By Kevin Gorman
September 6, 2017
Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers directs the offense against the Indianapolis Colts during a preseason game on August 26, 2017 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.(Justin K. Aller/Getty Images North America)
When the Steelers started the first half with as many losses as wins last season, Ben Roethlisberger offered a two-word solution.
“Follow me.”
After contemplating retirement in the offseason, Roethlisberger says he had a singular motivation for returning for his 14th season.
“Winning.”
What he wants to win is never in question, and not just the opener Sunday at the Cleveland Browns — against whom Roethlisberger owns a 21-2 career record.
It's Super Bowl-or-bust with the Steelers, which is why Roethlisberger's role on this team has never been more important.
Not just as the franchise quarterback, but as a team captain for the ninth time. That's something Big Ben calls an honor, one he's taking more seriously than ever.
“The rich tradition and history that's here, I don't take that lightly,” Roethlisberger said. “That means a lot to me. I want to be a leader, both on and off the field. That's in the locker room, just any way that I can be, so I have to try and step up when it comes to that.”
Roethlisberger isn't just talking the talk. His locker is now surrounded by rookies. To the left is first-round pick T.J. Watt; to the right are third-rounder James Conner and second-rounder JuJu Smith-Schuster.
“It was kind of twofold,” Roethlisberger said. “One, I wanted those guys around so I could try to pass on some things that were passed on to me. And they're rookies, so I never anticipate them being at their locker very much so I can get more room.”
Big Ben was just joking, as he's long been surrounded by open lockers. Once a cautionary tale for boorish behavior, Roethlisberger is relishing this role as the old guard passing the torch to the next generation of Steelers stars, just as Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis did for him years ago.
“I know he did it for a lot of people,” Roethlisberger said, “but he was a guy that I was close to and enjoyed playing with and passed all of those things on to me.”
It's a reminder how Roethlisberger has gone from rookie to the team's most tenured player in what seems like the blink of an eye. It's also an indication Big Ben is closer to the twilight of his career than the start, and why it means so much to him to pass on what he calls “the Steeler tradition, the Steeler Way.”
“With T.J., being next to me, it's different. I can't talk to him about offensive things that I can talk to James and JuJu about,” Roethlisberger said. “But I just want to tell stories about guys that I played with, how we played and how we practiced, anything that I picked up along my way. ...
“I feel like they look at the old man — JuJu was 6 years old when I started (in the NFL) — and they're young guys that are impressionable and I want to pass on things that were passed on to me. I don't think they're just letting the old man talk. I think they're actually enjoying it.”
Watt certainly is, although the outside linebacker said he has learned more from Big Ben about how to be a pro, with tips to arrive early to meetings and pay attention to the little things “because that's what keeps you in this league a long time.”
“It means quite a bit to have someone who I've grown up watching, and (to) be able to sit next to him and have him share some wisdom is awesome,” Watt said.
“Just the hard work and dedication day to day, and that you can't win a Super Bowl by thinking about the Super Bowl right now. You have to take it day-by-day with that end goal in mind.”
It's nothing new to see for center Maurkice Pouncey, who believes Roethlisberger long has been a leader in the locker room.
“He took me under his wing early — I guess that's more of a center-quarterback thing — but he's always done a great job at being a leader,” Pouncey said.
“You could tell now that he's reaching out a little bit more to help the younger guys because he has younger players (around him). When he was here at first, he had a lot of older guys that helped him around the way. Now he has the younger guys, and it's only right for him to do that.”
And it's only right for the Steelers to start the season that way, with Roethlisberger reminding the rookies who to follow on their way to winning.
Kevin Gorman is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at kgorman@tribweb.com or via Twitter @KGorman_Trib.
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