When officially entering the Hall of Fame on Saturday night, linebacker Rickey Jackson repeatedly mentioned his hometown. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger apparently will be mentioning his hometown no more.
Roethlisberger, per the Associated Press, has changed his hometown from Findlay, Ohio to Corey Rawson. It’s a town so small that, well, it doesn’t exist.
Roethlisberger, as the AP points out, once attended Cory-Rawson School.
We’ve confirmed that, indeed, Roethlisberger’s “hometown” and “birthplace” are identified as “Corey Rawson, Ohio” in the Steelers’ 2010 media guide.
In the 2010 NFL Official Record and Fact Book, Findlay still appears as Roethlisberger’s hometown. At Steelers.com, Roethlisberger (unlike other players) currently has no hometown listed.
The AP speculates that Roethlisberger made the change because of criticism he received from members of his prior hometown in the wake of his Milledgeville misadventures, which triggered a six-game suspension from the NFL.
But if that’s the case, shouldn’t Roethlisberger also say that he plays for the Corey Rawson Steelers?
If it’s true that Roethlisberger actually changed the name of his hometown due to criticism levied against him by people in Findlay that he embarrassed via actions that, regardless of criminal guilt, resulted in a significant suspension from the league office, it’s hard to believe that Roethlisberger truly has learned from his “mistakes.” It also shows that he’s pretty damn thin-skinned, which should make for some interesting moments if/when he’s booed at Heinz Field -- and when/when he hears chants like “she said no!” once the Steelers play in towns other than Pittsburgh.
Or Corey Rawson.