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By Brian Deardo
Ben Roethlisberger is a big fan of Christian music. Recently, Big Ben displayed his love of Christian music -- as well as his charitable side -- by personally paying for a Christian music group to have a bus for their tour.
Rothlisberger's love of Christian music dates back to one of the toughest moments of his life. While he seldom discusses his past off the field struggles that led to a four-game suspension during the 2010 season, he did open up two offseasons ago at the Ignite Men's Impact Weekend event at Liberty University.
"I was accused of something that was so horrific. To be accused of something like that, so horrific, was devastating," Roethlisberger said. "The pain that caused my family, caused me, caused my teammates, friends, everybody, it was so tough on all of us.
"I wanted to show change, and I wanted to show change in my life in a personal way. I put myself in bad situations. It was time to settle down and grow up and get away from that Big Ben persona and just go back to being Ben Roethlisberger and be the person I was raised to be from my amazing family and parents. It was tough, but it brought me closer still to the lord. It definitely brought me back to a place of humility, brought me back to a place (with) my faith."
Roethlisberger's road to redemption began when a song came on his car radio during that tumultuous time.
"I was driving down the road and a TobyMac song came on, 'Lose My Soul'," Roethlisberger said. "(The lyrics) fit my life very well. It says: 'What does it gain a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?' And that's what I was doing, I lost my soul. But I had the whole world. I had money, I had fame, I had football, I had Super Bowls, everything. But I lost my soul, as a man, as a person, as a son. And that hurt everybody.
"I heard those lyrics, and I had to pull over to the side of the road because I was crying. I was sobbing. I just broke down and I said, 'This is the grace that I needed.' "
While he kept his composure to this point, Big Ben could not hide his emotion when discussing his father and how a moment with him during that time changed his life forever.
"When you like you let people down, it's your family first," Roethlisberger said. "I lost my mother when I was 8 to a car accident, so my dad and I were super close growing up, and even to this day, he's still one of my best friends. To feel like you've let your hero down is tough.
"When I came to him and told him just how sorry I was and everything that was going on, he said, 'I thought I lost my son, and now you're back', and that meant to world to me, as you can see."
Roethlisberger, overcome with emotion, then took a second to dry his eyes.
While he father has played an immense role in his life, both before and after his self-described transformation, Big Ben also credits his wife Ashley, who he wed in 2012 and now has three children with, as another significant individual that has blessed his life in immeasurable ways.
"I won two Super Bowls, and I've got some amazing Super Bowl rings, but I only wear one ring," Roethlisberger said, showing the crowd his wedding band. "That's the one that's most important. She's awesome. I'm not perfect, but I would say she is."
In closing, Roethlisberger said that, despite the remarkable turnaround in his personal life, he is not a perfect man. He also shared how he continues to grow in all facets of his life, a road that is a day-by-day journey for Big Ben, his family, and his close friends.
"I am far, far from a perfect man," Roethlisberger said. "Every day, I wake up, do my devotion in the morning and ask the lord to help me, to make me better today. To take this day and make it the best day of my life, whether that's as a father, a husband, a Christian, whatever it is.
"I am blessed."
By Brian Deardo
Ben Roethlisberger is a big fan of Christian music. Recently, Big Ben displayed his love of Christian music -- as well as his charitable side -- by personally paying for a Christian music group to have a bus for their tour.
Rothlisberger's love of Christian music dates back to one of the toughest moments of his life. While he seldom discusses his past off the field struggles that led to a four-game suspension during the 2010 season, he did open up two offseasons ago at the Ignite Men's Impact Weekend event at Liberty University.
"I was accused of something that was so horrific. To be accused of something like that, so horrific, was devastating," Roethlisberger said. "The pain that caused my family, caused me, caused my teammates, friends, everybody, it was so tough on all of us.
"I wanted to show change, and I wanted to show change in my life in a personal way. I put myself in bad situations. It was time to settle down and grow up and get away from that Big Ben persona and just go back to being Ben Roethlisberger and be the person I was raised to be from my amazing family and parents. It was tough, but it brought me closer still to the lord. It definitely brought me back to a place of humility, brought me back to a place (with) my faith."
Roethlisberger's road to redemption began when a song came on his car radio during that tumultuous time.
"I was driving down the road and a TobyMac song came on, 'Lose My Soul'," Roethlisberger said. "(The lyrics) fit my life very well. It says: 'What does it gain a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?' And that's what I was doing, I lost my soul. But I had the whole world. I had money, I had fame, I had football, I had Super Bowls, everything. But I lost my soul, as a man, as a person, as a son. And that hurt everybody.
"I heard those lyrics, and I had to pull over to the side of the road because I was crying. I was sobbing. I just broke down and I said, 'This is the grace that I needed.' "
While he kept his composure to this point, Big Ben could not hide his emotion when discussing his father and how a moment with him during that time changed his life forever.
"When you like you let people down, it's your family first," Roethlisberger said. "I lost my mother when I was 8 to a car accident, so my dad and I were super close growing up, and even to this day, he's still one of my best friends. To feel like you've let your hero down is tough.
"When I came to him and told him just how sorry I was and everything that was going on, he said, 'I thought I lost my son, and now you're back', and that meant to world to me, as you can see."
Roethlisberger, overcome with emotion, then took a second to dry his eyes.
While he father has played an immense role in his life, both before and after his self-described transformation, Big Ben also credits his wife Ashley, who he wed in 2012 and now has three children with, as another significant individual that has blessed his life in immeasurable ways.
"I won two Super Bowls, and I've got some amazing Super Bowl rings, but I only wear one ring," Roethlisberger said, showing the crowd his wedding band. "That's the one that's most important. She's awesome. I'm not perfect, but I would say she is."
In closing, Roethlisberger said that, despite the remarkable turnaround in his personal life, he is not a perfect man. He also shared how he continues to grow in all facets of his life, a road that is a day-by-day journey for Big Ben, his family, and his close friends.
"I am far, far from a perfect man," Roethlisberger said. "Every day, I wake up, do my devotion in the morning and ask the lord to help me, to make me better today. To take this day and make it the best day of my life, whether that's as a father, a husband, a Christian, whatever it is.
"I am blessed."
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