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polamalubeast
07-29-2014, 11:23 AM
Jerome Bettis defended Ben Roethlisberger on Tuesday, saying on ESPN's "First Take" that his former Pittsburgh Steelers teammate is a good leader and simply a different one than Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning.

"I don't believe that Ben falls short in the leadership department," said Bettis, who won a Super Bowl with Roethlisberger and the Steelers in 2005. "You don't win a championship with a lack of leadership."

Former Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders created a stir Monday when he told KKFM in Denver that Manning is a "far better leader" than Roethlisberger. Sanders played his first four NFL seasons with Roethlisberger and the Steelers before signing with the Broncos in March.

"This is the first time that I had a quarterback that stays every single day after practice, no matter what his accolades," Sanders told KKFM about Manning. "He's not one of those guys you gotta go chase down, he's gonna be right at the same spot ready to work, every single day."

Bettis said Sanders' comments were misguided and "a little disrespectful" to Roethlisberger.

"I think [Sanders] misunderstood what leadership is and he misspoke and I think it was a little bit of a jab," said Bettis, who is an NFL analyst for ESPN. "I think if he had a chance he'd take it back. It's not that Ben doesn't lead. He just leads differently than Peyton does."



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http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/133107/bettis-lauds-big-bens-leadership

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Asked about Roethlisberger's leadership, Bettis said the Steelers quarterback talked him into returning for one more season after Pittsburgh lost to the New England Patriots in the 2004 AFC Championship Game.

Bettis won the Super Bowl ring that had eluded him in 2005 before retiring.

"Ben Roethlisberger told me, 'Hey, don't retire, I'm going to get you a championship. Trust me on this,' " Bettis said. "After every playoff game [in 2005] he gave me the game ball. After we won the Super Bowl he gave me the game ball. That's leadership."

fansince'76
07-29-2014, 12:25 PM
Nothing from Hines? :chuckle:

HollywoodSteel
07-29-2014, 12:28 PM
I think Bettis nailed it. Sure it would be nice if Ben had all the attributes he has plus P. Manning's skill at preparation and practice, but let's face it, the NFL has seen a lot of greats come and go, and it just so happens that Manning is the best ever at those particular things. But Ben has the kind of heart of a warrior that can't be taught. You have it or you don't. It's his natural physical gifts plus that heart that makes you want the ball in his hands on 4th down, 1 second on the clock, and you need to score. I'm not saying Manning doesn't have that (I think people calling him a playoff and Super Bowl choker is probably a bit unfair) but you just know Ben has that special something that, I'll admit, sometimes dazzles me to the point where it's hard to believe he is the same species as the rest of us. That passion and confidence is contagious and is part of leadership. I also believe that since his last bout of legal trouble, Ben has become an even better teammate, leader, and overall human being.

He certainly deserves the praise he's getting from Bettis, because you just know that when he told Bettis, "come back and I'll get you a championship" he had absolutely no doubt in his mind that this statement was true. Maybe it actually takes a kind of disconnect from your logical brain in order to believe that kind of statement and then will it into existence. Whatever it is, I'm glad Ben has it.

polamalubeast
07-29-2014, 03:40 PM
Former Steeler Jerome Bettis: Emmanuel Sanders’ Comments Were ‘Disrespectfu

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2014/07/former-steeler-jerome-bettis-emmanuel-sanders-comments-disrespectful/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

tube517
07-29-2014, 03:47 PM
Nothing from Hines? :chuckle:

Hey hey, now. That's my Quarterback.

http://c4241337.r37.cf2.rackcdn.com/03-20-13_hines-ward_original.jpg

Oh, wrong QB.... :chuckle:

http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/multimedia/photo_gallery/1004/ben.roethlisberger.rare.photos/images/Roethlisberger-ward-bettis-.jpg

:lol::lol::lol: