I am a lifetime Pittsburgh Steelers fan. For years they had great teams but were mediocre or horrible at the quarterback position. So many times they were a QB away from winning Superbowls. When the Steelers drafted Ben Roethlisberger, it was one of the happiest drafts of my life. I had watched Ben play a couple of times on TV at Miami of Ohio and absolutely loved the guy. I literally thought, "Why can't the Steelers get a guy like this." To my surprise...they did! And sure enough this guy has proven to be a winner...on the field. He won his first 13 starts as a rookie including demolishing the eventual champions, the Patriots and the SB runner up Eagles in consecutive weeks. No rookie QB has ever had a year like Ben. In his 2nd year he suffered some injuries that kept him out of some key games which they lost and he had to come back, rusty against the Colts and lost, but then found his rhythm and led the Steelers through the Wild Card, divisional playoff and AfC Championship, all on the road, all the way to the Superbowl. He became the youngest QB to win a Superbowl. Then he wrecked his motorcycle and nearly died. He refused to be a spokesperson for wearing helmets, which is okay, but sort of silly to me. The upcoming season was a disaster as the Steelers missed the playoffs altogether. The next season the Steelers got back on track but lost to the Jaguars early in the playoffs.
Finally, in Ben's fifth year, the Steelers battled the Titans for the league's best record. The Titans won that battle but the Steelers did not lose again. They went all the way. Ben won his 2nd Superbowl. I was loving Ben more than ever. Then came the sexual allegations against him from a woman in Reno who alleged Ben had raped her. I tried not to be biased but really, I thought, no way. With that hanging over the heads of Steeler nation, we watched a 2nd time as our Superbowl champions failed to make the playoffs after winning the Superbowl.
Frustrated, but fully aware that we had lost our best defensive player and best all time safety, Troy Polamalu, as well as our leader on the defensive line, Aaron Smith, plus lost Ben in a crucial game against the Ravens, we all knew the Steelers would be contenders this upcoming season. Then Milledgeville happened...another accusation of sexual assault...
It is not whether or not he is guilty of the alleged crimes alone that matters. What matters to me as a Steelers fan, is that he seems to be acting very entitled and immature. This, whether well-founded or unfounded, is the feeling we Steeler fans have on the inside. I love Ben's talent. But it is time for Ben to grow up. He as a cance to win more Superbowls than any QB in history. But now, they may trade him...which brings me to my intended issue...
The only trade worth the risk is Ben to the Rams for their first pick which we would use on Sam Bradford. I admit I am also a die hard OU fan and have wanted the Steelers to draft a Sooner for over 20 something years now. This would more than make up for the wait on my part. Sam will be a great pro QB, but more than that, his character is the kind of character I as a Christian would like all Steelers to have. I actually would like the trade to happen. But that is the only trade I would favor right now, unless Ben messes up one more time.
Other people I am hoping the Steelers could get include: Toby Gerhart out of Stanford, any Sooner, Golden Tate out of Notre Dame, and possibley Dez Bryant if he will himself stay out of trouble. The draft begins tomorrow. Go Steelers! And lets get ready for the stairway to 7 (they have 6 titles). :)