Ben Roethlisberger facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

"Roethlisberger" redirects here. For the surname, see Roethlisberger (surname).

Quick facts for kids
Ben Roethlisberger

Roethlisberger with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021

No. 7

Position:

Quarterback

Personal information

Born:

March 2, 1982 (age 43)
Lima, Ohio, U.S.

Height:

6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)

Weight:

240 lb (109 kg)

Career information

High school:

Findlay (Findlay, Ohio)

College:

Miami (OH) (2000–2003)

NFL Draft:

2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11

Career history

Pittsburgh Steelers (2004)

Career highlights and awards

2× Super Bowl champion (XL, XLIII)
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2004)
6× Pro Bowl (2007, 2011, 2014–2017)
2× NFL passing yards leader (2014, 2018)
PFWA All-Rookie Team (2004)
Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor
Third-team All-American (2003)
MAC Most Valuable Player (2003)
MAC Offensive Player of the Year (2003)
MAC Freshman of the Year (2001)
Miami RedHawks No. 7 retired

NFL records

Career 500-yard passing games: 4
Completions in a game: 47
Wins in a season by a rookie quarterback: 13 (tied)
Games with a perfect passer rating: 4 (tied)

Career NFL statistics

Passing attempts:	8,443
Passing completions:	5,440
Completion percentage:	64.4%
TD–INT:	418–211
Passing yards:	64,088
Passer rating:	93.5

Player stats at PFR

Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. (nicknamed "Big Ben") is a former American football quarterback. He played for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami RedHawks. The Steelers chose him in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft.

Roethlisberger won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2004. He became the youngest Super Bowl-winning quarterback in NFL history in 2006. He was 23 years old when the Steelers won Super Bowl XL. He led the Steelers to another Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XLIII in 2009. They beat the Arizona Cardinals with a game-winning touchdown pass. He also played in Super Bowl XLV in 2011, but the team lost.

He was one of the best passers in NFL history. When he retired, he ranked among the top quarterbacks for career passing yards, touchdowns, and completions. He was also known for his unique "backyard football" style of play.

Early Life and High School Football
College Football Career
Professional Career with the Steelers
Retirement
- Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger Podcast
NFL Career Statistics
Charitable Work
Personal Life
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and High School Football

Ben Roethlisberger grew up in Findlay, Ohio. At Findlay High School, he was a captain for the football, basketball, and baseball teams. He did not play quarterback until his senior year. Before that, he played as a wide receiver.

College Football Career

Roethlisberger's college number retired before a 2007 Miami game

Roethlisberger played college quarterback at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He was a "redshirt" in his first year (2000), meaning he practiced but didn't play in games.

2001 Season Highlights

In 2001, he played his first college game against Michigan. He set a school record with 399 passing yards against Akron. He also threw a "Hail Mary" pass to win that game. He broke the MAC freshman passing yardage record against Bowling Green. He finished his first year with 3,105 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. His team had a 7–5 record.

2002 Season Highlights

In 2002, Roethlisberger's team again had a 7–5 record. He broke the MAC record for single-game passing yards with 525 yards against Northern Illinois. He also set a Miami single-season record with 3,238 passing yards.

2003 Season Highlights

The 2003 season was amazing for Roethlisberger and the Miami RedHawks. After one loss, they won 12 games in a row. They were ranked #10 in the country. They also won the 2003 GMAC Bowl against Louisville. Roethlisberger set new school records with 343 completions, 4,486 passing yards, and 37 touchdowns. He was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Year.

His jersey number 7 was retired by the RedHawks in 2007. He was only the third football player in Miami history to have his number retired.

College Statistics

Season	Games		Passing							Rushing
Season	GP	Record	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/A	TD	Int	Att	Yds	Avg	TD
2000	0	—	Redshirt
2001	12	7–5	241	381	63.3	3,105	8.1	21	2	120	189	1.6	3
2002	12	7–5	271	428	63.3	3,238	7.6	22	11	82	54	0.7	1
2003	14	13–1	342	495	69.1	4,486	9.1	37	10	67	111	1.7	3
Career	38	27–11	854	1,304	65.5	10,829	8.3	80	23	269	354	1.3	7

Miami Redhawks Records

Most games in a season w/200+ yards passing – 14 (2003; NCAA record)
Consecutive games in a season w/200+ yards passing – 14 (2003; NCAA record)
Most pass attempts, career – 1,304 (2001–03)
Most pass attempts, season – 495 (2003)
Most pass completions, career – 854 (2001–03)
Most pass completions, season – 342 (2003)
Most pass completions, game – 41
Most passing yards, career – 10,829 (2001–03)
Most passing yards, season – 4,486 (2003)
Most passing yards, game – 525
Most passing touchdowns, career – 84 (2001–03)
Most passing touchdowns, season – 37 (2003)
Most passing touchdowns, game – 5
Most total offense yards, career – 11,075 (2001–03)
Most total offense yards, season – 4,597 (2003)
Most total offense yards, game – 485
Most 300+ yard passing games – 14
Most 400+ yard passing games – 4
Most games w/ 4+ touchdown passes – 7
Highest completion %, career (Min. 300 attempts) – 65.5% (2001–03)
Highest completion %, season (Min. 100 attempts) – 69.1% (2003)

Professional Career with the Steelers

Roethlisberger takes a snap against the Bengals in 2006

Ben Roethlisberger was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers as the 11th pick in the 2004 NFL draft. This made him the highest-drafted quarterback for the Steelers since Terry Bradshaw in 1970.

2004: Rookie of the Year

Roethlisberger before a game at Heinz Field

Roethlisberger signed a six-year contract with the Steelers. He started his rookie season as the third quarterback. But after injuries to other players, he became the starting quarterback. He led the Steelers to an amazing 13–0 record in games he started during the regular season. This helped the Steelers become the first AFC team to win 15 games in a season.

He was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He also led the Steelers to a big win over the New England Patriots, ending their 21-game winning streak. In the playoffs, he helped the Steelers win against the New York Jets in overtime. However, they lost the AFC Championship game to the Patriots.

2005: First Super Bowl Win

Roethlisberger signs autographs at Super Bowl XL media day

In 2005, the Steelers finished with an 11–5 record. They earned a Wild Card spot in the playoffs. Roethlisberger led them to upset wins against the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, and Denver Broncos.

Roethlisberger at the Super Bowl Parade

The Steelers won Super Bowl XL 21–10 against the Seattle Seahawks. Roethlisberger became the youngest quarterback to win the Super Bowl at 23 years old.

2006 Season

Roethlisberger missed the first game of the 2006 season due to an emergency appendectomy. He had a tough start to the season with many interceptions. However, he later had strong games, including throwing for 238 yards and two touchdowns against the Kansas City Chiefs. He also threw for a career-high 433 yards against the Denver Broncos. The Steelers missed the playoffs this season.

2007 Season and First Pro Bowl

Roethlisberger in a Steelers' throwback jersey during the 500th franchise win

In Week 1, Roethlisberger threw four touchdown passes for the first time in his NFL career. In Week 9, he threw a career-high five touchdown passes against the Baltimore Ravens. He also had a perfect 158.3 passer rating in that game. He set a Steelers record for completion percentage against the Miami Dolphins.

He broke Terry Bradshaw's team record for single-season touchdown passes with 32. Roethlisberger was selected to his first Pro Bowl. The Steelers lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.

2008: Second Super Bowl Win

Roethlisberger in 2008 prior to a game against the Tennessee Titans

In 2008, Roethlisberger signed a new eight-year contract. He led the Steelers to a 12–4 record. He helped the Steelers win close games, including an overtime victory against the Baltimore Ravens. He also set a record for most wins by a quarterback in their first five NFL seasons.

Roethlisberger (7) kneeling out the win for the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII

In Super Bowl XLIII against the Arizona Cardinals, Roethlisberger led one of the most exciting Super Bowl finishes. He led an 88-yard drive in the final minutes, throwing a six-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes with 35 seconds left. This secured the Steelers' 27–23 victory.

2009 Season

Roethlisberger during a 2008 game

In 2009, Roethlisberger had a career-high 503 passing yards against the Green Bay Packers. He threw a game-winning touchdown pass on the final play. He broke Terry Bradshaw's single-season passing yards record. He finished the season with 4,328 yards and 26 touchdowns. He was voted team MVP for the first time.

2010: Third Super Bowl Appearance

Roethlisberger returned in Week 6 after a suspension. He led the Steelers to a 9–3 record in his 12 starts. He reached 20,000 career passing yards. In the playoffs, he led game-winning drives against the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets. This sent the Steelers to Super Bowl XLV.

In Super Bowl XLV, the Steelers lost to the Green Bay Packers 31–25. Roethlisberger threw two touchdowns but also two interceptions.

2011 Season

Roethlisberger at his second Pro Bowl in 2011

In 2011, Roethlisberger became the fourth quarterback to reach 70 wins in his first 100 starts. He threw five touchdown passes for the second time in his career against the Tennessee Titans. He also set a franchise record with a 95-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the 2011 season.

2012 Season and College Degree

Roethlisberger in Denver for the season opener in September 2012

Roethlisberger threw for 3,265 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2012. The Steelers finished with an 8–8 record and missed the playoffs.

In 2012, Roethlisberger returned to Miami University and completed his college degree. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education.

2013 Season: The "Killer B's" Begin

In 2013, Roethlisberger threw for 4,261 yards and 28 touchdowns. This season marked the start of the "Killer B's" era for the Steelers offense. This group included Roethlisberger, wide receiver Antonio Brown, and running back Le'Veon Bell. The Steelers finished 8–8 and missed the playoffs again.

2014 Season: Leading the League in Yards

Roethlisberger had an incredible 2014 season. On October 26, he threw for a career-high 522 yards and six touchdowns against the Indianapolis Colts. He became the first NFL quarterback to pass for over 500 yards twice in his career. In the next game, he threw another six touchdowns against the Baltimore Ravens.

He finished the season tied for the most passing yards in the NFL with 4,952. He also matched his career high with 32 touchdown passes. The Steelers won the AFC North with an 11–5 record but lost in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. He was named to his third Pro Bowl.

2015 Season

Roethlisberger in Baltimore in 2015

Roethlisberger signed a five-year contract extension in 2015. He had a great game against the San Francisco 49ers, throwing for 369 yards and three touchdowns. He suffered a knee injury during the season, missing four games. He also had a foot injury later. Despite injuries, he threw for 379 yards and three touchdowns in relief against the Cleveland Browns.

The Steelers made the playoffs with a 10–6 record. They won the Wild Card game but lost to the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round. He was named to his fourth Pro Bowl.

2016 Season

Roethlisberger with Antonio Brown in September 2016

Roethlisberger started the 2016 season strong with back-to-back 300-yard passing games and nine touchdowns in two weeks. He had knee surgery during the season but returned. The Steelers won the AFC North with an 11–5 record. They won two playoff games but lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship. He was named to his fifth Pro Bowl.

2017 Season

In Week 5, Roethlisberger threw a career-high five interceptions against the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, he bounced back. In Week 11, he recorded his 4,000th career completion. On December 4, he became the eighth quarterback to reach 50,000 career passing yards. In Week 14, he completed 44 passes for 506 yards and two touchdowns in a win against the Baltimore Ravens. This made him the first player in NFL history with three career 500-yard passing games.

The Steelers finished 13–3 and won the AFC North. They lost to the Jaguars in the Divisional Round, despite Roethlisberger throwing for a playoff career-high 469 yards and five touchdowns. He was named to his sixth Pro Bowl.

2018 Season: Franchise Records

Roethlisberger during a preseason game in 2018

In 2018, Roethlisberger passed for 452 yards and three touchdowns against the Kansas City Chiefs. He also had a rushing touchdown in that game. He had his NFL-record fourth game with a perfect quarterback rating against the Carolina Panthers.

Roethlisberger led the league in passing yards (5,129) and completions (452). His 5,129 passing yards and 34 touchdown passes set new Steelers franchise records. The Steelers finished 9–6–1 and missed the playoffs.

2019 Season: Injury

In Week 2 of the 2019 season, Roethlisberger injured his right elbow. He had surgery and was placed on injured reserve, ending his season. It was a serious injury, and he was the first quarterback to try to come back from it.

2020 Season: Return and Division Title

Roethlisberger playing for the Steelers in 2020

Roethlisberger returned from his injury in Week 1 of 2020. He led the Steelers to their first 4–0 start since 1979. They also had their best start in franchise history at 8–0. He finished the season with 3,803 passing yards and 33 touchdowns. The Steelers won the AFC North title with a 12–4 record. In the Wild Card Round, he threw for 501 yards and four touchdowns, but the Steelers lost. His 47 completions in that game set an NFL record.

2021 Season: Final Year

Roethlisberger during his final season with the Steelers

Roethlisberger played his final season in 2021. He led the Steelers to a four-game winning streak early in the season. He played his final game at Heinz Field on January 3, 2022. He led the team to a 26–14 victory over the Cleveland Browns. He finished his career with 164 wins as a starter, which was the fifth-most in NFL history at the time. The Steelers made the playoffs with a 9–7–1 record but lost in the Wild Card Round.

Retirement

Ben Roethlisberger announced his retirement from the NFL on January 27, 2022.

The Steelers usually do not retire jersey numbers. However, they have not reissued Roethlisberger's number 7 since his retirement. It is generally understood that no Steeler will wear number 7 again.

Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger Podcast

On September 2, 2022, Roethlisberger started a podcast called Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger. He co-hosts it with Spencer Te'o on his YouTube channel. The show talks about Roethlisberger's life after football and stories from his time with the Steelers. They also have guests, including current and former players and coaches.

NFL Career Statistics

Legend
	Won the Super Bowl
	Led the league
Bold	Career high

Regular Season

Year	Team	Games			Passing									Rushing					Sacked		Fumbles
Year	Team	GP	GS	Record	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/A	Lng	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Sck	YdsL	Fum	Lost
2004	PIT	14	13	13–0	196	295	66.4	2,621	8.9	58	17	11	98.1	56	144	2.6	20	1	30	213	2	2
2005	PIT	12	12	9–3	168	268	62.7	2,385	8.9	85	17	9	98.6	31	69	2.2	13	3	23	129	2	1
2006	PIT	15	15	7–8	280	469	59.7	3,513	7.5	67	18	23	75.4	32	98	3.1	20	2	46	280	5	2
2007	PIT	15	15	10–5	264	404	65.3	3,154	7.8	83	32	11	104.1	35	204	5.8	30T	2	47	347	9	3
2008	PIT	16	16	12–4	281	469	59.9	3,301	7.0	65	17	15	80.1	34	101	3.0	17	2	46	284	14	7
2009	PIT	15	15	9–6	337	506	66.6	4,328	8.6	60	26	12	100.5	40	82	2.1	15	2	50	348	7	3
2010	PIT	12	12	9–3	240	389	61.7	3,200	8.2	56	17	5	97.0	34	176	5.2	31	2	32	220	7	3
2011	PIT	15	15	11–4	324	513	63.2	4,077	7.9	95	21	14	90.1	31	70	2.3	11	0	40	269	8	5
2012	PIT	13	13	7–6	284	449	63.3	3,265	7.3	82	26	8	97.0	26	92	3.5	14	0	30	182	6	3
2013	PIT	16	16	8–8	375	584	64.2	4,261	7.3	67	28	14	92.0	27	99	3.7	19	1	42	282	9	6
2014	PIT	16	16	11–5	408	608	67.1	4,952	8.1	94	32	9	103.3	33	27	0.8	8	0	33	172	9	5
2015	PIT	12	11	7–4	319	469	68.0	3,938	8.4	69	21	16	94.5	15	29	1.9	13	0	20	141	2	0
2016	PIT	14	14	10–4	328	509	64.4	3,819	7.5	72	29	13	95.4	16	14	0.9	14	1	17	141	8	2
2017	PIT	15	15	12–3	360	561	64.2	4,251	7.6	97	28	14	93.4	28	47	1.7	14	0	21	139	3	1
2018	PIT	16	16	9–6–1	452	675	67.0	5,129	7.6	97	34	16	96.5	31	98	3.2	18	3	24	166	7	2
2019	PIT	2	2	0–2	35	62	56.5	351	5.7	45	0	1	66.0	1	7	7.0	7	0	2	7	1	0
2020	PIT	15	15	12–3	399	608	65.6	3,803	6.3	84	33	10	94.1	25	11	0.4	11	0	13	118	5	1
2021	PIT	16	16	9–7	390	605	64.5	3,740	6.2	59	22	10	86.8	20	5	0.3	8	1	38	239	11	5
Career		249	247	165–81–1	5,440	8,443	64.4	64,088	7.6	97	418	211	93.5	515	1,373	2.7	31	20	554	3,677	115	51

Postseason

Year	Team	Games			Passing									Rushing					Sacked		Fumbles
Year	Team	GP	GS	Record	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/A	Lng	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Sck	YdsL	Fum	Lost
2004	PIT	2	2	1–1	31	54	57.4	407	7.5	34	3	5	61.3	9	75	8.3	20	0	2	11	1	0
2005	PIT	4	4	4–0	58	93	62.4	803	8.6	54	7	3	101.7	19	37	1.9	10	2	6	35	0	0
2007	PIT	1	1	0–1	29	42	69.0	337	8.0	37	2	3	79.2	4	13	3.3	6	0	6	40	1	1
2008	PIT	3	3	3–0	54	89	60.7	692	7.8	65	3	1	91.6	5	0	0.0	4	0	8	58	0	0
2010	PIT	3	3	2–1	54	91	59.3	622	6.8	58	4	4	76.4	21	63	3.0	18	1	9	48	3	1
2011	PIT	1	1	0–1	22	40	55.0	289	7.2	33	1	1	75.9	3	15	5.0	9	0	5	45	1	0
2014	PIT	1	1	0–1	31	45	68.9	334	7.4	44	1	2	79.3	2	16	8.0	16	0	5	37	0	0
2015	PIT	2	2	1–1	42	68	61.8	568	8.4	60	1	0	93.3	0	0	0.0	0	0	6	55	0	0
2016	PIT	3	3	2–1	64	96	66.7	735	7.7	62	3	4	82.6	8	11	1.4	8	0	2	15	0	0
2017	PIT	1	1	0–1	37	58	63.8	469	8.1	43	5	1	110.5	2	16	8.0	15	0	2	7	1	1
2020	PIT	1	1	0–1	47	68	69.1	501	7.4	33	4	4	85.5	1	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2021	PIT	1	1	0–1	29	44	65.9	215	4.9	22	2	0	92.5	2	−1	−0.5	0	0	2	14	1	0
Career		23	23	13–10	498	788	63.2	5,972	7.6	65	36	28	86.7	76	245	3.2	20	3	53	365	8	3

Super Bowl Statistics

Season	SB	Opp.	Passing								Rushing				Result
Season	SB	Opp.	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/A	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Y/A	TD	Result
2005	XL	SEA	9	21	42.9	123	5.9	0	2	22.6	7	25	3.6	1	W 21–10
2008	XLIII	ARI	21	30	70.0	256	8.5	1	1	93.2	3	2	0.7	0	W 27−23
2010	XLV	GB	25	40	62.5	263	6.6	2	2	77.4	4	31	7.8	0	L 31-25
Total			55	91	60.4	642	7.1	3	5	69.9	14	58	4.1	1	W−L 2−1

Comebacks and Game-Winning Drives

Roethlisberger set an NFL rookie record in 2004 with five comeback wins in the fourth quarter. He also had six game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime. He is the only quarterback in NFL history to reach 20 comeback wins before turning 30. When he retired, he was tied for the second-most game-winning drives of all time (53).

NFL Records

Most regular season wins in a season by a rookie quarterback – 13 (2004)
Longest regular season win streak to start a career for an NFL quarterback – 15 games (2004–2005)
Youngest starting quarterback to win the Super Bowl (2005)
Most career games with 500+ passing yards (4)
Most career games with a perfect passer rating: 4 (tied)
Most touchdown passes in consecutive games (12)
Most completions in a playoff or regular season game (47)

Pittsburgh Steelers Franchise Records

Career passing yards – 64,088
Career passing touchdowns – 418
Career interceptions thrown – 211
Career passer rating (Min. 20 attempts) – 93.5
Career completion percentage (Min. 20 attempts)— 64.4%
Longest completion – 97 yards (twice)
Career pass attempts – 8,443
Career pass completions – 5,440
Career games with 400+ passing yards – 12
Career games with 500+ passing yards – 4
Completion percentage, single season – 68.0% (2015)
Touchdown passes, single season – 34 (2018)
Single season passer rating – 104.1 (2007)
Passing yards in a season – 5,129 (2018)
Pass completions in a season – 452 (2018)
Passing yards in a game – 522 (October 26, 2014)
Pass completions in a game – 44 (December 10, 2017)
Touchdown passes, game – 6 (twice)

Charitable Work

Roethlisberger started a foundation to support police and fire departments. It especially helps with service dogs. It also aims to improve life for people in Findlay, Ohio, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

He has donated money to help police dogs in Pittsburgh. In 2014, he and his wife donated $1 million to his college, Miami University, for an indoor sports center.

Personal Life

Roethlisberger during the Steelers' visit to the White House in 2009

Ben Roethlisberger was born in Lima, Ohio. His father was a quarterback at Georgia Tech. His younger sister, Carlee, played college basketball.

On July 23, 2011, Roethlisberger married Ashley Harlan. They have three children: Ben Jr., Baylee, and Bodie.

Roethlisberger is a Christian. He has said he tries to be a better Christian than he is an athlete. He is also a spokesperson for Swiss Roots, a campaign to help Americans connect with their Swiss heritage.