Ben Roethlisberger

Benjamin Roethlisberger -
Born: March 3, 1982 in Findlay, Ohio

Drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers as a backup quarterback to Tommy Maddox, Ben Rothelisberger wound up taking the NFL by storm in the 2004 season. When Maddox went down with an injury in Pittsburgh's 2nd week loss of 2004 to the Baltimore Ravens, Rothelisberger was elevated to starting quarterback, and the Steelers' season was never the same. Nicknamed Big Ben due to an imposing build that was unusual for quarterbacks, Rothelisberger won in his first official start in week three of 2004, and won again in week four. He and the Steelers kept winning in subsequent games, and suddenly the Steelers, a year removed from a poor 2003 season, were becoming an AFC force.

leading the Steelers to a 11-5 record in 2005. As a wild card, the Steelers went on to defeat the division champion Cincinatti Bengals, heavily-favored Indianapolis Colts, and the re-energized Denver Broncos to earn a berth in Super Bowl XL against the Seattle Seahawks.

Although he struggled in the Super Bowl, Ben was able to do just enough to help the Steelers to their first NFL championship since the 1979 season. At age 23, he became the youngest quarterback to lead his team to a Super Bowl win.

However, the celebration was short-lived as Rothlisberger was seriously injured in a near-fatal off-season motorcycle accident, to which he was not wearing a helmet. He was able to recover and now shows no signs of injury.