HOF Steelers Coach Bill Cowher: Improvisation is What Makes Ben Roethlisberger Special

Former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher has been publicizing the launch of his memoir, Heart and Steel, and he’s been talking about his days coaching the Steelers.

On Wednesday, Cowher appeared on the Jim Rome Show and was asked about what made quarterback Ben Roethlisberger stand out as a young player. Right away, Cowher cited Big Ben’s ability to make improvisational plays and have the confidence and ability to see the field to make that his calling card.

“The one thing you saw with him when he first got on the field was his ability to see the field and his ability to not have anything be too big for him,” Cowher said. “He had a little bit of that chip on his shoulder, and he played street ball so many times, but he was always making pretty much the right decisions. …

“Improvisation was a big part of what he wanted to do and how he wanted to play the game. He did give us plays that were unscripted and for the first time having a quarterback that was comfortable enough, confident enough, and made those right decisions, I was like ‘Wow, it’s kind of nice to have a guy that can make a play that wasn’t scripted.’”