Roethlisberger camp returns to SV campus
JACKSON TWP — Ben Roethlisberger never played for Chuck Noll, but the two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback offered his perspective on what the Hall of Fame coach meant to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Noll, who was Pittsburgh's head coach from 1969 to 1991, led the franchise to four Super Bowl titles. He died at his home Friday night at the age of 82.
“I met Coach Noll one time. It was shortly after I came to Pittsburgh (in 2004) and it was just a 'Hello,' Roethlisberger said during his seventh annual youth football camp at Seneca Valley's NexTier Stadium on Monday. “But whether you played for him or you're a Steelers player who has heard a lot about him, that's family. Anybody who knows football knows how special he was.
“The tradition that is the Pittsburgh Steelers, it started with him,” he added. “Those were some great teams in the '70s. I heard a quote from Mr. (Dan) Rooney and he said that Coach Noll made the Steelers what they are. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and all of Steeler Nation.”
The camp, normally a two-day event, was shortened to one day due to the Steelers' mandatory mini-camp that begins today.“It's the same number of hours, we are just getting it all in one day,” said ProCamps founder Gregg Darbyshire. “We're going from 8:30 in the morning until 3:30 in the afternoon. The camp was sold out with 500 kids. It's a credit to what Ben has done here over the last (six) years.”Rochester High School assistant football coach Jim Siget was one of many coaches from the region helping to instruct kids at the camp.“We worked on quarterback and wide receiver drills in the morning,” he said during the camp's lunch break. “The kids are loving it. It's a little hot and they are getting tired, but they know that we're having games of 7-on-7 in the afternoon and are pumped for that.”Providing medical attention if needed for the campers was Greater Pittsburgh Orthopedic Associates and Physical Therapy.“Nothing has happened to any of the campers to keep them off the field,” said GPPT owner Tom McConnell. “A few bumps and bruises, but most of it is kids coming off a bit dehydrated. Staying hydrated is the key and we have eight water stations set up at different areas of the camp.”As he has done in years past, Roethlisberger threw a pass to each camper.“To see the joy and excitement on their faces after catching a pass, that's the best part about it,” said Roethlisberger, who then admitted, “I'm the biggest kid out here.”Pittsburgh's mini-camp will give the team's offensive veterans like Roethlisberger a chance to get better acclimated with newcomers like wide receivers Lance Moore, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Martavis Bryant and running backs LeGarrette Blount and Dri Archer.“At OTAs, we had helmets on and that was it. There were no pads,” said Roethlisberger. “I liked what I saw, but it's too early to get that excited. Mini-camp is all about getting to know and working with the new guys, getting on the same page.”
