Early Years
Roethlisberger was born in Lima, Ohio, the son of Ida Jane (née Foust) and Kenneth Todd "Ken" Roethlisberger. His father is a former pitcher and quarterback at Georgia Tech. He is of part Swiss descent; his surname, "Roethlisberger" (Swiss-German spelling: Röthlisberger), is of Swiss origin, with roots in the village of Geissbuehl Lauperswil, Switzerland.
At Findlay High School in Findlay, Ohio, Roethlisberger was captain of the football, basketball, and baseball teams. Roethlisberger did not play quarterback until his senior year, giving way to the coach's son, Ryan Hite. Instead, Roethlisberger played wide receiver because, as coach Cliff Hite explained to the Toledo Blade, "My son throwing to Ben was a better combination." Hite told the Toledo Blade regarding the decision to start his son at quarterback over Roethlisberger: "I'm a nationally known knucklehead."
Read more about this topic: Ben Roethlisberger
Famous quotes related to early years:
“If there is a price to pay for the privilege of spending the early years of child rearing in the driver’s seat, it is our reluctance, our inability, to tolerate being demoted to the backseat. Spurred by our success in programming our children during the preschool years, we may find it difficult to forgo in later states the level of control that once afforded us so much satisfaction.”
—Melinda M. Marshall (20th century)