Roethlisberger breaks jaw in accident

Posted on Monday, June 12, 2006 @ 4:30:46 PM
Roethlisberger breaks jaw in accident
by Robby Maddux

Steelers quarterback ''Big'' Ben Roethlisberger was listed in serious but stable condition following a motorcycle accident that occured earlier today, at an intersection at the edge of downtown Pittsburgh around 11:30 am EST. He's currently undergoing surgery and speculation is that it is a broken jaw.

Dr. Larry Jones, chief of trauma at Mercy Hospital, said "He was talking to me before he left for the operating room. He's coherent. He's making sense. He knows what happened. He knows where he is. From that standpoint, he's very stable."

Roethlisberger usually rides without a helmet, and it's a habit that once prompted concern and a lecture from Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher. There's conflicting reports from eye-witnesses as to if Roethlisberger was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

A silver Chrysler with damage to the front passenger fender was removed from the scene and Roethlisberger's black bike was loaded onto a flatbed truck. Lt. Kevin Kraus said police and homicide units were investigating the crash, a standard practice that persues an accident with critical injuries. Kraus gave no other details about the other party involved.

In just his second year under center in the NFL, Roethlisberger led the Steelers to the Super Bowl title in February '06 at age 23, making him the youngest quarterback to ever lead a team to the Super Bowl championship.

Last year, Roethlisberger threw for 2385 yards and tossed 17 TD's. He averaged a very solid 198.8 yards per game with a QB rating of 98.6.

It's certain he'll miss NFL summer camps and the injuries could potentially side-line him to start the season. This would greatly impact the Steelers this year, and open the door to the AFC North.

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