If Ben Roethlisberger is not yet in the class of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, he's certainly getting close.
This year's performance so far has proven last year to be an aberration, and if there's one big reason for this turn around, it happened this past summer.
"It's a great feeling, you know, to know that your coordinator has confidence in you, one, and two, to know he's willing and humble enough, because so many coordinators have this ego that, 'It's my way or no way,' you know, and for him to say, 'I want your input, I want your feedback,' it's a smart thing," he said.
This week Dan Rooney is coming out with his autobiography, and he talks about how he intervened when it was time to draft Big Ben. He had gone through two other episodes before with the release of Johnny Unitas and bypassing Dan Marino. He regretted both moves and wasn't going to let that happen when Ben was available.
Roethlisberger said he heard rumors about it, but he wanted to read the actual story. He said he thought it was very flattering.
And sometime soon the Steelers are going to have to flatter Ben, with what will be the richest contract in team history, a price that clearly went up this week after Dallas signed Tony Romo to a $67 million deal with $30 million of it guaranteed.
Roethlisberger said he would love to stay here and be a "Marino" and play in one city for his entire career.
That means Roethlisberger would continue to be what he already is, one of the most recognizable people in the city, which at times is a plus and at times a minus.
Ben said he got advice from Warren Moon before he got drafted. "'If you don't want to deal with people don't leave your house because you don't want to set a bad first impression, because people are going to remember that forever. So, if you're not in a good mood, just don't even leave your house. If you don't feel like dealing with them, just stay home.' So, and not saying that I'm perfect when I go out, because sometimes it still irritates you and I should probably be, you know, be better with it, but I try to understand people are excited, and it's tough, you go to the grocery store and it takes you a long time to go through the grocery store."
Ben said he's a normal person who likes to go out and shop for him self. He said sometimes it can be fun, but sometimes it can get to be a little much.
"You get one hour, two hour, three hours in the grocery store tick by, it kind of gets to you, and the last person that comes up to you, you know, is just as nice as the first person, but they don't realize you've been worn down for the last 4 hours," he said.
Ben said many trick-or-treaters came to his house and some wanted candy, but others wanted autographs too.
"I wasn't there right away and one of my buddies was there and he went down and was giving them candy since I wasn't there and they said they didn't want candy from him they wanted it from me. So, I told them it wasn't Christmas it was Halloween so I give out candy not autographs," he said.
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