Much of the backlash against Ben Roethlisberger following his sexual assault allegations had little to do with his troubling behavior towards women.
Stories floated around of Roethlisberger simply being a jerk: To fans, to waitresses, to women, to men, to fellow players, and to the media. (Many of these stories were published; many weren’t. His reputation was in place well before the investigation in Georgia.)
When Roethlisberger returned to the Steelers, he promised a different approach. And it appears he has mended fences with one subset of people he may have previously offended: The Pittsburgh media.
On Wednesday, the Pro Football Writers chapter in Pittsburgh gave Roethlisberger “The Chief Award.” The award is given annually to someone in the Steelers organization that exemplified “the spirit of cooperation” with the media shown by franchise founder Art Rooney. Roethlisberger is the first quarterback to win the award.
Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted the accomplishment in an article titled: “Roethlisberger a changed man.”
“I said I need to be more cooperative with people, be a better person,” Roethlisberger said. “As much as people like to joke, you [in the media] are people. And we treat you guys that way. It’s just a change I wanted to make in my life and it’s towards you guys as well.”
Real change is lasting, so it will be interesting to watch Roethlisberger over the next few years. For now, those who cover Roethlisberger the closest wanted to show their appreciation for the changes he’s made.