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Last additions - Fan Photos/Fan Stories |
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In memory of a special young fan1158 viewsConnor Williams, age 11, who passed away December 30, 2012.
This was one of the last photos taken of Connor, wearing his Big Ben "bumblebee" jersey during a family holiday skiing trip. He decided to decorate himself with the leftover holiday package ribbons!
You can read Connor's story, as told by his father, Patrick, here:
http://bigben7.com/in-memory-of-a-young-fan/
Feb 27, 2013
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In memory of a special young fan807 viewsConnor Williams, age 11, who passed away December 30, 2012.
The photo above is part of the tribute to Connor at his school.
Poem, written by his father:
A Father's Pride
By Patrick Williams
You were a source of great pride-
A beautiful little boy- both out and inside.
Compassionate & witty, with intelligence to burn.
Coming home and talking with you is something for which I yearn.
For those conversations with you and your nimble mind
Were something that I found extremely divine.
You could morph from being a little kid at play
To talking about the serious issues of the day.
Your gregarious nature and wit made you a perfect cohost
And your presence at parties is among things I will miss most.
Singing, laughing and running the margarita machine,
While talking to folks, exhibiting a brightness so keen.
I was proud when I watched you win the spelling bee,
Spelling "perseverance" quite easily.
I was prouder still by how you treated your opponent.
You ignored the accolades and became his greatest proponent.
For young Jacob looked sad and dejected
And you made sure his feelings were not neglected.
Some victors' tendencies are to taunt and mock,
But, instead, you went to your foe and gave a pep talk.
You indicated that he should not be ashamed
As Mrs. Hall indicated that you both deserved acclaim.
You told him it had been the longest spell off in the history of East School
And that he should be proud and not feel like a fool.
I came home that night and said I was proud of you
For winning the bee but for how you treated Jacob, too.
And you looked at me as if I had grown two heads,
Like doing any different would fill you with dread.
You told me Jacob was your good friend,
And you felt conflicted when the bee came to an end.
For your friend looked dejected and sad,
So you talked to him because you didn't want him to feel bad.
And you got elected to student council last year,
Even though, when you ran, you told me your fears.
You were frightened that you might not get elected,
So I was afraid I would come home to find you dejected.
But I came home to find you happy as a lark,
So happy to succeed that you glowed with an inner spark.
Unlike most ten year olds, you actually had a platform,
But I came to find your real motive was the free popcorn.
And, as always, you got straight "A's"-
That brilliant mind never ceased to amaze.
You helped your sister and looked out for her, the best that you could-
You were a great big brother, that is well understood.
And, this year, you started at Welty Middle School.
You quickly adapted, being nobody's fool.
And, even though you were the youngest in your class,
You stood up to a bully- tactfully letting him know he was a jackass.
He called you nerd and other such names,
And you ignored him, as his efforts were lame,
But, finally, you decided that you'd had enough,
And you weren't going to put up with any more of his guff.
So you looked up at this man-child-three years older and a half foot taller than you,
And you stared up at him with those beautiful baby blues.
You told him that you, indeed, might be a nerd
But that he might want to be seen and not heard.
For, one day, he would be shoveling poop from the sewers you designed,
And, therefore, he might want to be a little more kind.
And, oh, to watch as a fly on the wall,
And see the man-child stammer at the thought of it all.
And, Connor, there are so many other stories
That show your wit, compassion & brilliance- a glimpse of future glory,
But, unfortunately, your life was cut far too short,
And there will be no more stories to report.
And I put your sister to bed each night,
Knowing that things will never again be quite right.
And I think of you and my heart fills with pride,
Then often I cry, as I am wounded inside.
But I always will be proud of the boy you had become-
A brilliant little boy who was compassionate & fun.
And I will forever miss your company,
Until, one day, on the other side, we can again be family.
You can read Connor's story, as told by his father, Patrick, here:
http://bigben7.com/in-memory-of-a-young-fan/
Feb 27, 2013
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February 23, 2013 - Chris Tomlin "Burning Lights Tour" Concert1136 viewsJustin Bendik and his sister, Emily, met Ben at the concert held at Consol Energy Center.
"I am a HUGE fan and both the concert & meeting Ben were amazing experiences!" -- Emily
*Thank you Emily and Justin!Feb 24, 2013
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February 23, 2013 - Chris Tomlin "Burning Lights Tour" Concert852 viewsBrianna Thomas and her father, Dale, pose with Ben at the concert at Consol Energy Center.
"It was great seeing Big Ben and his family at the Chris Tomlin concert worshiping God!" -- Brianna
*Thank you to the Thomas Family!Feb 24, 2013
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February 9, 2013 - Miami University Hall of Fame Induction Weekend851 viewsBengals fan and MU alum Dan Plettner not only had the opportunity to attend the Hall of Fame Induction Dinner last Saturday, but also the opportunity to meet and chat with Big Ben.
He was kind enough to share his story with us:
I had a splendid experience at Ben Roethlisberger’s Miami University Hall of Fame Induction Dinner on Saturday evening. Ben was inducted alongside his posthumous coach, Terry Hoeppner. Ben’s emotions and words were a great tribute to Coach Hoeppner.
I had brought a football for which I frankly am still working toward a decent historical knowledge. I went up to Ben shortly before dinner and told him I had something I thought he might like to see. He smiled immediately as he saw the Redhawks logo on the ball’s finish and then he began examining the ball pretty closely.
I am still uncertain whether the football was actually used in practice and/or games… and whether it was definitively ever touched by Ben in 2003, but I loved the ball 10 times more the moment Ben remarked about the ball to the effect, “this ball has a lot of history.†Another former player at the event informed that the ball was a new model/style in ’03.
I enjoyed a normal conversation with “Big Ben†and he seemed to find my challenge of being a proud Miami alum simultaneous with being a Bengals fan pretty humorous. After talking, when I informed him that I’d be honored if he choose to sign the ball he graciously reached for my pen and took his time to choose a place to autograph it. After thanking him, I felt like a little kid and discretely walked the football around the perimeter of the room (rather than taking a direct route back to my table) so as not to “open the floodgates†for others to approach and ask for his autograph just before the dinner commenced.
Later, listening to the speeches from Ben (which truely honored Terry Hoeppner) and Terry’s wife really fully made me appreciate my good fortune for observing a special night in the history at Miami University.
It also helped me to appreciate Ben on a level different from what I’ve seen during his playing career. Ben showcased humor as a nice compliment to heartfelt emotions, even joking about a fictitious “Brian†who had been accidentally introduced (instead of Ben).
Ben, if you ever happen to read this: thank you for helping me to cherish your contribution to Miami University Athletics.
Best Always,
Dan PlettnerFeb 13, 2013
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February 9, 2013 - Miami University Hall of Fame Induction Weekend675 viewsBen poses with Cary Feltman, Justin Shigley, and Ian Sterner outside after the Induction Dinner in Oxford, OH.
Cary and his friends attended the Dinner and he had this to share about Ben's speech during the evening:
"It was very respectful of Coach 'Hep' and about how he was the reason he went to Miami University. [Talked] about the players that paved the way for him and the players that were to follow. He cracked some jokes about taking so long to graduate. Also before he stood up to do his speech, the lady that was announcing the players and giving a brief of their accomplishments before they would come up accidentally called him Brian Roethlisberger. So when he walked up to the podium he says, 'Sorry, Brian couldn't make it tonight, so I'm filling in for him.' He had the room laughing pretty good." -- Cary
*Thank you so much Cary!!Feb 13, 2013
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February 9, 2013 - Miami University Hall of Fame Induction Weekend576 viewsEmily Vanstein attended the HOF Dinner held at a sold-out Shriver Center Multipurpose Room and shared her photo-op with us!
"I just think it was cool to meet Ben, who is an amazing player. It was also cool to watch him come back to his college to let them reward him, even though he's gone so far in his career. He was very nice and made an amazing speech at the Hall of Fame dinner, you could tell it meant a lot to him. Congrats to him and all the inductees!" -- Emily
*Thank you Emily!!Feb 13, 2013
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February 9, 2013 - Miami University Hall of Fame Induction Weekend1864 viewsBen poses with MU student William Talkington in Oxford, Ohio.
Thank you to William for tweeting the photo!
Feb 09, 2013
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February 9, 2013 - Miami University Hall of Fame Induction Weekend1468 viewsBen poses with MU student Ryan Philbin in Oxford, Ohio.
Thank you to Ryan for tweeting the photo!!
*Click on any photo for a larger version.Feb 09, 2013
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Luck o' the Irish!647 viewsJune, 2012: Ben poses with James Hurley (left) and Jeremiah Buckley at Charlie Foley's Pub in Killarney in County Kerry, Ireland.
"I was quite shocked when he came in as I have one of his jerseys at home, but I couldn't go home to get it signed because I was working. Thank you so much! We have the picture framed in the bar and it is a real hit with all Americans who visit us. Just a pity we couldnt get it signed, that would have been magical!" -- James Hurley
And from the management at Charlie Foley's Pub via Twitter on Ben's visit:
"What a gentle giant! [Came in] to the pub and couldn't be nicer. We have his picture on our wall, he is our adopted hero! We wish him the luck of the Irish!"
Jan 30, 2013
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Luck o' the Irish, Part II482 views"I had the pleasure of meeting Ben last summer in Ireland at the Old Head Golf Links. As a huge supporter of the NFL I was awestruck when I saw him and it made my summer! -- James Cullinane, on meeting Ben in June, 2012.Jan 30, 2013
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Tom & Alexis Keen - January 8, 2013 916 viewsMy wife and I were driving home from Florida after visiting her parents for the holidays and we ended up staying at the Hyatt Regency in Louisville Kentucky. It was funny because it was probably a 1 in 30 chance that we ended up at that hotel because we used Priceline to book it so we didn't get to choose where we stayed.
We were up in our room and looking on the Facebook page when we realized Big Ben, Brett Keisel, and Merril Hodge were in the area at the ATA Show. We decided to get dressed and walk around the hotel a bit, never thinking we would run into them. We walked down to the lobby and lterally two minutes later Big Ben walked in the front door.
Being huge Steelers fans for 25 years, my wife and I were totally stoked! I called out to him that I would love to get a picture with him and he hollered over to me, "Let's do it"!
We were so excited that night we could hardly sleep. Thank you so much Ben for stopping for us to get a picture and to make such an awesome memory.
Congratulations to you and your wife on having Ben Junior and much luck next year. Hopefully you can bring home number seven -- Tom KeenJan 21, 2013
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