Ben Roethlisberger: "It's not always easy. People don't realize all the time that us athletes, we're human. We sin like everybody else. I am no different. We make mistakes. We get addicted to things. We sin. We're human. I think sometimes we get put on this pedestal where we can't make mistakes. I've fallen as short as anybody. I've been addicted to alcohol. I've been addicted to pornography, which makes me then not the best husband, not the best father, not the best Christian I can be. But you have to dedicate yourself and understand that you can get out of it because of the grace of God and him saying, 'Listen, you're good enough for me the way you are. You don't have to be perfect.’”
Two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had some revealing remarks during a virtual conference for Christian men called ‘ManUp Pittsburgh’ over the weekend where Roethlisberger admitted to off-the-field addictions during his storied playing career.
Roethlisberger, who is 38-years-old and about to enter into his 17th NFL season, said that he’s fought addictions with alcohol and pornography over the course of his career, despite putting together a resume worthy of first ballot Hall of Fame enshrinement.
Roethlisberger’s career in the limelight hasn’t exactly been an immaculate one. Roethlisberger has twice been accused of sexual assault, one in Lake Tahoe in June of 2008, and the other in Milledgeville, Georgia in March of 2010. Roethlisberger was never formally charged in both cases, but did settle out of court with the accuser of the Lake Tahoe incident.
Roethlisberger was suspend for the first four games of the 2010 season for violating the league’s ‘personal conduct policy’ because of the accusations in Georgia.
After missing the final 14 games of 2019 because of a season-ending elbow injury, Roethlisberger told the virtual conference that he’s ‘thankful’ the injury happened.
"I'm so thankful that this injury happened during my walk that I'm in now," the 38-year-old signal-caller said. "I don't know that I would've been able to handle it a few years ago, five, six, seven, 10 years ago. I know that my faith wouldn't have been as strong. Now that I know what it's about, it's easy to say, 'Hey, God, this is in your hands. I'm going to go train my butt off to get back out there, and whatever you have for me, I'm ready.'"