 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
What they're saying about Ben
Kirk Herbstreit, ESPN College Football Analyst
"He's as good as (Jacksonville Jaguar’s Byron) Leftwich right now. He's ready now (for the NFL) … he and (Ole Miss') Eli Manning are the two best I've seen."
Bob Matthews, Democrat and Chronicle
"Assuming Miami of Ohio’s Ben Roethlisberger returns for his senior year, he’ll be a top candidate for next year’s Unitas Golden Arm Award. He was as impressive as any college quarterback I saw this season, including Manning. He’s a solid 6-foot-5 and has a strong arm with a soft touch. He looks like a young Drew Bledsoe with much better escapability."
Bo Schembechler, Miami player and coach and head coach at the University of Michigan
"He could be playing for Allegheny A&M and he'd have success, I can tell you that. I can't really detect anything about him that I don't like. Big, mobile, good arm, gives the indication that he knows what's going on out there. Seems like a quality character. If he has a weakness, I don't know what it is."
Sporting News.com
"Looking for a sleeper (in the 2004 NFL Draft)? A year ago, USC quarterback Carson Palmer was rated a third-rounder. Miami quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who has begun his ascent earlier than Palmer did, could follow suit.
 |
"Ben, he should be a Heisman - he should win the Heisman! I mean, I had two [candidates] in Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich, and there's not an ounce of difference in them, daggone it, that guy can play."
-- Bob Pruett, Marshall head coach
|
"We're picked behind Miami, but they've got a Heisman Trophy candidate; (Ben Roethlisberger is) a great player. And why wouldn't you pick them? They do a good job of coaching, got good players, and this guy here, Ben, he should be a Heisman - he should win the Heisman! I mean, I had two [candidates] in Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich, and there's not an ounce of difference in them, daggone it, that guy can play."
Bruce Feldman, ESPN The Magazine
"The prototype can make all the throws, even run a little option and now has a deep threat in Martin Nance."
Matt Hayes, The Sporting News
"Miami (Ohio) QB Ben Roethlisberger is just a junior, but he will the first quarterback taken in the 2004 NFL draft. . . ."
Head Coach Brian Knorr, Ohio University
"Usually on Monday mornings, I'm hearing that Roethlisberger is the conference offensive Player of the Week. Now I'm hearing that he's special teams Player of the Week. He can do it all."
Mel Kiper - ESPN
"Derek Anderson (Oregon State) is also a junior, but neither he nor Andrew Walter (Arizona State) will be the top-rated QB in his class in '03. That distinction belongs to Ben Roethlisberger of Miami (Ohio), a 6-4, 238-pounder who has been lighting up the Mid-America Conference and is the best QB in the league since Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich. Roethlisberger threw for 525 yards against Northern Illinois last season and had six games with multiple touchdown passes. He heads next year's junior class of quarterbacks, followed by Walter and Anderson, who are both at the point in their careers where they should be as good as it gets in the Pac-10.
John Bunting - Head Coach, North Carolina
"I watched him in the summer when I was on vacation," Bunting said. "They have an offense predicated on three levels of passing; short, medium and long - stressing the underneath coverage and then they are able to go deep because he has the arm strength to do that. He also has mobility. He has the ability to avoid in the pocket, step away, step aside, buy time, get out on the perimeter of the pocket and break down the coverage because of time, and throw the ball wherever he wants to. (He) can throw back across his body extremely well, and the receivers can make some plays. He is talented."
NFLDraft.Insiders.com
Likewise Roethlisberger is a big-armed pocket passer with the abilities to make plays in or out of the pocket. Poised under pressure, he looks off the safety taking what the defense gives him and possesses a terrific pump fake, which has opponents in the secondary biting on the first sign of a release. Roethlisberger drives his long passes down the field, smartly placing the deep throws in front of targets and letting receivers run to the ball. He is complete control of the offense in every sense of the word; a true leader that makes good decisions and does not put his team in a bad spot. Above all he is a class guy.
Bruce Feldman, ESPN.com
"The nation's purest passer …"
CollegeFootballNews.com
"Yeah, you've heard of him. Next year at this time, Roethlisberger could be one of the top five picks in the draft. He comes into the 2003 season as one of the best young quarterbacks in college football. Avoiding a sophomore slump, he threw for 3,238 yards and 22 touchdowns while completing over 63% of his passes. He's not a runner, but he's big enough to power for a yard or two when needed. He has a big arm, great poise, and excellent decision making ability. All he needs to do is cut down on his interceptions."
Pete Fiutak, CollegeFootballNews.com
"I think the best NFL quarterback prospect in college football is Miami University's Ben Roethlisberger."
