Ben Roethlisberger is proof that whoever becomes your childhood hero really matters. Former Denver Broncos quarterback and current manager of the team, John Elway, who retired from professional football in 1999, was Roethlisberger’s hero. In the days that Elway held sway in the NFL, the young boy would sit in front of the TV screen for hours, dreaming about being like his hero. Today, those childhood dreams have become a reality as Ben now plays in the NFL and wears the number 7 jersey as a tribute to his idol.
Popularly known as ‘Big Ben’, the current Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback has been making big waves as a gridiron football player right from his high school days up until now. The burgeoning NFL professional who currently holds a record as the youngest quarterback ever to win a Super Bowl in NFL history has also accumulated jaw-dropping earnings so far in his long-spanning career with the Steelers.
Ben Roethlisberger’s Journey To The NFL
Ben Roethlisberger began his collegiate career at the Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Amazingly, the period turned out to be one of the most eventful days of his life as he succeeded in breaking countless records. For instance, in the second game of his freshman season, he broke Miami’s single-game passing records and won the game with 399 passing yards. In his fourth game, which was against Hawaii Warriors, he went 40 of 53 for 452 yards which was the first of its kind in the history of Miami RedHawks.
Roethlisberger’s record-breaking streak continued through his sophomore and junior seasons at Miami. His college exploits as a quarterback was a subject for heated discussion during the countdown to the 2004 NFL Draft. Eventually, he was selected 11th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers and since that time, he has been playing for the Steelers as they consider him to be a worthy player.
His Exploits as a Franchise Player
Being an integral part of the Steelers offence, Ben Roethlisberger has played a pivotal role in the success of the team. As a result, the Pittsburgh Steelers have made sure he does not leave the team. They have done so by always offering him mouth-watering contracts. After his NFL draft, he signed a six-year contract worth $22.26 million with the team. He also had an additional $17.73 million available to him via incentives.
Upon becoming the youngest quarterback to claim the Super Bowl at the age of 23 in the 2005/06 season, he moved on to set a new team record for touchdown passes (32) in a single season in 2007. Following his outstanding performances on the pitch, he was handed another eight-year contract by Pittsburgh Steelers, two years before his previous contract would elapse.
Then in 2008, the NFL star led his team to their second Super Bowl Championship as they claimed a victory over Arizona Cardinals, with Roethlisberger finishing 21 of 30 for 256 yards and equally posting a passer rating of 93.2 along with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He further displayed stellar performances in the next season in which he landed his first Steelers’ Most Valuable Player title in his career. He also ended the season with a record of 4,328 yards and 26 touchdown passes.
Although there has been a decline in Big Ben’s performance in recent years as a result of injury, he was named to his sixth career Pro Bowl selection in December 2017 and subsequently rated by his fellow players to occupy the 18th spot on the National Football League 2018 list of Top 100 Players. At the end of the 2018/19 season, he set a new record with the Steelers as he registered 5,129 passing yards and 34 touchdown passes. As a result, he led the league in passing yards, as well as interceptions (16).
So far in his illustrious career as a franchise quarterback, Big Ben has achieved a remarkable career statistics of 56,545 yards, 363 touchdowns and 191 interceptions.
Best Moments Of The Athlete’s Career
Following his bewildering performances at Miami and equally, in the National Football League, where he has spent over fourteen seasons, Ben Roethlisberger has been honoured with many awards. They include MAC Freshman of the Year Award (2001), MAC Offensive Player of the Year Award (2003), MAC Most Valuable Player of the Year Award in 2003 and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award (2004).
Also, the prolific footballer is a 2-time Super Bowl Champion, 6-time Pro Bowler and 2-time NFL passing yard leader. As a result of his groundbreaking achievements during his college football career at the University of Miami, his No. 7 jersey was retired on October 13th, 2007.
Captivating Facts About His Net Worth, Salary and Endorsements
Ben Roethlisberger has been offered several lucrative contracts since joining Pittsburgh Steelers in the year 2004. Consequently, he has cashed in a substantial stash of over $200 million in salary. During the 2006/07 season, in his early career stages, he earned a salary of $655,500. He then began earning more figures in salary the next season, when he pocketed $1 million as an annual salary.
Big Ben’s second contract which he signed in 2008 was worth a whopping $102 million. It included a signing bonus of $25.2 million, an average salary of $14.6 million and a total guarantee of $33.2 million. After getting embroiled in two sexual assault allegations in 2009 and 2010, Ben Roethlisberger lost a few endorsements including his deal with PLB Sports – a Pittsburgh-based food marketing company that was producing a beef Jerky named Big Ben’s Beef Jerky.
Nevertheless, the famed athlete has been earning incredibly from other sponsors which include Fanatics, Nike, Panini and Sprint. In the year 2012, he made $1 million from his numerous endorsements. Then after penning a four-year contract extension with the Steelers in March 2015 valued at $87.4 million, he also cashed in $2.5 million from sponsorship deals in the same year.
In April 2019, Ben Roethlisberger was offered a two-year contract extension worth $68 million by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The deal also includes a signing bonus of $38.5 million, an average salary of $34 million and total guarantees of $37.5 million. Afterwards, he made the Forbes Celebrity 100 list in 2019, as he clinched the No. 48th spot with annual earnings of $55.5 million which he garnered from salary and endorsements.
He was equally ranked the 12th World’s Highest-paid Athletes of 2019. Though the ace footballer has been ruled out for the 2019/20 season, having suffered an elbow injury for which he underwent a surgery, he is still entitled to a $16 million 2020 salary and equally a bonus guaranteed for injury. So far, Ben Roethlisberger has accrued a jaw-dropping net worth of $100 million.
How Big Ben and Ashley Met
Ben Roethlisberger came in contact with his now-wife, Ashley Harlan in the year, 2005, while he was on campus at Saint Vincent. He got introduced to Ashley through her brother who appeared to be an ardent fan of the Steelers quarterback. Afterwards, they went on a couple of dates and then kicked off a romantic affair which was on and off for several years. Thankfully, their relationship survived the sexual assault trials, as the two decided to solemnize the union afterwards.
A Look at Their Blissful Married Life
Roethlisberger tied the knot with Ashley Harlan on July 23, 2011, in a wedding ceremony held at a local church in Ohio. According to ESPN, the wedding was held under tight security provided by the police which made it difficult to keep a tab on the team luminaries that graced the occasion in posh limos.
Ben and Ashley welcomed their first child, a son named Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Jr. in November 2012. Their second-born, a daughter named Baylee Marie Roethlisberger was born in March 2014.
And then this happened! When Momma tells you to put the matching pjs on – you put them on, even the dogs! #MerryChristmas to everyone out there from the matching Roethlisberger family! Hope you have a blessed day & remember the real reason for today is because Jesus was born! pic.twitter.com/Fp1lL9LYO1
— BigBen7.com (@_BigBen7) December 25, 2019
Later in 2016, the couple welcomed a second son, Bodie Hunter Roethlisberger. The pair are enjoying a marital bliss of over eight years. Roethlisberger family is quite renowned for their participation in diverse charitable events as the Steelers star is the founder of Ben Roethlisberger Foundation.
Who is His Wife?
Ben Roethlisberger’s wife, who is a Pennsylvanian native, was also a star athlete during her high school days just like her husband. She participated competitively in the game of softball while at Laurel High School. She also continued her exploit at St. Francis University, Loretta, Cambria County. There, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Health Science and subsequently, a Master’s of Physician Assistant. She is reportedly working as a physician assistant in the department of cardiac surgery of the Presbyterian Hospital of Pittsburgh.
