It seems that Pittsburgh Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger has forgiven Terry Bradshaw for his comments early in his career, but he hasn't forgotten.
“For years you acted recklessly,” Bradshaw said on a 2010 Fox broadcast. “You hung out in college bars, you disrespected women. The Steelers got rid of Super Bowl hero Santonio Holmes for failing a substance abuse test, but they should have dumped you, because what you did, in my eyes, was a lot worse.”
That's just a sample of what Bradshaw had to say about Roethlisberger nearly 12 years ago.
Little did Bradshaw know that four months later he would sit down with Roethlisberger for an interview in Dallas as the Steelers prepared to play the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl.
Bradshaw called that interview 'awkward', and 'cold'.
It was ten years before the two ever sat down again. Before the two ever spoke again. This time Bradshaw said it was important to repair the relationship. He had seen the way Roethlisberger had changed, and grown since those mishaps as a young man.
“I have a big personality,” Bradshaw said. “I’ll do whatever. I’m a rancher in Louisiana, and I work for Fox. I’m paid for opinions and experience. I have fun with everybody. I said, ‘Park the motorbike, park the motorbike.’ That didn’t set well. And then the suspension thing, the problems off the field. It’s history. He’s married now, he has a great wife, he has great children. I heard he had changed …"“This is something we need to fix, I need to fix, if I can. I’m trying, I’m trying. I want to badly," Bradshaw said.Everyone said the right things following that 2020 interview.
“I’ve always respected Terry,’’ Roethlisberger said. “I never had an issue with Terry. I’m glad this interview happened the way it did. I’m hoping that it turned a page for him and both of us in a relationship way.”
It seemed like all was well between the two greatest quarterbacks in franchise history. Bradshaw even offered his congratulations following Roethlisberger's retirement last week:
12 to 7: pic.twitter.com/vqMQHv16Y8
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) January 27, 2022"I don’t know him, Rich," Bradshaw said on the Rich Eisen show. "I don’t know him well at all. I mean, I don’t know him at all. I did text him a couple of times in the last year. Texted him once this year, congratulating him on his great career. That’s it. I mean, that’s pretty much it."
Eisen followed up by asking Bradshaw if Roethlisberger returned the texts. He said 'no'.
Why doesn't #Steelers legend and @ProFootballHOF Terry Bradshaw have a relationship with current Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger? The Blonde Bomber explains: pic.twitter.com/6CdaVTypB5
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) December 2, 2017
Bradshaw went on to say he 'doesn't lose any sleep over it', but it sure would be nice if the two had a good relationship.
Hopefully in the future they can build a friendship. It would be great for fans and the organization.
#SteelerNation
