Big Ben on crash: It's over, move on
PITTSBURGH — Ben Roethlisberger didn't have any problem recalling the significance of June 12. It's been circled on his calendar for nearly a year.
So, while the Steelers were holding a voluntary team workout Tuesday at Heinz Field — spending a day away from their practice complex — their quarterback was remembering where he was a year ago to the day.
The day he crashed his motorcycle into the side of a car that failed to yield the right of way at a busy Pittsburgh intersection, causing a scary accident in which the helmetless Roethlisberger lost considerable blood — and, with it, nearly his life.
"This is the day last year that, uh, I almost lost my life. ... I had it marked on the calendar," Roethlisberger said as the Steelers wound down their offseason drills. "I marked it down today on the calendar as one year and then tomorrow I had, 'Hopefully, no more talking about it.' "
Finally, he hopes, the talk and the memories are fading about a much-debated accident that occurred only four months after he led the Steelers to their first Super Bowl title in 26 years. Many Steelers fans were upset that Roethlisberger, arguably the most valuable player during the Super Bowl run, carelessly exposed himself to injury by not wearing a helmet.
"It's over with, it's done with, and, hopefully, now that it's a year over with, people will stop talking about it," he said.
As a result of the crash, Roethlisberger insists he no longer rides motorcycles — he has not been photographed doing so since that day — and limits himself to the occasional 10-speed bicycle ride.
