I want to apologize up front to the regular readers of this blog. Long time followers certainly know the drill at this point. This is the third time in this blogs history that I go off on a Super Bowl tangent.

Faithful readers shouldn’t despair however, there’s still plenty going on within our fine company (like Carnival’s Sail-A-Thon this Thursday) that will keep me on topic leading up to this year’s Super Bowl.

After last night’s victory over the New York Jets in the AFC Championship game, in the mist of all the excitement and celebration after the game I witnessed Ben Roethlisberger down on one knee. A towel covering his face, he took a very private moment to himself in what I believe was a moment of gratitude and prayer.

You would have had to under a rock this past off season not to hear about Ben’s off field exploits and how it shamed not only himself and his family – but Steeler Nation as a whole. The Steeler franchise is a very proud organization, and growing up in this blue collar town, there’s a very distinct and visible line between right and wrong.

While charges were never filed surrounding Ben off the field activities, the Court of Public Opinion certainly had a very potent odder, that for some lingers to this day.

Some will tell you that you can’t change the past, and to a certain extent that’s true. In contrast, I’ve always been taught that you can change the past – by changing today. Those that can actually learn from our experiences instead of dwelling on them in a “Woe is me” mentality – can and do come out of horror stories like Ben’s.

And they’re better people for it.

At the end of the regular season, Ben won The Chief Award, an honor given by local members of the Pro Football Writers to the Steelers player “who best exemplifies the spirit of cooperation with the media.” For as much as the media maligned him for his extracurricular activities and poor personal decisions last spring, (especially the Pittsburgh Media) that’s a huge accomplishment.

You may not think such an award is a big deal. (Most have never heard of the award to begin with.) Considering how this circle of writers interacts with Ben on a regular basis however, they’ve obviously seen a dramatic change in Ben’s attitude and behavior – and that speaks volumes.

That was the regular season with very localized media exposure. Now Ben has an opportunity to show both National and International Media how much he’s changed given his third trip to the Super Bowl in six years.

Don’t think for a second that what happened last spring won’t come up during the next two weeks. It was a huge story – and cost Ben the first four games of the regular season with a suspension. As one writer wrote:

“The Super Bowl’s story machinery can be overwhelming. Small issues become large, major stories become gargantuan. It’s part of what makes the game and the weeks leading up to it great, and not so great.”

In other words, this story is going to be rehashed over the next two weeks at a level that will make it look like it all happened yesterday. Fortunately for Ben, he’s much stronger and wiser than he was last March. It’s a good thing – because unlike last March, he’s not going to be able to go into hiding.

It’s not that winning another Super Bowl or simply being nice to the media equates to full redemption for Ben. He still has this off season to contend with – where all of his troubles seem to stir from. The motorcycle accident in 2006, the Las Vegas fiasco the following off season, and most recently his poor choices in Georgia this past year.

Personally, I know what it’s like to hit rock bottom. I was just a little younger than Ben is now when I changed my life and direction. In order to make it complete, it needs to be a TOTAL transformation – both on and off the field. He’s made it through the regular season, now almost through the post season. We’ll have to wait and see what the upcoming off season has in store for Ben.

Can this current season carry him into the off season and complete Ben’s transformation? I think it can if he follows the same path that got him to the biggest stage in the world. Like his play – it may not be all that pretty – but the man is born leader on the gridiron. I’ve never seen anyone extend and make plays the way Ben does. He never quits.

And he won’t quit on himself.

Ben started the regular season watching his team from home. He’s now on the cusp of leading his team to its seventh Super Bowl Championship and Lombardi Trophy for this storied franchise. Some scorned the Commissioner Rodger Goodell for suspending Ben to begin with – since there were never any charges filed. In my personal opinion, I think it was the best thing that ever happened. It was just the bitter tonic he needed to swallow that made Ben hit bottom. He didn’t have to lose it all – but losing four games may have been enough to get Ben on the right track.

We have to see how the game goes in two weeks – and then the dreaded off season begins for Ben, the rest of the Steelers, and the fans.

Let’s not forget the attitude and actions that got you here Ben. How grateful you are for this opportunity coming up. There can be more – if you are truly changed.

For the record, I think you are. Been there, got the t-shirt and last night I saw it after the game. I along with others have seen it all season long.

While your transformation isn’t quite complete – your current path on and off the field will lead you there.

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UPDATE: Don’t know why I should be surprised that everyone else is looking for this poem as well. (More than likely wanting to read it and possibly copy it for themselves.) Want your own copy of the poem “Don’t Quit”? I created a PDF that you can print out and hang where you want. Mine is on the bathroom mirror.

Enjoy!

~~~~

The NFL Network has aired the newest release of it’s Emmy Award-winning ‘America’s Game’ with “The Story of the 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers”. You know me, I not only had to watch it, but it’s permanently saved on my TiVo to watch for years to come.

Each episode of America’s Game is a personal portrait told by the men who lived it and felt it. The story of the 2008 Steelers is told through the eyes of head coach Mike Tomlin, Troy Polamalu and Ben Roethlisberger.

I love the heart and the mentality of a champion and believe there is something we can not only learn but implement in our own lives to help us achieve our goals and dreams.

I wish I had a video of this one segment I could share with you, but it’s simply not available anywhere on the internet just yet. Instead I’ll have to share it with you in print.

Roethlisberger developed his resiliency on the field as a quarterback at Miami University under then-head coach Terry Hoeppner. Coach Hep, who died of brain cancer in 2007, remained a main source of inspiration for Roethlisberger through his favorite poem, “Don’t Quit.”

Roethlisberger on Coach Hep: “He just was an amazing person. More than a coach, I really was like a son to him.”

Roethlisberger on the poem, “Don’t Quit”: “[Coach Hep] would read it to us once or twice a year. He would get really into it and emotional about it. It was really something special, especially when he passed, so I put the poem up in my locker so that every day I could see it and know that no matter what, don’t give up, don’t quit.”

Just the title alone prompted me to do a quick search for this poem and found it so meaningful and inspiring, I wanted to share it with the rest of you.

“Don’t Quit”

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest! if you must; but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up, though the pace seems slow;
You might succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup.
And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit;
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.

~ Anonymous

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