Adding Ben in 2004 ignited a second era of Steelers greatness

It deserves to be remembered as one of the most significant seasons in the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers. As it was known in-house: the year of re-establishing the mind-set. The purpose was to bring the franchise back toward its roots – put simply, getting back to physical over finesse – because by the end of 2003 it was apparent the Steelers had lost their way. But along the path of re-establishing the mind-set in an effort to re-capture their past, the Pittsburgh Steelers unlocked the door to their future.

The first step was acquiring the key to that door. That happened on April 24, 2004, at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, the site of that year’s NFL Draft.

The card the Steelers turned in when they had decided on their first-round draft pick read: R-o-e-t-h-l-i-s-b-e-r-g-e-r, and no one at the time could have had any idea how right they were.

It has been 18 years now, and the point is inarguable. There are two Lombardi trophies in their possession that otherwise would belong to another. The NFL record book is littered with the same name that the Steelers had printed on that index card, and in his business, greatness is measured by rings and records, in that order, and he has both. On Jan. 27, Ben Roethlisberger announced his retirement from the Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football League, and he does so as a significant and dynamic player in the history of his sport.

SAINT VINCENT COLLEGE, Summer of 2004

The re-establishment of the mind-set packed up and moved its head-quarters to the Laurel Highlands for a few weeks of togetherness on a small college campus. Coach Bill Cowher was conducting a consistently physical and competitive camp, a camp that already had claimed one of Charlie Batch’s knees. The unintended consequence to a season-ending injury to the team’s veteran backup quarterback was that it moved the rookie to the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. With real games still some months away, the promotion meant nothing except that it provided the rookie with more reps in practice, and more reps with better players and against better competition.

A training camp practice on a Saturday afternoon can devolve into looking exactly like what it is: a padded workout at the end of a long,