Jordan DeFigio, @fidgenewton
SteelerNation.com
All of Twitter was buzzing yesterday when word started spreading that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback shaved his beard.
Sound familiar?
Not too long ago (7 months ago, to be exact), number 7, quarterback, and captain of the Steelers. Ben Roethlisberger created internet pandemonium when he released a promotional video in which he trimmed his beard.
Just trimmed.
A light shape-up.
Imagine the chaos that then ensued when he showed up for his media availability and the whole thing was gone.
The clean shave comes in the wake of a two-game losing streak. Two games where the entire team looked like absolute trash, and two games that placed a seed of doubt in the minds of media and fans alike - maybe this team doesn't have what it takes.
And Roethlisberger gets it.
"There's a lot of outside noise, and deservedly so. We haven't played well. We lost two in a row. The fans are getting anxious, the talking heads are doing what they're supposed to do and talk bad about us and all that stuff," he said.
But the sentiment didn't end there.
"What I would tell guys...is it's not the end of the world. We've got three games left in the regular season. We have guaranteed ourselves a chance in the playoffs. We're in the postseason. We have three weeks now to get it going, to turn it around, to give ourselves the best chance to reach our ultimate goal, which is winning the Super Bowl."
He isn't panicking.
Maybe it's wishful thinking.
Or maybe it's 17 years playing as a franchise quarterback in the NFL.
December is not the goal.
A 16-0 season is not the goal.
Playing at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida on February 7th, 2021 is the goal.
And the end of their schedule is the perfect chance to work out the kinks before it's too late, one-and-done, loser goes home.
"What a great test for us to kind of get some...pre-postseason work in by playing these last three games."
Roethlisberger knows the challenges. But he also sees them as an opportunity. To keep learning, to keep fixing, to keep getting better. All to make it to the biggest stage in sports.
If we care this much about the guy's beard, we should care even more about his words.
If number 7 isn't worried, I'm not worried either.
What did you think of Ben's responses to the media? Did they put your mind at ease? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
