National Media Hammers Big Ben About His Past
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - With the national spotlight on the Pittsburgh Steelers, reporters from around the country are starting to ask some tough questions about Ben Roethlisberger.
Questions about Roethlisberger's four-game suspension following allegations from a college student in Millidgeville, Ga. were among the toughest.
However, Big Ben dismissed those questions as something that's in the past.
For Roethlisberger, Thursday was conference call day. Reporters from across the country phoned in a variety of questions for the star quarterback.
After a few of the usual questions about football, the Kansas City Star wanted to know about Roethlisberger's four-game suspension:
"Take us back to those first four weeks when you couldn't play, when you were suspended," Randy Covitz said.
"The great thing is, that it was so long ago I forgot all about it. Right now, it's not about living in the past for me, it's about the here and now and this game," Roethlisberger replied.
Roethlisberger was hidden away in a private room during the call, but more personal questions came, including this one from the Cleveland Plain Dealer: "I wanted to know if you thought you are a better player and a better person for having gone through what you've gone through."
"When it comes to being a person, I just try to be the person my parents raised me to be," Roethlisberger answered.
The personal questions didn't end there.
"Can you talk about what you were thinking back then and could you imagine being where you are today?," asked another reporter.
"I can't really afford to look back and focus on the past. We have to do what we [have to] do now and that's trying to win this game against a really good team," Roethlisberger said.
Should the Steelers advance to the Super Bowl, Roethlisberger has likely only seen the beginning of these types of questions from the national media.
You can watch the AFC Championship game on KDKA-TV at 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
