Ben Roethlisberger’s admission to addiction over the years is very positive and explains some of the enigma in his life, but he needs to take it one step further

Roethlisberger family photo, 2019

Photo: 247 Sports

… character issues of early years are better understood

The admission was not one that many people expected. However, Ben Roethlisberger came clean about many issues in his past and how they affected his life, and that is a very positive first step in recovery,

Ben Roethlisberger says he’s a changed man.

The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback who’s twice been accused of sexual assault said he wasn’t ready for the fame and fortune provided an NFL star when he joined the league and that he lost touch with his Christian values en route to bouts with alcohol and pornography addictions.

Roethlisberger made these claims as a guest speaker at a virtual conference on Saturday called ManUp Pittsburgh, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. He said that since he married his wife, Ashley Harlan, he’s reconnected with his Christian faith.

Jason Owens, “Ben Roethlisberger talks past porn, alcohol addictions: 

'Not the best Christian I can be’,” Yahoo Sports, Jun 23, 2020

The admission was made at a virtual conference in Pittsburgh last week. 

Admission

The conference at which Roethlisberger made his admission was one for men that has been held for a number of years,

Ben Roethlisberger’s demons include a prior addiction to alcohol and pornography, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback said at the ManUp Pittsburgh conference on Saturday.

Roethlisberger was an invited speaker at the conference, which deals with faith and a man’s role as a husband and father.

Roethlisberger used his 15-minute segment to discuss his shortcomings off the football field.

“I’ve fallen as short as anybody,” Roethlisberger said while speaking with former Steelers player Tunch Ilkin, one of the program’s hosts. “I’ve been addicted to alcohol. I’ve been addicted to pornography, which makes me then not the best husband, not the best father, not the best Christian I can be.

Joe Rutter, “Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger admits past addictions to 

alcohol, pornography,” Tribune-Review, June 23, 2020

This explains a great deal

The addictions help explain how Roethlisberger has been so inconsistent in his career, particularly in recent years. However, what he has to come to grips with is that he has been looked upon as a spoiled athlete who has taken advantage of his position to debase women. That is now his challenge,

Twice accused of sexual misconduct a decade ago — he was never charged in either case — Roethlisberger, 38, said it was his marriage to Ashley Harlan in 2011 that brought religion back into his life. The Roethlisbergers are parents to three children,

Porn star Stormy Daniels wrote in her book about an encounter with Roethlisberger, who was introduced to her by Donald Trump at a Lake Tahoe resort in 2006. Daniels said she was “terrified” of Roethlisberger, claiming he tried to kiss her after being escorted by the quarterback back to her hotel room.

Joe Rutter, Tribune-Review, June 23, 2020

Explanation of the problem

Roethlisberger did not say exactly when he made an attempt to confront his addictions. It appears to be in recent years, but he did go back and try and point out what had happened in his life,

Roethlisberger said he lost his way when he left home to attend college at Miami (Ohio).

“It wasn’t like I stopped believing,” he said, “but you’re not sharpening your skills. I’m still praying here and there, but I wasn’t as strong of a Christian in college as I wish I would have been.”

Roethlisberger said he wasn’t equipped to handle the fame and fortune that came with being a first-round draft pick and a quarterback who played in three Super Bowls, winning two, before he turned 30.

“I never got back to where I wanted to be or how I was raised,” he said.

“I’m trying to be a better Christian than I am an athlete at football,” Roethlisberger said. “I push myself every day to do that. It starts here. It’s not always easy. People don’t realize all the time that us athletes, we’re human. We sin like everyone else. We make mistakes. We get addicted to things. We sin.”

Joe Rutter, Tribune-Review, June 23, 2020

The reality is that addictions take time to recover from in life, and that religion and belief in God alone usually do not work without therapy. He would have difficulty with public programs like Alcoholic Anonymous because of his celebrity, but private therapy can be helpful if he is willing to go through it. Perhaps he is now, but that is not clear — nor does it have to be. 

Roethlisberger has to regain respect, first for himself

While the Steelers QB credits his wife for turning him back in the right direction, it appears that much of this occurred during his marriage and his fatherhood to three children. 

Roethlisberger lost the respect of many football fans for his sexual escapades in 2009 and 2010. In the second one, he was accused of sexually assaulting a young co-ed from Georgia in a bathroom in a bar while some of his thugs guarded the door. 

After that, a Sports Illustrated cover story noted how reviled he was by many people in Pittsburgh. One of the stories was of a young, single mother who was a waitress in a bar/restaurant when he refused to pay his bill. She had to chase him outside to get him to pay — and he never gave her a tip. 

In addition, he is not regarded by fellow players and coaches for his unwillingness to work hard with film and game preparation. He also refuses to help younger quarterbacks with this preparation.

Is he done as a QB?

While many fans believe that his return to the Steelers will lead them back to the playoffs, I am not one of them. I have no respect for him, though he can earn it back to a certain degree. 

His woeful performance in the shellacking that the New England Patriots and Tom Brady gave the Steelers in the opening game last year was embarrassing and humbling. He had a QB rating of 65 in six quarters last year, so recovering from an injury at the age of 38 does not exactly fill me with optimism.

Character issues do not disappear because of recovery

Suffice it to say that because of his character issues, I have not been a fan of his. Maybe that will change, but what he has to do is earn some self-respect as well as respect for others. 

Whether he can do that in a short time is questionable. 

However, he has to take this one step further.

What he needs to do

Apologize.

As for his recovery, what he needs to do is apologize to the young woman he allegedly assaulted in Georgia. Making amends is a major step in the 12 steps of recovery, and he has to do that. The charges were not filed because her family did not want her to have to go through the humiliation of what happened, which was not her fault. 

I am not certain that will ever occur, probably more because of legal reasons that anything else. However, that will be the first step in his earning my respect.