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Big Ben Comments On Mystery Shoulder Separation

Roethlisberger Brushed Off Questions After Pittsburgh Steelers' Win In Cleveland

POSTED: 11:21 am EDT September 15, 2008
UPDATED: 3:55 pm EDT September 17, 2008

After national media praised Ben Roethlisberger for leading the Steelers to a win with a separated shoulder, it appears that reports of the quarterback's injury were erroneous.
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NBC Sports broke the injury report during the Steelers-Browns game Sunday night in Cleveland. But after the game, Roethlisberger brushed off NBC's Andrea Kremer when she tried to ask about his shoulder.

After the Steelers' Wednesday morning practice on the South Side, Roethlisberger basically told reporters that he considers the matter a non-issue and doesn't want to discuss it.

"Is it a case of just the network getting it wrong, or getting misinformation?" Channel 4 Action Sports anchor Jon Burton asked.

"I don't even know what was said. I don't know how it got miscommunicated, you know?" Roethlisberger said. "But it's not even worth talking about it any more, to tell you the truth. It's over, and we move on from it."

Roethlisberger also said that he was feeling better and that the shoulder was "making progress."

One day earlier, coach Mike Tomlin said that Roethlisberger was "nursing a sore shoulder" with an AC joint sprain, and that neither he nor team doctors had identified it as a separation.

"If anybody knows where that (NBC) report came from, send them to me. I'd appreciate it," Tomlin said, adding that Roethlisberger would probably be limited at least one day in practice this week.

Locally, Roethlisberger's condition was being reported as a sore shoulder throughout the week leading up to Sunday night's game. On the air that night, NBC Sports said the injury was a separation, which is much more serious than soreness.

"Maybe you should separate your shoulder more often," Kremer told Roethlisberger in an on-field interview after the Steelers' 10-6 victory.

Three times, Roethlisberger brushed aside Kremer's questions about his shoulder, talking instead about the play of the Steelers' offensive line and running back Willie Parker.

"I'll tell you what, we did awesome on offense. The offensive line did a great job taking care of their defense. They [Cleveland] have a great defense and they did a good job. Got to give a lot of credit to that o-line," Roethlisberger responded when first asked about his shoulder.

Kremer again asked, "How is your shoulder?" Roethlisberger still avoided the question.

"Well, I'll tell you what, Willie Parker ran the ball well at the end. Offensive line -- can't give them enough credit," Roethlisberger said.

Roethlisberger's reluctance to talk about the injury became quite clear to Kremer.

"That's two questions I've asked you about your shoulder and you're not answering it. I'm seeing a pattern here. What about the weather?" Kremer said.

That was one subject Roethlisberger was willing to discuss.

"The weather was crazy. That's some of the worst wind I've ever played in. The rain came and went, but we weathered the storm," Roethlisberger said.

Before ending the interview, Kremer made a final attempt to gain information about Roethlisberger's shoulder.

"Last time -- how did your separated shoulder hold up? How are you managing out there?" Kremer said.

But Big Ben still wasn't talking.

"My o-line's waiting for me. They did a great job. Let me go congratulate them," Roethlisberger said.

Roethlisberger completed 12 of 19 passes for 186 yards against Cleveland and improved to 10-0 in his home state of Ohio.

"They know more than I did. That's good television, I guess," Tomlin said during his post-game interviews. "He's hurting pretty bad, but he's a tough character. Is he 100 percent? No. But no one plays as hard as he does without getting banged up."


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