Security tight as Roethlisberger weds in suburban Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH -- Ben Roethlisberger got the privacy he wanted for his wedding Saturday, with police providing tight security around the church in affluent Ohio Township where he and Ashley Harlan were married, and tinted windows on expensive cars left much of the guest list a mystery.

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger married Ashley Harlan on Saturday following a five-year on-and-off courtship. (Goldstein Photography/Special to NFL.com)

Still, the hope of a glimpse at the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, his new bride and the dozens of team luminaries who turned out for the ceremony was enough for Dolly Metz to sit in a car -- complete with Steelers covers on the headrests -- in a nearby parking lot with the windows down in 90-degree heat.

"This is the best part of my day," said Metz, who lives in McKees Rocks. "I know he was supposed to send a limo for me, too, but it broke down."

Metz and friends Eugene and Carol Lovely were among a small group of Steelers fans who tried to show their support for Roethlisberger.

The organization was well-represented, too, despite the NFL's ongoing labor dispute.

Owner Dan Rooney waved to security officials on his way inside, and guests included linebacker James Harrison and former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis.

Harrison entered in a rare Mercedes sedan, according to police, his presence perhaps proof there was no fallout from his criticism of the quarterback in a Men's Journal profile released last week.

The Pro Bowl linebacker placed some of the blame on the team's Super Bowl loss to the Green Bay Packers on Roethlisberger in the story, then later apologized saying his comments were taken out of context.

Whenever Roethlisberger and his teammates return to the field, he'll be a married man, an idea that seemed to resonate with the fans who have watched his legal troubles the last few years with growing exasperation.

The Super Bowl-winning quarterback has twice found himself accused of sexual misconduct. Though neither incident resulted in charges, he was suspended for four games by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell last year.

Roethlisberger returned to lead the Steelers back to the Super Bowl, and he surprised some by revealing his engagement to 26-year-old Harlan, a physician's assistant from New Castle, Pa., this spring.

Roethlisberger has acknowledged the need to restore his public image, and fan Linda Moule admitted she was a little skeptical when she heard the news because the quarterback had kept news of the relationship quiet for so long.

"It certainly is a step in the right direction," Moule said. "Like anyone, it's a coin toss on if it will last. This is certainly not Prince William and Princess Catherine."

That didn't mean Moule and her extended family didn't want to send Roethlisberger a message that they were behind him.

Members of the Steelers' organization received permission from the NFL to join players Saturday at Ben Roethlisberger's wedding. (Goldstein Photography/Special to NFL.com)

Sitting on her parents' lawn, Moule, her two sisters and their children waved as wedding guests passed by, with some honking their horns at the homemade sign the family put together that read "Best Wishes Ben & Ashley."

It would be as close as most would get to one of the most anticipated -- and most secretive -- social events in the city's recent history.

Fans and media alike were kept at a safe distance from the ceremony, the details of which were closely guarded. Little information about the nuptials was leaked beforehand, though the police presence around the Christ Church at Grove Farm -- where both Roethlisberger and Harlan are members -- indicated this was no ordinary Saturday.

Fears of a fan frenzy led local resident Gina Schrauder to bolt for the city.

"I want no part of this," she said early Saturday morning.

Yet it never came. There was no tailgating. No Terrible Towels. Only a parade of luxury cars, trucks, shuttle buses and SUVs.

Guests were required to show an invitation and a photo ID to get in to the wedding. Moule didn't have a problem with the secrecy and considered the light turnout a sign that Pittsburghers were content to let the Roethlisbergers have their space on their big day.

"We all have private weddings, why can't they?" Moule said.

So, will marriage change Roethlisberger? Schrauder doesn't think it matters.

"As long as he keeps playing the way he's playing, it'll be fine," she said.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Roethlisberger can't rule out foot surgery despite progress

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger says the broken right foot that hampered him throughout much of last season has almost fully healed, but there's a chance he'll require surgery if the pain returns, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported Saturday.

"It's doing really good. It's healed up," Roethlisberger said. "Obviously, it helps when I'm not cutting and planting and doing all of these different activities. It's really come a long way. I haven't had too many problems with it recently."

Roethlisberger suffered through much of 2010 with the foot injury, which he aggravated during a game against the Buffalo Bills in November, saying "there were times during practice and games where I didn't feel like I'd be able to walk."

The seven-year veteran and two-time Super Bowl winner wore a cleat fitted with a pair of metal plates both in games and practices, right up through the team's loss to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV. He didn't miss a snap last season because of the injury, throwing for 3,200 yards and 17 touchdowns.

"I could have had surgery (after last season), but according to the doctors, it would have been a really nasty process because of where the break was. It was better off trying not to do anything," Roethlisberger said. "It's going to be something where we're just going to have to, in essence, play it by ear. If it continues to be as painful as it was at the end of last year, then I'm going to probably have to have the surgery."

Roethlisberger has been able to focus on football this offseason, free from off-the-field issues that plagued him a year ago. He recently told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he gathered offensive players for workouts earlier this offseason but kept the proceedings undercover.

"We've worked out, linemen, running backs, tight ends, everybody. All of the offense," Roethlisberger said. "... We've had some good progress, just to kind of refresh people's memories on audible calls or no-huddle calls, little things like that."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Roethlisberger would welcome Burress back with open arms

The talk surrounding Plaxico Burress returning to a former team has focused on the New York Giants, with whom he won Super Bowl XLII. But what about his other former team -- the Pittsburgh Steelers?

According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on Tuesday, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has kept in contact with Burress since the wide receiver's release from prison a couple of weeks ago. Could a possible reunion be in the works? The duo played together during Roethlisberger's rookie season of 2005.

"I've talked to Plax a number of times in the last couple of weeks," Roethlisberger said. "I told him, 'Hey, if you came back here that would be awesome, but I'm just happy to see you playing again' because he's a good guy."

Burress, who last played during the 2008 season, will be a free agent once the lockout ends.

Roethlisberger has lobbied for the Steelers to add a taller receiving threat to the team's wideout mix. The 6-foot-5 Burress would instantly join rookie receiver Wes Lyons as the two tallest players on the Steelers' roster.

Roethlisberger, who was Burress' neighbor in Pittsburgh, made his comments during his football camp for children ages 7-14.

The quarterback also addressed the lockout and why the Steelers, who will return most of their starters from a team that again reached the Super Bowl last season, expect to be in good shape once it ends.

"It's not like we need a rookie center or a new quarterback, someone to learn the offense right away, so I think we are better equipped (to deal with the lockout) than we would be if we were a younger team," Roethlisberger said. "We don't need to fill many spots. I think that translates into a veteran team that can deal with things like this."

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Roethlisberger, fiancee set wedding for week before July camp

PITTSBURGH -- Ben Roethlisberger will marry a 26-year-old physician's assistant whom he said he met during training camp in 2005 and has been friends with ever since, the Steelers quarterback told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for a story in Thursday's editions.

Roethlisberger, speaking publicly for the first time since the Steelers' loss to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV, talked about his fiancee, her family and the impact their engagement has had on everyone involved since it leaked out in various media outlets late last year.

Roethlisberger confirmed his July 23 wedding plans to Ashley Harlan, who lives in New Castle, about 45 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. Roethlisberger was interviewed Wednesday at his home north of Pittsburgh.

The wedding is scheduled only one week before the Steelers are scheduled to begin training camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, and Roethlisberger joked that his bride-to-be might be hoping that the NFL lockout drags.

"I think a small part of her is hoping we hold out for a week so we can honeymoon," Roethlisberger told the Post-Gazette. "I told her I was laughing with coach (Mike) Tomlin; he said, 'You guys might have to have the honeymoon suite at St. Vincent.'"

The 29-year-old quarterback also addressed the scrutiny he faced after he was accused of sexual assault in a Georgia nightclub in March 2010. He said his engagement isn't a ploy to rebuild his public image.

"We were kind of on and off for five years -- almost six years now -- so I've known her for a while," Roethlisberger told the newspaper. "It's not like a random new person. We dated a while ago; we have been friends ever since."

Roethlisberger did acknowledge working on repairing his reputation and trying to become a better teammate.

"People will always have opinions of everybody and me, and that's fine, they're entitled," he said.

Harlan lives with her parents, and Roethlisberger said they aren't living together until they're married because of their religious beliefs.

"People can say that it is whatever, but people who know and can see and are around us and know me, know that it's something special when you find that person, and I'm extremely lucky," he said.

Roethlisberger said he has been stunned by the media attention to his engagement and that he's worried about how the attention is affecting his fiancee.

"I try to protect her as much as I can," he told the newspaper. "People have gone to her parents' house and have been doing some things. That bothers me a little bit because it's what I do for a living, I have to deal with it, but her parents and her, that's not what they have to do."

Roethlisberger also addressed reports of a wedding gift registry at department stores, saying that it actually was a registry for Harlan's bridal shower and that she has received gifts from strangers as a result.

The 500 people invited to the wedding will be asked not to bring gifts but to donate to Roethlisberger's charitable foundation, he said. That money will then be donated to Ronald McDonald House and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Steelers great Bradshaw, QB Roethlisberger talk out issues

Terry Bradshaw repeatedly criticized Ben Roethlisberger during an offseason of trouble for the Pittsburgh Steelers' current quarterback.

Now, they say, it's all water under the bridge.

Roethlisberger revealed Tuesday that he and Bradshaw, a Pro Football Hall of Famer, mended their relationship after a recent sit-down. Bradshaw is in Texas to help FOX broadcast Super Bowl XLV, in which the Steelers will face the Green Bay Packers, and had a 25-minute interview with Roethlisberger for the network.

"We had a private talk before the interview," said Roethlisberger, who added that Bradshaw might have spoken a little too soon about the quarterback's situation. "A good talk. Everything's good."

Everything wasn't so good before the season, when Roethlisberger was accused of sexually assaulting a Georgia college student following a night of drinking in a Milledgeville, Ga., bar on March 5. Roethlisberger wasn't charged by Georgia authorities, but NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell handed the quarterback a six-game suspension for violating the league's personal-conduct policy.

Before Goodell reduced the ban to four games, Bradshaw said he hoped the suspension would be upheld.

"Going to bars -- treating women like that; oh my God," Bradshaw told The Shreveport Times in September. "I pray they don't cut (his NFL suspension) to four games. I hope they leave it at six. There is no excuse for that. The egos get out of hand."

Those comments followed Bradshaw's April criticism of Roethlisberger, in which he ended: "Now he hates me forever."

What a difference time makes. Bradshaw told NFL Network's "NFL Total Access" on Tuesday that he and Roethlisberger -- the only Steelers quarterbacks to win Super Bowl titles -- had a "great" chat that lasted about 10 minutes before the interview.

"It was important that he know and the things that I say and why I say them," said Bradshaw, who has four Super Bowl rings compared to Roethlisberger's two. "It's important that we have a good relationship. I'm glad."

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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Steelers QB Roethlisberger recovering from broken nose

PITTSBURGH -- Ben Roethlisberger is walking around with a large bandage on his broken nose and a protective boot on his painfully injured right foot.

And, at least for a moment, a smile brought on by another well-known Pittsburgh sports figure.

"Mario Lemieux told me I finally look like a hockey player," Roethlisberger said Wednesday, referring to the Penguins' co-owner.

The Steelers quarterback will wear a protective shield to protect a nose that so splintered while being smacked by the Baltimore Ravens' Haloti Ngata, X-rays revealed nose bones that "looked like corn flakes," Roethlisberger said.

"I was like, 'Oh, that's good,'" he said.

Regardless, Roethlisberger practiced Wednesday as usual, and he plans to play in Sunday's AFC North game against the Cincinnati Bengals (2-10). Despite having his nose bent awkwardly during Pittsburgh's initial series, he didn't miss a play as the Steelers (9-3) beat the Ravens 13-9 on Sunday to take sole possession of the division lead with four games remaining.

The quarterback has been told he can do no further damage to his nose by playing. His nose also was broken and needed surgical reconstruction following his 2006 motorcycle accident. But this injury wasn't complicated by that rebuilding.

"They said everything looked really good," Roethlisberger said. "I did a CT scan before the surgery (Monday) and they said everything was still holding up really well and they were really pleased with that. .. The plates and everything in my face were fine, so that's good."

Playing with a shield for the first time will take some adjustment, just as it does hockey players who choose to wear one after playing without it.

"We're going to get some practice, so we'll see," Roethlisberger said. "I saw the early forecast is rain, snow, so it'll be fun, I'm sure."

Ngata wasn't penalized for raking his hand across Roethlisberger's face, but he was fined $15,000 one day later for striking a defenseless player in the head. Roethlisberger had no comment about the fine, but teammate Hines Ward said he was glad someone other than Steelers linebacker James Harrison was punished for hitting a quarterback.

Roethlisberger said he asked referee Terry McAuley why there was no penalty and was told, "He was just trying to tackle you."

Ravens linebacker Jameel McClain also was fined $40,000 for a helmet hit that caused Steelers tight end Heath Miller's concussion. That hit also wasn't penalized.

"But once again the referees didn't throw any flags, so there's still some discrepancies going on," Ward said. "It's finally good to see that we're not the only team getting fines. I'm not happy the way it happened, with no penalties, but it's good to see somebody else have to deal with it. Especially for the hit on Heath."

While Steelers coach Mike Tomlin lists Miller's status as doubtful, the tight end isn't giving up hope that he might play Sunday.

"I've never had a concussion before," Miller said. "But it's getting better every day, so that's a good thing. I only remember what I've seen on TV. ... It's still a little hazy but, like I said, I'm feeling a little better every day."

Miller must pass neurological tests that are given daily to players with a concussion before he is cleared to play.

Steelers right tackle Flozell Adams (high ankle sprain) also hasn't ruled out playing on an offensive line that is so beaten up, the Steelers were missing three tackles and two tight ends in Baltimore.

"It's one of those things that's rare that we have a lot of players, not just a few, but a lot of guys who can step in and play," Adams said.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Raiders' Seymour ejected for striking Steelers' Roethlisberger

PITTSBURGH -- Oakland Raiders defensive end Richard Seymour was ejected from Sunday's game for an open-handed punch to Ben Roethlisberger's face as the Steelers quarterback celebrated a touchdown pass.

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After completing the 22-yard throw to Emmanuel Sanders, Roethlisberger jumped into the arms of offensive tackle Flozell Adams. Roethlisberger then began walking forward and appeared to say something to Seymour, who turned and struck the quarterback in the jaw with his open right hand.

As Roethlisberger went to his back, lineman Chris Kemoeatu grabbed Seymour. Both Seymour and Kemoeatu drew penalties, but only Seymour was ejected.

Seymour also was ejected Dec. 27 for hitting Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Harrison after a play was over. Seymour was fined $10,000 for that infraction.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Roethlisberger on target in first practice back with Steelers

PITTSBURGH -- Ten seconds were all Ben Roethlisberger needed to prove to the Steelers that he wasn't affected by his month away from the NFL.

On the first pass he threw Tuesday in his first post-suspension practice, Roethlisberger found fast wide receiver Mike Wallace far downfield for an over-the-shoulder catch of a perfectly thrown football.

Right about then, Roethlisberger's teammates probably were thinking the same thing: Ben is back.

"We have our whole team here, and we have our leader -- our quarterback -- back with us," Wallace said. "He makes everybody better. The offense is definitely going to go in another direction."

Roethlisberger showed no rustiness or lack of rhythm in his first practice since training camp, zipping passes throughout a 30-minute drill that was incorporated into the practice to quickly put him and his receivers back in sync.

"It was a good step, and I don't think it'll take as long as I thought," Roethlisberger said.

He'll have two more practice days during this bye week to regain his timing and precision, followed by a full work week before the Steelers' Oct. 17 home game against the Cleveland Browns.

"It normally takes a while to get going out there, but it felt pretty good," Roethlisberger said. "I knew that my arm would be good. I knew it would be strong, and I knew it would feel good. It's just a matter of working with the guys."

Since last being with the team on Sept. 2, Roethlisberger worked out almost daily with a collection of receivers at high school stadiums, intentionally throwing more passes than normal because he wasn't doing anything in games. A private quarterbacks coach helped Roethlisberger with his footwork and delivery.

Wallace, the Steelers' fastest receiver, couldn't remember Roethlisberger throwing a bad pass during the entire practice Tuesday.

"We're going to throw the ball because we've got one of the best guys back," Wallace said. "So I'm excited. I've been smiling. Ever since last night, I've been smiling."

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Despite having the NFL's 31st-ranked passing offense with fill-in quarterbacks Charlie Batch and Dennis Dixon, the Steelers came out of Roethlisberger's four-game suspension about as good as could be expected with a 3-1 record. Apparently, the quarterback himself came out of the suspension about as good as could be expected, too.

By playing as well as they did without the two-time Super Bowl winner, the Steelers put aside any doubts about how Roethlisberger would be welcomed back. Potentially, there could have been hard feelings if his off-the-field problems had led to an 0-4 start, but his teammates insisted they have long since put the quarterback's troubles behind them.

Roethlisberger apologized to them during offseason workouts for potentially jeopardizing their season and, by the time training camp arrived, he was warmly received by fans.

Now, seven months after Roethlisberger was accused of, but not charged with, sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman at a Georgia college bar, the Steelers hope there finally is some closure of the issue from a football standpoint. Even if no one is defending Roethlisberger's behavior or the stress he caused an organization that has long taken pride in the way it conducts itself.

"What's in the past is in the past," Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward said. "He did his time. He did his suspension, and now we're moving on. And we're glad to have him back with our team. We're 3-1 right now, so we're going to hand it over to him and let him do his thing and try to win ballgames."

The only apology Roethlisberger made upon his return was telling the wide receivers he was sorry they had to do much extra work during an off-week practice.

"What had to be said was said a long time ago," Wallace said. "He was sorry when it first happened, so we didn't need to go over it again or have him apologize. He doesn't have to do that. We know that he's sorry, and we know he's ready to play football."

Roethlisberger's return is expected to open up a Pittsburgh offense that has leaned heavily on its running game. With Rashard Mendenhall averaging 102.8 rushing yards per game -- he's second in the league to Houston's Arian Foster -- the Steelers probably won't ask Roethlisberger to throw an average of 34 times per game like he did in passing for a team-record 4,328 yards last season.

"I think they've been stacking up to defend our run, so ... I'm sure they're going to play things a little differently now with Ben in there," Mendenhall said. "He definitely adds another dynamic to the offense."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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