Ben Roethlisberger: Can He Survive Latest Fall from Grace?

Ben Roethlisberger had it all.

An improbable run from Miami to Ohio, not exactly a mecca for incoming NFL players, first round draft pick, size, talent, undeniable toughness, and two Super Bowl titles in six seasons.

His game developed extremely well and his strong arm and pocket presence made him a star in the NFL.

There were no talks of character issues when Roethlisberger came out of college, and he was generally determined to be an upstanding guy.

Steelers fans grew to love him, his tough, hardworking nature and rallied behind him and fellow teammates such as Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu.

The Steelers built a powerhouse behind him and his teammate's heart, determination, and will, which led to a rebirth of the Steel Curtain D and Roethlisberger was the heart of it all.

With the city of Pittsburgh standing square on No. Seven's shoulders, why would he then put his team, family, and his own reputation on the line?

We've seen many athletes put themselves in harm's way and make terrible decisions as the role models that they inevitably become.

Whether you like it or not, when you're paid millions of dollars to entertain us doing something you love and we love to watch, you instantly become a public figure.

In the past, may African-American athletes have put themselves in compromising situations and have created a stigma of demoralizing behavior.

Guys such as Tiger Woods, Michael Vick, Tank Johnson, Pacman Jones, Ron Artest, and Mike Tyson have all gotten themselves in terrible situations with bad judgment, but when referring to white athletes, the numbers pale in comparison.

Therefore, when Roethlisberger committed his first act of misjudgment, it was something that received extensive media coverage because of the threat on his health and his status as a star, but that was it.

Roethlisberger was involved in a serious accident that nearly took his life, riding a high-speed motorcycle in downtown Pittsburgh, with no helmet or license.

When athletes suffered similar accidents prior to Roethlisberger's such as, Kellen Winslow and Jay Williams, they were looked at as pariah's in the media.

Roethlisberger escaped the incident with little media scrutiny after he healed from his injuries, and there were no actions taken against him from the organization or the NFL.

Once healed from his injuries, Roethlisberger returned to the field strong and stayed out of the news for the wrong reasons, even winning another Super Bowl title in dramatic fashion.

In July of 2009, Roethlisberger suddenly was in the news again in a way that would compromise his status as Steelers QB and the public's image of him.

Andrea McNulty, a 31-year-old woman, filed a civil-suit against Roethlisberger accusing him of sexual assault while at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, NV.

Although no criminal complaint was filed and there was no physical evidence collected, it put Roethlisberger in the news as an immoral athlete who couldn't make good decisions.

Under Roger Goodell's personal conduct policy, there doesn't have to necessarily be criminal charges to face suspension and penalties.

Roethlisberger denied the allegations, and with the support of a woman who claimed that McNulty bragged about having consensual sex with him, the incident all but went away in media outlets.

With the issue seemingly behind him and no rumblings about suspension from the Commissioner, Roethlisberger had seemed to weather the storm and if he kept his name clean, would likely be out of suspension's shadow.

That was until March 5, 2010.

While having a night out in Milledgeville, GA., Roethlisberger and his associates were having a great time spending large amounts of money on alcohol and enjoying themselves.

Apparently Roethlisberger enjoyed himself too much.

What followed once again were allegations of sexual misconduct against Roethlisberger, and this time many witnesses put him at the scene of the crime that fateful night.

Again Roethlisberger denied the accusations, and despite evidence that was somewhat underwhelming but could have been interpreted against him, the charges were subsequently dropped.

But his reported behavior was not.

It was revealed that Roethlisberger exposed himself to the accuser in the hallway of a nightclub, had his bodyguard block the accuser's friends from checking on her well-being, and had sexual relations with her in the bathroom.

An NFL star having sexual relations in the bathroom of a nightclub? It's hard for me to imagine a Joe Schmo doing something like that.

Regardless of whether Roethlisberger forced the woman's hand or not, the damage was done to his reputation.

Two sexual assault allegations in one year was enough for the media to serve as judge, jury, and executioner.

The court of public opinion lambasted Roethlisberger, and as a result, the Commissioner was forced to act.

Not to mention, the ethnicity of Roethlisberger had many outlets closely monitoring the actions of Goodell to make sure a fair judgment would be handed down.

The result was a six-game suspension, contingent on good behavior, could be reduced to four.

Quite a harsh punishment for a guy who hasn't formally been charged with anything.

In today's NFL, that doesn't matter.

What matters is the image that you carry as an ambassador of the league and also yourself, and the world of celebrity has evolved into a place where you absolutely cannot commit these types of transgressions.

With more eyes around you than just human, you're always being watched and with the stature of a professional athlete, you have to be careful, especially in Goodell's NFL.

Does Roethlisberger have the fortitude to return from this disciplinary action against him as strong if not stronger than before?

That remains to be seen, but as a forgiving society we will surely give him the chance to.

He at least deserves that, but he will have to convince us that he really has learned his lesson.

With reports that the Steelers may now be shopping him, perhaps President Art Rooney isn't feeling so forgiving.

When it comes to women, the old cliche is useful in determining whether it's worth it or not: "Be careful for what you wish for, you just might get it."

Let's just say that Roethlisberger, "got it." Hopefully now he really gets it.

His career depends on it.