Back in 2006, Ben Roethlisberger absorbed the hardest hit of his then-young career on the M&T Bank Stadium turf courtesy of Bart Scott.
Last week, he was reminded of what it’s like to feel the purple pain, thanks to Courtney Upshaw.
Of course, the difference is that back in 2006 you were still allowed to hit quarterbacks, so Scott wasn’t flagged while Upshaw was.
Regardless, all’s well that ends well and the Ravens went on to the easy victory. Nearly a week later though, that hit is still fresh in Ben’s mind. He told 93.7 the Fan in Pittsburgh that he’s still very sore.
Per ESPN:
Ben Roethlisberger is still feeling the effects of what he called the second-hardest hit he has absorbed in his NFL career.
The Steelers quarterback said Tuesday on his weekly radio show that he is “still very sore” after getting drilled in the chest by Ravens linebacker Courtney Upshaw early in the Steelers’ 26-6 loss to Baltimore on Thursday night.
“I’m hurting today as much as I was at any point I can think of in the last year,” Roethlisberger said on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh.
Upshaw got a clean run at Roethlisberger on the third play of the game after he faked dropping into coverage. The hit Upshaw delivered was so hard that it knocked the wind out of Roethlisberger and drew a 15-yard penalty for roughing the passer.
The play was reminiscent of one that happened in 2006 in Baltimore, where former Ravens linebacker Bart Scott slammed into Roethlisberger on a blitz.
Roethlisberger has said that is the hardest he ever has been hit.
“This is easily right there with a close second,” said Roethlisberger, who struggled with his accuracy after Upshaw’s hit and completed 22 of 37 passes for 217 yards and an interception in the Steelers’ first loss of the season. “I lost my breath instantly and remember hitting the ground thinking, ‘Boy, that hurt a lot.’ I kind of pride myself on not taking those big hits, but I sure as heck didn’t see it coming.”
Of course, all this does is set up the usual “Ben is so tough!” storylines for this Sunday night when the Steelers head to Carolina.
