66.4 [4]
Yards per
attempt – 8.9 [2]
TD passes – 17
[19, tied with Vinny Testaverde]
Most TD
passes, game – 2 on six occasions
Interceptions
– 11 [18, tied with Daunte Culpepper, Kyle Boller & Patrick Ramsey]
Most
interceptions, game – 2 at Baltimore 9/19, vs. NY Jets 12/12, at NY Giants
12/18
Passer rating
– 98.1 [5]
300-yard
passing games – 1
200-yard
passing games – 4
Rushing
Attempts – 56
Most
attempts, game – 9 (for 16 yds.) at Cincinnati 11/21
Yards – 144
Most yards,
game – 40 yards (on 3 carries) at Jacksonville 12/5
Yards per
attempt – 2.6
TDs – 1
Scoring
TDs – 1
Points – 6
Postseason: 2
G
Pass attempts
– 54
Most
attempts, game – 30 vs. NY Jets, AFC Divisional playoff
Pass
completions – 31
Most
completions, game - 17 vs. NY Jets, AFC Divisional playoff
Passing
yardage – 407
Most yards,
game – 226 vs. New England, AFC Championship
TD passes – 3
Most TD
passes, game – 2 vs. New England, AFC Championship
Interceptions
– 5
Most
interceptions, game – 3 vs. New England, AFC Championship
Rushing
attempts – 9
Most rushing
attempts, game – 5 vs. New England, AFC Championship
Rushing yards
– 75
Most rushing
yards, game – 45 vs. New England, AFC Championship
Average gain
rushing – 8.3
Rushing TDs –
0
Awards & Honors:
NFL Rookie of
the Year: League/Pepsi, Sporting News
NFL Offensive
Rookie of the Year: AP, PFWA
AFC Rookie of
the Year: UPI, NEA, Sporting News
Steelers went
15-1 to place first in the AFC North with the conference’s best record while
leading the AFC in rushing yards (2464). Won AFC Divisional playoff over New
York Jets (20-17). Lost AFC Championship to New England Patriots (41-27).
Aftermath:
Roethlisberger
missed time with a knee injury in 2005 but led the league in yards per attempt
(8.9), yards per completion (14.2), and TD percentage (6.3 on his 17 TD
passes), and the Steelers won the Super Bowl. In so doing, he became the
youngest Super Bowl-winning quarterback. Big and mobile with a strong arm, Roethlisberger
also benefited from having a solid running attack and defense as he developed
his considerable skills. It was tougher going in 2006 as he was injured in an
offseason motorcycle accident and also suffered from appendicitis. The result
was 3513 passing yards and 18 TDs, but also a league-leading 23 interceptions
and the Steelers dropped to 8-8. He bounced back with a Pro Bowl year in ’07 in
which he threw for 32 touchdowns and a 104.1 rating, and showed great toughness
as he also took many hits – often due to his penchant for holding the ball
until the last possible moment. Roethlisberger led the Steelers to another NFL
Championship in 2008 as he showed outstanding late-game clutch ability and
achieved career highs (thus far) with 4328 passing yards and a 66.6 completion
percentage in ’09, although off-field issues caused him to be suspended for the
first four games of the 2010 season. He played well upon his return, giving up
just five interceptions while once again leading the NFL in yards per completion
(13.3) and the Steelers won the AFC title. Roethlisberger was chosen to the Pro
Bowl for a second time in 2011 after passing for 4077 yards but a high ankle
sprain limited his mobility in a losing postseason game and a shoulder injury
hindered his play in 2012 as he was also asked to refine his style of play with
a rebuilding team. He stayed healthy for the full year in ’13 and passed for
4261 yards and 28 TDs. Overall, through the 2013 season Roethlisberger has
thrown for 34,105 yards and 219 touchdowns with a 92.6 rating. The Steelers
have been 98-50 during his regular season starts and 10-4 in the playoffs, with
two NFL titles.
--
Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie
of the Year in the NFL (including NFC/AFC), AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by
a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper
Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the
league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year).
The first real elite franchise QB that the Steelers have had since the glory days of Terry Bradshaw (Malone, O'Donnell, Stewart, and Maddox need not apply). Definitely future HOF material, so long as he keeps his personal life and habits in check.
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