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link Quote:
Miami University will retire Ben Roethlisberger's jersey Saturday
Posted by From staff reports October 11, 2007 13:58PM
Categories: College, MAC
It took awhile for everything to be finalized, but the Miami RedHawks learned this week that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger would be around for Saturday's Homecoming game against Bowling Green.
That allowed plans to go full steam ahead for the former RedHawk and Super Bowl quarterback to have his jersey No. 7 retired at the game. At halftime, Miami will pay tribute to his late head coach, Terry Hoeppner.
AP file photo
Ben Roethlisberger during his Miami career.Roethlisberger's jersey number will be retired in a pregame ceremony beginning at 2:40 p.m., while Hoeppner will be honored at halftime with a commemorative plaque that will hang in the Cradle of Coaches Plaza at the Yager Stadium Complex. Hoeppner's wife, Jane, will be in attendance.
Roethlisberger becomes only the third athlete in Miami football history to have his jersey number retired, joining John Pont and Bob Hitchens.
It is the first time in 34 years Miami has retired a football jersey number.
The former RedHawk quarterback, now a star with the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, led Hoeppner's 2003 club to 13 consecutive victories, a Mid-American Conference Championship, a victory in the GMAC Bowl and a No. 10 ranking in the final national polls. Roethlisberger earned Third-Team All-America honors during his record-breaking junior season and became just the third Miami player to capture the Vern Smith Award as the Mid-American Conference Most Valuable Player.
Roethlisberger was selected with the 11th overall pick in 2004 by the Pittsburgh Steelers -- the highest draft position of any Miami player in program history. Roethlisberger led the Steelers to victory in each of his first 14 NFL starts, leading Pittsburgh to the AFC Championship game and being named the NFL's Rookie of the Year. One year later he led the Steelers to a 21-10 win over Seattle in Super Bowl XL.
AP file photo
Terry Hoeppner during his time at Indiana.Hoeppner, who passed away on June 19, 2007 while he was head coach at Indiana, was part of the Miami football program for 19 seasons, including six as the head coach from 1999-2004. Hoeppner led Miami to a pair of Mid-American Conference East Division titles and back-to-back bowl games (2003-04) for the first time in 30 years.
In his six seasons as a head coach in Oxford, Hoeppner posted six straight winning seasons, including five seasons with seven or more wins, and finished among the top three in the MAC East for the duration of his tenure.
While Im aware this thread could easily be hijacked by Big Ben haters. He and I went to school the same years together at Miami, I only met him three times but he really made my time at Miami special, the football games were amazing, and Oxford was electric.
Quick story, the day he had his NFL workout, as he didnt work out at the combine wound, up being the first warm day on campus that spring. The bar across from where I lived (First Run now Brick Street) had 1.50 pints of Newcastle so my roommate and I, excited for a warm weather happy hour got there at like 2 or 3. We were the only ones there, except for Roethlisberger, his two parents, his agent, Warren Moon and someone from Miami's coaching staff.
I have to admit I eavesdropped and for about 10 minutes Roethlisberger consistantly complained that Carmen Policy had not gotten back to him.
Take it for what you want, but I will forever believe Ben wanted to be a Brown.
That draft day will go down as my worst day as a sports fan, Botch traded up for Winslow and let Ben fall to the Steelers.
![[Linked Image]](http://www.dawgtalkers.net/uploads/captainphil/browns bills sig 5.jpg) When it gets cold and snows and the wind blows, you gotta be able to run the ball. - TR
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So you would rather have had Ben instead of Winslow? Wow, I'm really surprised to hear ANY Browns fan say that.
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Legend
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I said going into the draft that Ben was the best QB available... the thing was I didn't want a QB, I wanted OL... we ended up with Winslow... I guess if Quinn is as good as advertised it will have all worked out in the long run... but if Ben had come here with that team we had, he wouldn't be the Ben we know today... at least not yet.
yebat' Putin
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Legend
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Quote:
So you would rather have had Ben instead of Winslow? Wow, I'm really surprised to hear ANY Browns fan say that.
I'll go ahead and second him...although I'm pleased with the way things have progressed with us to date so it's almost moot.
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Quote:
but if Ben had come here with that team we had, he wouldn't be the Ben we know today... at least not yet.
That's exactly right...
Winslow is your best offensive weapon too, is he not? That's why I'm surprised at his post.
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Quote:
but if Ben had come here with that team we had, he wouldn't be the Ben we know today...
Oh Boy is that true . I'd go so far as to say he'd be like Frye and be gone. He stepped into a dream scenario for a young Q.B. but it didn't hurt that he has a little talent either so ...meh.. all things considered we'll do o.k.
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Poser
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I would have preferred Ben, too. As has been mentioned, though, I am happy with the way things are now. Either way we would have had to deal with the motorcycle aspect. 
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Legend
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Quote:
I said going into the draft that Ben was the best QB available... the thing was I didn't want a QB, I wanted OL... we ended up with Winslow... I guess if Quinn is as good as advertised it will have all worked out in the long run... but if Ben had come here with that team we had, he wouldn't be the Ben we know today... at least not yet.
Yes, very true. He'd have certainly had a 12 TD 17 INT season or two instead of what he got. As far as I can tell, Butch Davis didn't think very much through. He went after Garcia and thought 'QB position solved'. And he had such a crush on Winslow...I forget which GM later said that all 31 GM's knew Davis had one name on his board with no contingency plans.
On the flip side, if Winslow went anywhere that had even ingredients of a healthy offense, he'd already be a bonafide Pro Bowl superstar...and we'd probably dislike him.
And maybe neither of them would've had motorcycle accidents. 
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And here I thought that Browns fans (generally speaking) thought that Ben sucks and is over-rated....in fact, I had a large group of Browns fans scream this at me at the season opener this year.  Have I been mislead this whole time?  Surely there will be someone who posts in this thread that disagrees with all of this....
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Legend
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Whew....for a minute there, I thought I was in the twilight zone. 
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Dawg Talker
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and he's grossly overrated.
...always have been, always will be...
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Legend
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and not the sharpest tool in the shed for riding without a helmet.
yebat' Putin
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Legend
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His younger sister is pretty hot though. 
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All Pro
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This belongs on the Steelers board.
Last edited by Molly Hatchet Dawg; 10/11/07 05:37 PM.
"My opinions and feelings are mine and shall not be influenced by anyone....especially liberals."
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Quote:
That draft day will go down as my worst day as a sports fan, Botch traded up for Winslow and let Ben fall to the Steelers.
I felt the same way that day, but looking back on it with the coaching staff and line we had in place we probably would've screwed him up anyway.
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Legend
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Quote:
So you would rather have had Ben instead of Winslow? Wow, I'm really surprised to hear ANY Browns fan say that.
I think a lot of Browns probably felt that way. I was ticked when friends of mine told me they got Ben after we took Winslow. I couldn't stand Winslow's personality and thought he was a punk. I am happy with how Winslow is playing but I can't say I'm a fan of his. Like DC said, if we would have picked Ben he probably wouldn't be the player he is today and Winslow most likely would have been to two Pro Bowls.
#gmstrong
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#gmstrong
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I'm agreed his shirt should be retired. Tho, I think it should be burned first. 
SaintDawg™
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Legend
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Quote:
I'm agreed his shirt should be retired. Tho, I think it should be burned first.
I could care less what they do with his red and white shirt... that black and yellow needs to burn though. 
<><
#gmstrong
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... he's got all the makings of Aikman in him. The ultimate system quarterback. Meaning he's mostly profiting from the talent around him. But then again you could say that about almost every 'burgh QB.
You could say it, but Bradshaw still wouldnt understand it
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No thanks...I'll keep Winslow. I'd rather have Winslow & Quinn instead of just having Ben.
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Quote:
That draft day will go down as my worst day as a sports fan, Botch traded up for Winslow and let Ben fall to the Steelers.
You do realize that... if the Browns drafted Ben... he would have been run out of town already... as a "crappy MAC QB that Botch stretched for. He had no business going that high."
I graduated from Ohio University. I am happy to see MAC players succeed in the NFL.
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Quote:
No thanks...I'll keep Winslow.
I'd rather have Winslow & Quinn instead of just having Ben.
.....you beat me to it,....I have one of his jerseys that I retired to the garage,....is that the same thing??.....it's excellent for cleaning the brake dust off of my wheels.
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Winslow is a god though and we have the almighty Brady Quinn too so all is well.
![[Linked Image from i4.photobucket.com]](http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y132/Defiantmac/nickk2.jpg) PRO-BOWLER!
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I love watching MAC football. Nothing better than seeing a MAC team scare the bejesus out of a big recruiting program. But Big Ben was not a normal QB in college. He was the man. All he did was make plays for Univ of Miami.
He was certainly better than Charlie Frye was as well as Gradkowski, Josh Harris, and company. There was no overrating him, he was better than Rivers IMO. I never really watched Eli Manning in college so I can't give an opinion about that matchup.
Big Ben's jersey should definitely be retired
I wanted him the day that we drafted. (didn't like Winslow because i thought it was too high for a TE) The guy I wanted most was Gallery and Sean Taylor, then Big Ben then Roy Williams then DeAngelo Hall.
So yeah, wish Big Ben wasn't in those colors, but he was a heckuva college QB and is a good pro QB
UCONN HUSKIES 2014 Champions of Basketball
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I seriously wonder - if Urban Mayer would have stayed at BG for one more season... would Josh Harris have been a 1st or 2nd round pick.
I had never heard of Alex Smith until he played two seasons in the Urban Mayer system. Not many Utah QBs get drafted number one overall if you know what I mean.
With another year in that system... going undefeated or close to it... I wonder if Harris would have had the same hype surrounding him.
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2nd String
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Captainphil: Have you ever met my cousin as well? His name is Jacob Bell and he played OL along with Ben during their 4 years at Miami OH. He is now the starting left guard for the Tennessee Titans. Hopefully in a couple of years, a few Pro Bowls and Super Bowl win  , maybe he can get his jersey retired as well. Jacob Bell in Action 
Last edited by Slimdog; 10/12/07 06:03 PM.
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I went to a couple parties he was at, like the one the team threw to celebrate winning their division of the MAC. It was at Pachinko's. But of course nobody typically recognized O linemen, so I would never be able to recognize him. I did some shots with Pusateri (he was an UDFA that the Browns invited to rookie camp that year, but didnt hack it).
I have certainly followed your cousin's career, hes been a beast down there in Nashville. Jeff Fisher seems to like Miami guys, he drafted Terna Nande as well.
That year I loved it when they announced the all-rookie teams and Miami had two offensive players. Ben, and Bell. I am pretty sure they were the only school to have 2 offensive players on the all rookie team that year.
When it gets cold and snows and the wind blows, you gotta be able to run the ball. - TR
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I'll chime in about my story of this: On Thursday afternoon, my friend was driving and we were in a bad car crash, and of course, I was the only one hurt. I broke the window with my elbow, and a guitar snapped in half on the back of my head, so I needed stitches and had a concussion which required an overnight stay at the hospital (which i just kept asking how the browns were doing this year and what happened to charlie frye  ) Needless to say, I dont remember any of these events. Now heres where it all ties in. My sister is in the miami shakerettes (a dance group) and she saw Ben and had him make me a get well card on the back of some poster board, which he did and was very nice about it. Now i am in the debate whether to hang it in my room or be ashamed of it. My final decision is it is hanging below my "pittsburgh sucks" poster in my room. p.s.: sorry if this makes no sense or is rambling on as i am on some pretty good pain meds
Go Browns!
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First and most importantly, you made the right decision.. that belongs under the Pukesburp sucks poster Secondly, glad to hear youre okay.
SaintDawg™
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Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Miami University to retire
Roethlisberger's jersey
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