Ben ready to put ’06 in the past

The Steelers quarterback feels more comfortable in Bruce Arians’ offense.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ben Roethlisberger is putting the motorcycle crash, the appendectomy and the multiple concussions behind him. Way behind him, he hopes.

Next up: Making people forget that bad season of a year ago, when the Steelers finished .500, he led the NFL in interceptions and that Super Bowl championship in February 2006 seemed so far, far away.

“Because of the way that I played last season, I felt I let the guys down,” Roethlisberger said Wednesday.

“I didn’t want to let that happen again.”

That’s why the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl started working out for this season even before last season’s playoffs were over. And if he got on a Harley during the offseason, nobody is coming forward with proof.

Throwing 23 interceptions, getting sacked 46 times and having his head bounced off the Georgia Dome turf by three tacklers will do that to a quarterback, especially one who says he wants to be remembered someday as one of the best to play the game.

Mature player

As the Steelers prepare for Sunday’s opener at Cleveland, his teammates are sensing this is a new, grown-up, take-charge, I’m-the-guy Big Ben.

“I think he’s definitely made some self-changes. He kind of realizes he’s grown into a leadership role on this team,” tight end Heath Miller said. “Whether he’s kind of taken it upon himself to take over, it’s come to him as the quarterback of the team. You’re looked at as a leader.”

Roethlisberger also seems more comfortable with new offensive coordinator Bruce Arians than he did with predecessor Ken Whisenhunt, even though the two won a Super Bowl together before Whisenhunt was hired by Arizona.

“I feel a lot healthier being able to be out working out a lot earlier than I did last year,” said Roethlisberger, who missed last year’s opener due to an appendectomy.

“Working with him [Arians], I feel a lot more comfortable in this offense and where we’re at as a team.”

More comfortable, too, in taking charge of a huddle where Bettis, Hines Ward and All-Pro guard Alan Faneca once were the undisputed leaders.

“I think you can see the confidence Ben has in himself,” Ward said.

Or exactly what Roethlisberger wants his teammates to see.