“It might have helped to be thrown into the fire that early vs. After struggling in his first two games – trips to Michigan and Iowa – he fared better in his first home game, completing 20-of-25 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns as the RedHawks beat rival Cincinnati. “I prayed a lot about it, talked to my family about it, and it seemed like the right fit.”īen took a redshirt season in 2000, but won the starting job in 2001. “It came down to what would be comfortable for me and what felt right,” Ben said. Ben saw a shot at being a four-year starter after then-No. Ohio State University also went after Ben, who set state high school records for yards (4,041) and touchdowns (54) playing in a high-powered offense similar to Miami’s. “I said, ‘That’s good enough for me,’” Hoeppner said. In that first game, Ben threw six touchdowns. “I didn’t want to be the genius to offer this guy who never played quarterback a scholarship.” “We waited until he played a game,” Miami head coach Terry Hoeppner said. Ben performed well but left with no scholarship offer. He was the team captain in all three sports.īen’s talents weren’t a secret to the Miami (Ohio) University staff, which invited him to its summer camp before his senior season. 300 hitter as a shortstop for Findlay’s baseball team.īen was named all-league and all-district performer in both basketball and baseball. He was coached by Cliff Hite.Īs for basketball, Ben averaged 26.5 points, nine rebounds and five assists per game as a senior point guard. He threw two touchdown passes, including the game-winner, in the North-South game. Ben played in both Ohio North-South and Ohio-Pennsylvania Big 33 All-Star games. He was named league, district and Toledo Blade Player of the Year.įindlay went 10-2 during 1999, advancing to second round of state playoffs before losing to Grove City. Ben set state records by throwing for 4,041 yards and 54 touchdowns during his senior season. Ohio’s Division I Offensive Player of the Year and runner-up for Mr. 1 quarterback after the graduation of the starting QB one grade ahead of him. It wasn’t until the fall of 1999, his final high school season, that Ben earned a chance to be the No. It burns me, drives me crazy.” - Ben, from an interview/article in the Novemissue of USA TODAY Sports Weekly.īefore becoming a nationally known phenomenon, Ben was a thin, lanky wideout at Findlay High School. I try to play the game with a lot of heart and passion. I guess that’s what I’m doing, just out there playing ball. “My favorite thing (as a kid) was playing backyard football. Surrounded by the love and support of his family, Ben became very active in sports at a young age, focusing primarily on basketball and football. “If you’re gonna tell me that Ben Roethlisberger is not an elite quarterback then you don’t know what you’re talking about!” - HOF player, former NFL head coach and current football analyst Mike Ditka on ESPN’s Mike & Mike Show, February 2009.īen was born on Main Lima, Ohio and grew up just outside of Findlay, Ohio in an area called Cory-Rawson.
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