Ben Roethlisberger Geeks Out Over Tom Brady, Asks For His Jersey [VIDEO]
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Sorry, Steelers fans, but you'll just have to accept that your quarterback respects Tom Brady. Ben Roethlisberger doesn't think Brady is a dirty cheater with no integrity who can't win without engaging in some tomfoolery, like you (probably) believe at this point. He respects Brady about as much as any of his peers in the NFL. He even said "Tom's the greatest in the world, and I mean that," when speaking with ESPN.
It really shouldn't surprise you, since the two have faced each other several times in the regular season and playoffs and been two of the best signal-callers in the AFC for over a decade. So naturally, Big Ben (and Brady) were disappointed that the injured Roethlisberger couldn't make it on the field last Sunday in Pittsburgh.
Inside the NFL still had Roethlisberger mic'd up for the game and captured a nice pregame moment between the two rival QBs. "I want to be out here against you so bad," Roethlisberger says to Brady, who says he felt the same way. Big Ben admires Brady so much that he apparently wants to hang his jersey in his office. Brady obliges, promising to get one for him after the game.
Sure, maybe moments like these are contrived or staged. But it's just another example of how much Brady and Roethlisberger respect each other as peers, and how much respect players within the league respect Brady as a player. It's OK, you can admit Brady is still one of the league's greatest, most respected players, and still dislike him and root against him on Sundays.
Roethlisberger may have had his share of despicable off-field behavior. But strictly as a quarterback on the football field, I respect him as much as any player in the league and I was super disappointed that he couldn't play against the Patriots last Sunday. It would have been a marquee game.
See? It's not that hard to admit you respect a rival player for being good. Try it sometime.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
