Ben Roethlisberger’s off-field antics made him so unpopular in Pittsburgh this offseason that large numbers of Steelers fans were hoping the team would dump its 28-year-old, two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback.
But one of the most popular players in the team’s history, Jerome Bettis, says he thinks Roethlisberger will eventually win back the fans.
“He has to keep his head down, play hard and give back to the community,” Bettis told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “If he does that, slowly but surely, he will be able to work through the process.”
Bettis thinks Roethlisberger is a good person who just showed poor judgment.
“It is a situation where he has to prove his heart is in the right place,” Bettis said. “And I know from knowing Ben that his heart is in the right place.”
Still, Bettis knows it’s not going to be an easy season for Roethlisberger or for the Steelers.
“It is not going to be a quick fix,” Bettis said. “They have an uphill battle.”