During the 70s, the Steelers were loaded with talent across the board. Offensive weapons included: Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Mike Webster, Franco Harris, Rocky Bleier and the aforementioned Bradshaw. On defense, the Steelers had Jack Lambert, Joe Greene, Jack Ham, Mel Blount, Donnie Shell, L.C. Greenwood and so on. At 6-feet 3-inches and 220 pounds, Bradshaw was the ideal size of an NFL quarterback and was naturally gifted. Even though he was a little rough around the edges, Bradshaw was a true competitor. Led by his physical skills, a powerful arm that could sting a receiver’s hands 50 yards downfield and his leadership that saw him call his own plays throughout his football career, he played a vital role in Pittsburgh Steelers’ history.
The usual knock on Bradshaw is that he was carried by his team to greatness, and that without this cast, Bradshaw would have been mediocre. On the contrary, I see it a completely different way and that’s the beauty of sports as opinions vary. Bradshaw did in fact have an All-Star cast surrounding him during his tenure with the Steelers, so the pressure to win was insurmountable. However, Bradshaw was the first overall pick in the 1970 draft for a reason, and that reason is simply because he was deemed for greatness.
In 1969, Bradshaw was arguably the most outstanding college football player, as NFL teams were constantly inquiring about his services. As a junior, he amassed 2,890 total yards, which ranked him No. 1 in the NCAA, and led his team to a 9-2 record. In his senior season, he gained 2,314 yards, ranking third in the NCAA, and led his team to an 8-2 record. His drop in production was not due to a down year, but simply because his team played only 10 games that year and he was replaced by second-tier players several times in the second half of games because his team had built up a huge lead.
As history or any knowledgeable sports fan will tell you, Bradshaw didn’t disappoint in college and he didn’t disappoint with the Steelers. During his illustrious career, Bradshaw played big in big games. Even though No. 12 only passed for more than 300 yards in a game seven times, three of them came in the postseason and two of them in Super Bowls. In four Super Bowl appearances, Bradshaw, passed for 932 yards and nine touchdowns, was a two time Super Bowl MVP and he was the NFL MVP in 1978.
Ben Roethlisberger was the eleventh overall pick in 2004 NFL Draft. Roethlisberger played his collegiate career at Miami University in Ohio. Roethlisberger holds every major passing record at the school and a number of passing records in the Mid-American Conference. In three years with the RedHawks, Roethlisberger threw for 3,100 yards, 3,200 yards and 4,400 yards. In 2003, Roethlisberger led the Miami RedHawks to an unbeaten record in the MAC, a No. 10 ranking in the Associated Press poll and a 49-28 victory over Louisville in the 2003 GMAC Bowl.
Just like Bradshaw, Big Ben was deemed for greatness, and he also gets knocked for being carried by his team through the years. While earlier in his career, as most, if not at all, players in the NFL take 2-3 years to catch up to speed, Roethlisberger was vaulted into the starting lineup as a rookie. He had to learn on the fly and while he didn’t post gaudy numbers, he did however, manage the game like a true leader and most importantly, he protected the football.
As a rookie, Big Ben went 13-0 in the regular season as a starting quarterback, helping the Steelers become the first AFC team to have 15 wins in a single regular season. Furthermore, Roethlisberger was unanimously selected as the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press, the first quarterback in 34 years to be honored.
Present day, Big Ben is arguably one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL today, as he continues to have an amazing year with the Steelers. In a year, where many projected Big Ben to suffer due to his makeshift offensive line, losing his top wideout from a year ago and other supporting cast members, he is on pace for a record-breaking year.
As we all know and yet still don’t mind being reminded, Roethlisberger has already had a Hall of Fame career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Roethlisberger, along with others such as Polamalu, Bettis, Ward, Harrison and so on, have led the Steelers to countless divisional titles, multiple AFC Championship Titles and two Superbowl Titles. Bradshaw and Roethlisberger are two quarterbacks in two different eras, but both have had their careers downplayed for being part of greatness.
