The Pittsburgh Steelers see former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as a hero. At this point, many quarterbacks that come through the Steel City get compared to him nowadays, as he has become the standard for that position. He's an absolute legend now, as he will definitely make it to the Hall of Fame soon, while also likely having his jersey being one of the very few to be officially retired. Many players look up to him and what he accomplished, but people sometimes forget that he was once that kid that looked up to other legends.
Dave Arrigo / Pittsburgh Steelers
Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) during Super Bowl XL between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.
While making a recent appearance on Deebo & Joe, Roethlisberger was asked about his experience as a rookie. He brought up the first time he ran into one of his teammates that would eventually make the Hall of Fame.
"One of the first times I walked into the building, I had my playbook, I'm holding a stack of books and everything, and I saw 'Bussy.' Jerome [Bettis] walks out," Roethlisberger said. "I was like, 'Oh, dang, that's Jerome Bettis. What do we do here? Do I say something? Do I put my head down? Do I die? What do I do?'"
Roethlisberger had not even taken a snap for the Steelers yet. He was the rookie trying to learn the ropes while looking up to everyone else, as opposed to the legend that everyone now knows. He was absolutely starstruck when he saw Jerome Bettis in the hallway. One of the greatest running backs in the NFL and a future Hall of Famer was standing right there. How does one respond to that?
Peter Diana / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis takes a handoff from Ben Roethlisberger during a home game in January 2006.
Roethlisberger didn't do anything. Instead, he spoke about what Bettis did and what he told him in that moment.
"He walked over to me and said, 'Hey young fella...'" Roethlisberger began. "He opened my notebook to the first page. He wrote, 'Bussy,' and he wrote his number. He was like, 'Hey, anything you want to buy, I've bought. Anywhere you want to go, I've gone. Anything you want to do, I've done. Reach out to me. Let me know if I can help in any kind of way.'"
Roethlisberger spoke about how great it was for Bettis to come up to him and offer him any kind of advice or help that he needed. He also laughed about the fact that he never took him up on that offer, as he was still nervous about the whole situation. Either way, that was a great way for the veteran running back to break the ice and let the new kid know that he's there to help.
Steelers Helped Bettis And Roethlisberger Explore A Lot
Bettis has, in fact, seen and done pretty much everything. He was part of some of the worst teams in the NFL while he was a member of the Los Angeles / St. Louis Rams before he got traded to a Steelers team that was coming off of a crushing Super Bowl loss. He was there for many up-and-down seasons with multiple quarterback options, including the very exciting, but controversial Kordell Stewart being eventually moved to wide receiver.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis (36) raises his helmet to the home crowd in Pittsburgh, PA.
The one thing that Bettis had not seen was a Super Bowl, which he saw with the help of Roethlisberger. Despite all the success, the quarterback dealt with a lot of turmoil, from a near-death experience from a poor decision, to serious allegations, to one of the most volatile locker rooms ever. He also has two Super Bowl victories for a storied franchise, as he helped to continue that story. His bust will someday be unveiled in Canton, Ohio.
What do you think about Roethlisberger's first encounter with Bettis when the quarterback was just a rookie trying to learn the ropes? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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