Saturday, July 30, 2016
Associated Press
LATROBE, Pa.
Ben Roethlisberger will spend the next six weeks getting a feel for potentially the most explosive offense in the NFL. Still, the Pittsburgh quarterback’s mind couldn’t help but wander a bit as he took the field Friday for his 13th training camp.
It’s why he briefly donned a No. 83 jersey during practice to pay tribute to tight end Heath Miller, who retired in February after more than a decade as Roethlisberger’s security blanket.
It’s why he couldn’t contain his optimism about the potential of Miller’s replacement, Ladarius Green, still recovering from offseason ankle surgery.
It’s why he didn’t bother to mask his disappointment when asked about talented if mercurial wide receiver Martavis Bryant’s yearlong suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.
Roethlisberger hasn’t spoken to Bryant since the discipline was announced in March. The two-time Super Bowl winner took the news personally, not just as a teammate but as a friend.
When Bryant spent time at a treatment facility in Houston last September while serving a four-game suspension for a previous violation of the policy, Roethlisberger reached out to Bryant daily. To watch him run into trouble again hurt.
“You feel kind of let down, kind of disappointed because it’s like a little brother that you take under your wing that had all the potential in the world to be one of the best,” Roethlisberger said. “But that’s on the football field. I think off the field you worry about him as a man and as a person. I’ve heard he’s doing better now. That’s most important.”
Bryant won’t be back until next spring. The wait won’t be nearly as long for Green, though there’s still no timetable for when the team’s big free-agent signee will see the field.
Roethlisberger likened the 6-foot-6, 237-pound Green as a “Ferrari” during organized team activities, albeit one that will remain in the garage for the time being. Green said Friday there’s no reason he shouldn’t be ready by the start of the regular season on Sept. 12 in Washington, though Roethlisberger is anxious to get the feeling out process started.
“I’ve heard a lot of things and enjoy talking to him, kind of picking his brain on some things,” Roethlisberger said. “But I would love to get him out here so I hope it happens soon.”
Miller stepped away after 11 years, 592 receptions, 45 touchdowns and countless long talks.