Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) during practice at Heinz Field preparing for a Wild Card Round matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)
David DeCastro is the latest former Pittsburgh Steelers player to back Ben Roethlisberger after Joey Porter Sr. made bold claims against the future Hall of Fame quarterback. Porter said Roethlisberger was a bad teammate and not a good person.
“Yeah, it is what it is. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. I guess, negativity seems to sell these days, but I loved playing with Ben, for Ben, protecting him,” DeCastro said on 93.7 The Fan on Monday morning. “You know, Ben was — I just loved his energy. Ben’s the ultimate competitor no matter what it is.
“He’s a guy when you get in the huddle and he’s got that energy that, you know, we used to do the head-tap before the game,” DeCastro stated. “It was a pregame thing. [He’d] go around and tap everyone’s head. I mean, he’s just — you miss getting those juices flowing and having a guy like that. That’s what you need in a quarterback; that energy, that will, that want to win. It was contagious and [I] took a lot of pride in protecting him. Hall of Fame quarterback.”
Pittsburgh Steelers guard David DeCastro (66) practices at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 3 matchup against the Houston Texans, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Porter reiterated on Cam Heyward‘s podcast that he did not like how former Steelers such as Roethlisberger and James Harrison ripped Mike Tomlin during last season. He thinks Roethlisberger has no place to criticize the Steelers when it comes to leadership and how to handle business.
“The shit that [Roethlisberger] do that we don’t talk about, is crazy. Out of anybody that talk, he should never grab a microphone and talk Steelers business. Because if we talking Steelers business, his ass is foul of all foul,” Porter said. “That shit that he did is foul of all foul. He’s not a good teammate. Won a Super Bowl with him. But the person? He’s just not a good teammate. He knows that. Anybody in the Steelers building knows that. I’ve only won one Super Bowl and that was my quarterback. So do I love my quarterback? Yeah. But is he a good person? No.”
Former Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey, who’s a close friend of Roethlisberger, had choice words for anyone that is against Big Ben.
“It’s unbelievable the hate I’ve been seeing from people inside the family!! Especially when we all a call away! If you against Big Ben FUCK YOU, YOU AGAINST ME! CLOUT IS A DISEASE! #1love,” Pouncey wrote on Instagram on Thursday.
Pouncey, Roethlisberger and Porter were inducted into the Steelers’ Hall of Honor in December.
Roethlisberger has yet to comment on Porter’s remarks.
Mentioned In This Article: 93.7 The Fan Ben Roethlisberger David DeCastro Joey Porter sr. Pittsburgh Steelers Steelers Steelers News