PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) - Ben Roethlisberger and other Steelers attended a memorial service early Tuesday at the Rodef Shalom Congregation to support their friend Michele Rosenthal, the team’s former community relations manager, who lost two brothers, Cecil and David Rosenthal, during the mass shooting Saturday morning at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill.
“It has been a tough morning, a lot of people there, a lot of people coming up to show their support not just for her but for this community, and it’s just nice to see, but it’s still tough,” Roethlisberger said to begin his show Tuesday.
Roethlisberger says the team found out about the shooting after the morning walk through and he spend most of Saturday trying to piece together the details just like everyone else.
“You never think it’s going to happen in your city," Roethlisberger said, "and then you get word that you know somebody who potentially had family there and then there’s still a lot of questions because there were no real answers coming to us.
Roethlisberger says he found out just before coach Mike Tomlin spoke on Saturday evening.
“I received a text from [former Steelers defensive end] Brett Keisel. Coach Tomlin’s meeting starts at 9. The only reason I knew it, I had my Apple Watch on and it vibrated and I looked at it, and Keisel texted me about Michele’s brothers and that’s when the word came through," Roethlisberger said. "I’ll be brutally honest, I kind of broke down right there, and I don’t really remember what coach Tomlin said. I was so overwhelmed with emotion and caught up because Michele is such a dear friend. Honestly, I don’t even remember what he said because I was just in prayer and in thought and [had] a heavy heart for Michele.”