The Pittsburgh Steelers are known for their incredible defenses, and as they say, "Defense wins championships." That is certainly true in the Steel City, as they are tied for the most Super Bowl wins in the NFL with six. The architect of a few of those championship groups was the legendary Dick LeBeau.
LeBeau had two stints with the Steelers, starting as a defensive backs coach in 1992 and being promoted to defensive coordinator in 1995. He left the team after the 1996 season, but returned as their defensive coordinator in 2004, where he stayed until 2014. During his tenure with the team, he helped them reach four Super Bowls and win two.
He was an incredible defensive mastermind. His zone blitz schemes stymied offenses during the championship runs in the 2000s. It helped that he had tremendous talent in those units. It isn't surprising that LeBeau had a hand in drafting defensive players. What is unusual is to hear that he played a part in drafting an offensive player, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
In his new book, Legendary, LeBeau tells the story of the 2008 Steelers defense, which he has said was his favorite. He also shares other stories from the 60 years he spent in the NFL as a coach and a player. He said he generally only focused on defensive players when prepping for the draft, until the team asked for his help. LeBeau and Roethlisberger are Ohioans, and the coach knew how well he played at Miami of Ohio.
"Ben Roethlisberger was an exception. In fact, the only offensive player I ever really stood on the table for was him. Roethlisberger had a good (college) team around him with skilled players, but none were NFL guys. It was amazing watching him, and I thought, This guy is going to be a fantastic professional football player."
The game that solidified it for LeBeau was the 2003 MAC Championship. It was below freezing and Roethlisberger led his team to victory unfazed. From there, LeBeau knew Roethlisberger could handle the AFC North. He knew the Steelers were drafting early that year as well, 11th overall, and were looking to get a quarterback.
There were three genuine contenders in the 2004 NFL Draft at quarterback: Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, and Roethlisberger. LeBeau told Head Coach Bill Cowher and anyone else who would listen that Roethlisberger, with his large stature, was precisely what they needed.
"I spoke a couple of times and said, 'I think Ben can't miss. When you hired me, I believed my opinion was what came along with it.' The last meeting before the draft had all the scouts and all the coaches. Bill Cowher said, 'We're going to go through this one more time. I want to hear what everybody is going to say.' He turned and looked at me and said, 'Except you, LeBeau. I know how you feel.' I thought we were going to take Rivers, but he and Manning went in the first four picks. By the time we picked at No. 11, Roethlisberger was the only one left, which resolved it for us."
Roethlisberger was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year that season, so it is safe to say LeBeau was right. Roethlisberger changed the trajectory of the franchise. They had struggled to find a solid franchise quarterback since Terry Bradshaw retired in 1983.
Roethlisberger spent 18 seasons in Pittsburgh, helping them win two Super Bowls. He went to six Pro Bowls and was twice the NFL's passing yards leader.
Steelers' Dick LeBeau And Ben Roethlisberger Had A Special Relationship
LeBeau and Roethlisberger maintained their relationship during their time together in Pittsburgh and beyond. In LeBeau's book, Roethlisberger explains that he respected how he spoke to the players like men; he didn't yell or try to demean them as some coaches do. He said had he been on defense, he would have jumped at the chance to play for LeBeau.
That mutual respect turned into a tradition. The two men would hold hands during the pregame prayer. Roethlisberger said they always looked for one another and that this simple act meant so much.
