Roethlisberger Says the Natural Grass Saved Him From a Worse Injury

For those that want some sort of turf at Heinz Field, one player that can’t disagree with you more is franchise QB Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben spoke out about his head bouncing off the natural grass two weeks ago against the Browns on Monday, and said he is thankful that the Steelers haven’t given into fans and other players requests to go to some sort of turf.

“I’m glad we weren’t on FieldTurf,” Roethlisberger said yesterday. “That grass — you know, the soft Heinz Field — might’ve helped a little bit. That whiplash is always a pain. If you ask any position player, when they hit that ground with the whiplash, it’s going to hurt like crazy.”

Ben did say that his arms went numb for a few moments, which of course was scary for a player that has taken more than his fair share of hits in 2008. The key for Roethlisberger in getting over his second career concussion was getting that all important bye week. Without it, Byron Leftwhich very well may have had to start this past weekend if the Steelers would have had to play.

“Well, it’s nice that we had the week off. That’s a big help. And last time we got cleared [by doctors to play]. We’re taking every precaution necessary with doctors and everybody. It’s going well.”
Expect Ben on the practice field tomorrow when the team starts its official prep for the Chargers.