PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Maybe a dozen or so people have the perspective of being a Steelers quarterback with Ben Roethlisberger. To know what he was like with his guard down or when the pressure was highest, and know the challenge of playing the position.
Here is some of what Steelers quarterback Bruce Gradkowski told the PM Team about working with Ben Roethlisberger.
“I couldn’t imagine the emotions that he is going through right now,” Gradkowski told 93.7 The Fan. “I think about all the phenomenal times in games he had in Heinz. There is so much to unfold and uncover here because of what he has brought to Pittsburgh.”
“You think of now when you look around the league and how teams are trying to find their franchise guy. For Pittsburgh to have one face, one guy behind center for all these years to bring championships back to Pittsburgh.”
“It’s very emotional.”
A native of Pittsburgh, Gradkowski said Ben bought into the mentality of its residents early on.
“I know just being with him for a few years how appreciative he was and is of Pittsburgh,” Gradkowski said. “Even when I was in Pittsburgh he would get emotional about the support in Pittsburgh for his career. To step on the field and to really think it could be his last time because when I think of the Pittsburgh Steelers, I think of Big Ben, I think of Heinz Field and then I think of them winning.”
It was his style and crazy competitiveness that rubbed off on the rest of the team.
“The Steelers find ways to win, I think that’s a compliment to Ben and Tomlin,” Gradkowski told Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller. “The team takes on the characteristics of the quarterback. For how the Pittsburgh Steelers have been built all these years with Ben behind center, it’s been a team that finds a way to win. It’s not always pretty, but they win.”
That doesn’t short-change Roethlisberger’s ability as an all-time quarterback.
“We really are going to look back that Ben is one of the best to ever play the position,” Gradkowski told 93.7 The Fan. “You talk about guys in the league now-you want someone athletic, that can move, that can throw on the run, throw off platform, that can extend plays. But also you want a guy that can throw from the pocket, third down and 10. Can he be accurate?”
“Ben was all of those.”
“It’s remarkable the career that he’s had. We are going to look back really when he is done and say, geez, we’ve took that time for granted for all the great memories and games we watched him play.”
An eight-year veteran himself, Gradkowski said there may be an underappreciation for how much Roethlisberger cared about the game.
“People want to come at Ben, ‘oh, he’s not Peyton Manning,” Gradkowski said. “He’s not going to study film and put all the hours in’. I’ve been in those meeting rooms with him. He cares. He cares more than anyone. I’ve never been around someone that just makes it happen.”
Fitting the likely last game will be against Cleveland, a team Gradkowski also played for.
“When we played the Browns when I was in Pittsburgh,” Gradkowski said. “I was on injured reserve that year. Landry Jones is starting the game, Ben is out because he’s hurt. Ben doesn’t get a rep all week in practice. I don’t even know if he picked up a football, all week. Landry Jones gets hurt in the first series of the game. Ben goes in there and shreds the Browns for like 370 yards, three or four touchdowns.”
“I’m just like shaking my head saying ‘oh my gosh, this guy is a gamer’. He’s a guy that finds ways to make plays and he’s an ultimate competitor.”
“There are times during training camp where we would play darts and I’m trying to act cool. Meanwhile, in my head I’m like, yes, I’m going to beat him in something. I’m going to beat him in this, but no, I couldn’t beat him. He’s a guy that’s good in everything.”
The lasting memory Gradkowski has of Roethlisberger.
“For him to know how to get it done and for him to get it done when he needs to,” Gradkowski told 93.7 The Fan. “That’s what I remember about him. He’s a guy that it doesn’t have to be perfect, but he’ll still get it done. The receiver might not run the right route. He might not be at the right depth, but Ben is still going to complete it.”
As Gradkowski said, we are going to take it for granted with probably only two more opportunities to see it happen.