Still ticking: ‘Big Ben’ to set Steelers mark

PITTSBURGH — Randy Fichtner watched the big kid with the strong arm and the sense of invincibility that is the province of the very young and immediately grew worried.

So Fichter, then the Steelers’ quarterbacks coach, suggested to Ben Roethlisberger that he might want to think about getting rid of the ball a little sooner. Push the tempo a little faster. Don’t take so many risks. Absorb fewer hits. In other words, play it safe.

“And I’ll never forget, he looked at me and says, ‘Randy, then I wouldn’t be me,’” Fichtner, now the Steelers’ offensive coordinator, said Thursday. “And from that moment, I knew that there’s a reason why he’s been Big Ben.”

Improbably, all these years later, Roethlisberger is still here. Still playing. Still throwing. Still performing. And while he’s learned a thing or two about discretion during his 17 seasons in the league, the 20-something who seemed to welcome the punishment he received on a weekly basis has become the 38-year-old poised to set a mark that’s a testament to his durability and his adaptability.

When Roethlisberger runs onto the Heinz Field turf Sunday to lead the Steelers (2-0) against the Texans (0-2), it will be his 221st career game. No Steelers player — not Terry Bradshaw or Joe Greene or Mel Blount or Jerome Bettis — has played more games in black-and-gold. Maybe it’s fitting that when he takes his first snap, he’ll break a tie with Hall of Fame center Mike Webster for the most appearances in franchise history.