On September 19, 2004, Ben Roethlisberger made his NFL debut, coming in in relief of injured quarterback Tommy Maddox during a game against the Ravens. On Sunday, 16 years and over 57,000 passing yards later, Roethlisberger broke Hall of Fame center Mike Webster's franchise record by appearing in his 221st game with the Steelers. Roethlisberger broke the record during Pittsburgh's Week 3 game against the visiting Texans.
"I am so thankful to be in the black and gold 17 years later," Roethlisberger said when asked about breaking Webster's record, via Teresa Valley of Steelers.com. "Almost half my life, I've been here giving Steelers fans everything I have. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I wouldn't want to do it for any other team or any other fans.
"I've been blessed to be around a lot of great football players and talent and teammates. I did take a lot of beating early on. A lot of that was my fault. God made me a bigger man than most quarterbacks, so I think I can take it and I'm just enjoying playing this game."
Webster, regarded as one of the greatest centers in NFL history, won four Super Bowls during his 15 years with the Steelers from 1974-88. He made 194 starts for the Steelers after replacing longtime starter Ray Mansfield in the starting lineup in 1976. That season, Rocky Bleier and Franco Harris became the second pair of teammates in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards in the same year. Two years later, Webster's blocking helped Terry Bradshaw capture the league's MVP award before leading the Steelers to a victory over the Cowboys in Super Bowl XIII. In 1979, Webster anchored a Steelers offensive line that helped pave the way for Pittsburgh's fourth Super Bowl win in six years.
Like Webster, Roethlisberger has helped the Steelers add to their collection of Vince Lombardi Trophies. In 2005, his second year as a starter, Big Ben helped Pittsburgh become the first sixth seed to win the Super Bowl. Three years later, his game-winning touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes helped the Steelers become the first franchise to win the Super Bowl six times. Roethlisberger helped Pittsburgh advance to a third Super Bowl in six years two years later, falling to Aaron Rodgers in the Packers in Super Bowl XLV.
Since his last Super Bowl appearance, Roethlisberger has moved up the NFL's career passing record books. He is currently seventh all-time in passing yards and eighth in touchdown passes. And while his future place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame is secure, the 38-year-old Roethlisberger is motivated on helping the Steelers win another championship in 2020. To do that, Roethlisberger is hoping to continue to utilize his deep receiving corps, a group that includes JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, James Washington, rookie Chase Claypool and new tight end Eric Ebron. And while Pittsburgh's depth at the skill positions can hinder individual success, Roethlisberger said that he is not worried as it relates to spreading the wealth.
"You look at the win-loss column," Roethlisberger recently said when asked how he makes sure his teammates get enough touches. "Truthfully. I know that's probably not the answer you are looking for, but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter who is getting the ball. It doesn't matter how many times they are running or throwing it. It doesn't matter who is getting their stats, it's just a matter of if the team is getting that one stat that is most important, and that is a win."
