Ben Roethlisberger truly lives up to his nickname, Big Ben. A 6-foot-5, 240-pound quarterback blessed with a strong arm and athleticism that is rare for his size, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2004 and took over from Steelers starting quarterback after he was injured. Ben finished the year 14-0, setting NFL records for total wins as a rookie QB and highest completion percentage by a rookie QB (66.4%). In 2005, the Steelers earned an AFC Wild Card berth with a late-season surge. For the regular season Ben had 168 pass completions for 2,385 yards, 17 touchdowns, and a 98.6 quarterback rating. In the playoffs, he led the Steelers to four straight post-season victories, including three on the road. In Super Bowl XL, the Steelers came up with the big plays to defeat the Seattle Seahawks. The victory gave Pittsburgh its fifth Vince Lombardi Trophy, Head Coach Bill Cowher his first championship, and made Big Ben Roethlisberger the youngest QB to start and win the league’s biggest game – the Super Bowl.

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To opposing ball carriers, Dick Butkus was a 6-3, 245-lb. terror to be avoided at all costs. Drafted by the Chicago Bears out of the University of Illinois in 1965, Butkus became the Bears’ starting middle linebacker his rookie year. For the next nine seasons he swiftly ranged from sideline to sideline, delivering punishing tackles, and playing with an intense ferocity that intimidated opponents and earned him All-Pro honors six times, as well as eight consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl. He had a knack for making plays and forcing turnovers, which helped him haul in 22 interceptions and recover 27 fumbles over his career. Dick Butkus was named to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time Team and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.

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Few football players ever entered the NFL with such great expectations and then went on to fulfill those expectations in such spectacular fashion as John Elway. Drafted out of Stanford, where he set numerous NCAA career passing records, Elway was the NFL’s number one overall pick in 1983. Chosen by Baltimore Colts then traded to the Denver Broncos, Elway started ten games his rookie season. Over his 16-year career, he tallied over 50,000 yards passing and 300 touchdown passes, one of only three players ever to do both. He also gained over 3,000 yards rushing. He is the only quarterback to start five Super Bowls, of which he won two. He also directed a NFL record 47 game-winning or game-tying drives in the fourth quarter, including one against the Cleveland Browns in the 1986 AFC Championship Game that will forever be remembered simply as “The Drive.” John Elway left the game a reigning two-time Super Bowl champion and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

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In 14 years in the NFL, Emmitt Smith racked up more yards rushing, 16,726, than any other running back in history. Drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1990, Smith was the spark plug of a spectacular offense that contributed to three Super Bowl championships in the 1990s. A master of the cutback move behind Dallas’ massive offensive line, the compactly built Smith could burst through a hole and make tacklers miss with a unique combination of agility and power. For his efforts, he not only set the league career rushing record, but the career mark for touchdowns scored rushing (164). He won the NFL rushing title four times and is the only player to rush for 1,000 or more yards in 11 consecutive seasons. Emmitt Smith was the league’s most valuable player in 1993, the MVP of Super Bowl XXVIII, and was named to the Pro Bowl eight times.

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William Perry is best remembered for his touchdown-scoring plunge on offense in Super Bowl XX, helping the Chicago Bears demolish the New England Patriots 46-10. To Bears fans, he will also be remembered as the immovable object at the heart of one of the greatest defensive squads in NFL history. A rookie defensive tackle in 1985, William became an immediate starter on a team that would rack up a 15-1 regular season record en route to its Super Bowl triumph. At 6-2 and 320 lbs., his nickname of The Refrigerator, or The Fridge for short, was a natural. He still holds the record for the largest Super Bowl ring ever issued, a size 25 – easily double the ring size of the average man. One of the NFL’s most beloved big men, William Perry retired after ten years of play. Today, he continues to be a fan favorite and sports icon, making numerous public appearances, including his participation, in 2006, in World Wrestling Entertainment’s WrestleMania 2

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When the Miami Dolphins chose Dan Marino out of Pittsburgh with the 27th overall pick in the 1983 draft, they set in motion the single most prolific passing career in the history of the NFL. Marino could throw every pass in the playbook to perfection, had one of the quickest releases of all time, and also displayed the dynamic on-field leadership that carried the Dolphins to numerous playoff appearances and one Super Bowl during his 17-year tenure. When he left the game in 1999, Marino held virtually every significant passing record in league annals, including career passing totals of 61,361 yards, 8,358 attempts, 4,967 completions, and 420 touchdowns. He also set a post-season passing record of throwing at least one TD pass in 13 consecutive playoff games. He was selected NFL Rookie of the Year in 1983 and was named to nine Pro Bowls. Dan Marino was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

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Pete Rose was one of the greatest baseball players of all time. His holds the major league record for most hits in a career (4,256), most games played (3,562), and most at bats (14,053). He played for the Cincinnati Reds’ dominant “Big Red Machine” teams of the 1970s, winning four National League Pennants and two World Series titles. Rose was named the World Series Most Valuable Player in 1975. In 1978, he signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies, with whom he won two more NL Pennants and the 1980 World Series. Nicknamed “Charlie Hustle” for his blue-collar work ethic and competitive fire, Pete Rose is the only player in major league history to play 500 or more games at five different positions (1B, 2B, 3B, LF, and RF), and the only player to appear in an All-Star Game at each of those positions. Pete Rose was a 17-time All-Star.

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For Philadelphia Phillies fans, Mike Schmidt stands for everything great about the Phillies and the game of baseball itself. He belted 548 career home runs, hit 40 or more homers in a season three times and 30 or more 10 other times. His 48 round trippers in 1980 set a major league record for a third baseman and helped make him a unanimous selection for the National League Most Valuable Player. The Phillies won the World Series that year and Mike earned Series MVP honorsl. He won his second NL MVP Award in 1981, leading the Phillies to the post-season and in 1986, he earned his third NL MVP Award, a record for a third baseman. No less spectacular on defense, Mike was awarded 10 Gold Gloves – a National League record. The Philadelphia Phillies retired Mike’s uniform number, 20, and erected a statue of him outside outside the team’s home ballpark, In 1995, Mike was inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

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