Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II and franchise legend Ben Roethlisberger unveiled an exhibit in the Hall of Honor museum to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Super Bowl XL prior to Saturday night’s preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“Thanks for joining us today for a special announcement, a special occasion,” Rooney said. “As we get ready to start the journey of the 2025 season, we look back 20 years to a very special journey, the 2005 season. It really was an unusual season in a lot of different ways. We came close to getting eliminated from the playoffs, and we had to go on an amazing run there in the last month of the season to be able to get in as a sixth seed. And there’s not too many seasons where one of your most famous plays of the season is your quarterback making a tackle. But it was a great day in Indianapolis, a playoff game that we won. And obviously, we went on and it was a special day in Detroit.
“We’re excited to have one of the great members of that team with us today. Ben is going to be here later this year to be inducted into the Hall of Honor, so were excited to have him here today to help us unveil the exhibit that features the 2005 season.”
For Roethlisberger, it felt like yesterday that he hoisted the Lombardi Trophy at Ford Field, getting “One for the Thumb” for the Steelers.
“Yeah 20 years. It makes you feel really old, especially when as I’m walking in someone reminds me that they were in high school when that game happened,” Roethlisberger said. “But it’s an honor to be here to remember what an amazing season, team and ultimately the game. As I’m older now, I think back to what a silly, young, dumb thing it was to promise Jerome Bettis when he came back for one more year, we’d win him a Super Bowl. Looking back now, it’s a great story.”
Roethlisberger also reflected on his legendary tackle on Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the AFC Divisional Roung game after Jerome Bettis fumbled on a goal-line run that would’ve sealed a Steelers’ win.
“So many great memories from that season. … As Mr. Rooney said, as a quarterback you usually don’t want to be remembered for making a tackle, but it wasn’t on an interception, so I can tease Jerome about that all the time,” Roethlisberger joked. “Being able to go back to Detroit and get him a Super Bowl was really special. … It’s just an honor to be here to represent my teammates and that special season.”
Sending “The Bus” off as a champion in his hometown of Detroit was truly a storybook ending for a Hall of Fame career.
“It was for him, obviously, but for it to be in Detroit? You can’t write a better story,” Roethlisberger said. “For a guy like Jerome, who we all...
