Big Ben Starts Camp Strong!

Big Ben announces himself 'ready to go'

Sunday, July 30, 2006By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Nearly seven weeks after a motorcycle accident that nearly killed him, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger plans to take the field today with the Steelers' first offense and put the pedal to the metal.
He cleared his first hurdle by effortlessly running a series of 14 40-yard dashes with his teammates on the field at St. Vincent College in Latrobe yesterday afternoon. Today, they will gather at 1 p.m. for their first practice.
"I feel ready to go out there," Roethlisberger said after running yesterday. "Now if I get out there and I feel light-headed, I feel dizzy -- which would be news to me -- then obviously we'll have something to talk about. But as of right now, I plan on going out there and being with the first group and going strong."
Coach Bill Cowher said he wants to see how Roethlisberger does and let that determine how he uses him in training camp. Cowher said he will consider playing him in the first preseason game, Aug. 12.
"We're just going to go and keep monitoring things as we go, I think that's the best way to approach this," Cowher said. "I think there's a little more apprehension and the only way you can relieve that is to just get out there and play."
Roethlisberger had his jaw, nose and orbital bone broken in a motorcycle accident on Second Avenue June 12. He said later that he was perhaps seconds away from dying from having too much blood flow from a cut in his mouth into his stomach.
He checked into training camp at 236 pounds, 10-15 pounds lighter than last season. He looked good running and said he feels healthy.
"I'm amazed but blessed. I count my blessings every day. Every time some of my guys see me they still shake their heads, the coaches shake their heads, I shake my head every morning when I look in the mirror. I do feel blessed to be out here, to be in front of you guys, to run this test and really start playing football."
Roethlisberger could have begged out of the running drills; nine other players were held out because of various maladies. The only concession made for him was to allow him to run with two linemen, tackle Marvel Smith and rookie defensive end Orien Harris, rather than with other skill position players.
"There was a group over there of guys that something stopped them from being out here and running, and I'm sure he could have been in that group," Smith said. "But that's not the type of player he is, he's a leader of the team. For him to be out there, pushing through, shows everybody he's going to be ready for camp and that's big."
Roethlisberger trailed Smith in the final 40 before putting on a burst to tie him at the finish.
"I didn't expect anything less than what he showed out there," Smith said. "I wouldn't have been surprised if he smoked me on every one of them."
Roethlisberger has a 27-4 overall record in his two seasons as the team's starting quarterback, including playoffs, and became the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl. His accident and quick recovery from the injuries he suffered became a national story that is expected to continue during this training camp.
"I wasn't really sure how I was going to feel," Roethlisberger said of his first day of activities. "It felt good, it felt good to get it done with. It was important for me. A lot of guys said, 'Are you really going to run? You don't have to go out and prove anything to us.' But it was important for me to go out there and show the guys and the coaches that I'm out here and I'm going to give it my all."
Roethlisberger will wear his normal helmet and also try another designed for more protection of his jaw during training camp, to see if he feels comfortable with the latter. Other than that, he hopes to have a normal routine at St. Vincent College.
"That's always coach's call but, yeah, I plan on it. I plan on doing just as much. We have four quarterbacks and that might cut down on the reps a little bit because of the nature of the beast, but I do plan on being out there and giving it my all every time.
"I feel good. I feel a little worn down because I just got done running but I think all those guys are."
There's always that first hit, too, which won't come in training camp practices because all quarterbacks are off limits as targets for defensive players.
"That never feels good, whether I've been in an accident or not," Roethlisberger said. "I said it once and I'll say it again, the best protection isn't the newest technology in helmet or shoulder pads, it's the offensive line and those guys are the best in the business, so I'm a lucky guy."
In more ways than one.