On Monday, in the traffic accident heard 'round the world, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger crashed his motorcycle into a sedan at a local intersection. Roethlisberger flew through the air, hitting his helmetless head off the car's windshield. Immediately, people began fearing that the former 4 Brett Favre Purple jersey
first-round pick had either died or sustained severe injuries that would abruptly end his promising football career. By the grace of the man upstairs, Roethlisberger's injuries weren't all that serious, even though they did require lengthy surgery at Pittsburgh's Mercy Hospital. In the end "Big Ben" escaped with a broken jaw, broken nose and a lot of lost teeth. Truly, it could have been much worse.The most startling detail to come from the accident was that the 24-year-old was not wearing a helmet as he rode the motorcycle. With such a great life and so many positive things ahead, it's a wonder how Roethlisberger could have been so foolish. In the wake of a motorcycle accident suffered by Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow last year, Steelers coach Bill Cowher lectured Roethlisberger about motorcycle safety. The QB claimed in the past that he rode cautiously and with a crowd, but he was alone on his Pittsburgh joyride. There's no word as to the speed Roethlisberger was driving at, or whose fault the accident was.It's amazing how things can change. Roethlisberger went from winning a Super Bowl this past February to nearly passing away just four short months later. Had Roethlisberger lost his life, it would have been one of the most tragic, devastating deaths in the history of sports. In fact, tragic wouldn't have been a strong enough word to describe such a thought. Luckily, Roethlisberger survived, and is expected to be ready at the start of the season in September.13 months ago, the best QB in Pittsburgh Steelers history, Terry Bradshaw, criticized Roethlisberger for riding a motorcycle. He publicly warned him to put the bike away until his career ended. Perhaps the four-time Super Bowl winner was a prognosticator in this case. Many laugh off Bradshaw as little more than a jokester, but he was certainly proven right in this terrible situation.Along with Roethlisberger and Winslow, other pro athletes to suffer recent motorcycle accidents are the Houston Texans' Pro Bowl kick returner Jerome Mathis, former Chicago Bulls point guard Jay Williams and Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Jeff Kent. All have been high-profile players at some point in their respective careers. Williams, a former first-round pick for the Bulls, saw his basketball career come to a stunning end after his accident.Had Roethlisberger suffered an injury that would have kept him out for any period of time this season, veteran Charlie Batch would have taken over as the Steelers' starting QB. Batch, a good friend of Roethlisberger's, was at the hospital visiting his superior. Although Batch has had starting experience in the past, envisioning him leading the Steelers 36 Bettis Black Jersey
anywhere special would have been quite difficult.For the time being, Batch will take most of the snaps in mini-camp. Pittsburgh's rookie third-stringer, Omar Jacobs, will also see plenty of snaps.Be thankful, Steeler fans. In less than three months, your franchise player will line up under center--as usual--in a primetime showdown with the Miami Dolphins. Roethlisberger and the Steelers will begin their title defense that day. By then, we'll all be glad that football is the topic, instead of what could have been an incredibly unfortunate loss of one of America's best and most recognizable athletes.--Connor J. Byrne can be reached at .Get more on Ben Roethlisberger
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