Why Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger's Toughness Is Simply Legendary

Is Ben Roethlisberger playing in the right decade? 

I mean, seriously. 

In the Steelers 14-3 win over the Browns on Thursday night, the guy once again proved he possesses toughness similar to that of a 1970's linebacker than today's "don't-you-dare-touch-me" quarterback.

His ankle was rolled up on in the second quarter and Big Ben said after the game it hurt so badly he thought it was broken.

What did he do?

He came back and played nearly the entire second half en route to victory.

On one leg.

This simply doesn't happen anymore.

Most signal callers are out for a few weeks with such an injury.

What makes Big Ben so heroic—or legendary in the minds of some—is the fact that he was willing to gut it out for his teammates regardless of the situation.

Sure, they were heavy favorites over the Browns, but heading into halftime, it was really anybody's game.

A loss to Cleveland would have all but dashed Pittsburgh's chances at the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs and their shot at another AFC North title.

You see, Ben's a gamer. He wasn't going to put his team at a major disadvantage in a game in December. 

No way. 

So, like the old-school football player he is, Roethlisberger played and got the job done.

He wasn't tremendous in the second half, but No. 7's competitive nature and will to win overcame any pain he felt shooting through his ankle.

Playing through pain in the Super Bowl is easy. It's the biggest game in a man's life.

You'd think a contest against a 4-8 Browns team isn't—on Thursday, for Big Ben, it was.  

In a town known for it's blue-collar, never-say-die attitude, Roethlisberger fits right in. 

He's giving my younger generation a taste of what football players used to be like—how they became legends to many fans across the country.