Former NFL quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sported some sharp new duds on the latest edition of his podcast, Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, showing off a retro Canadian Football League t-shirt.
Big Ben made sure to highlight the shirt in the introduction to his sit-down with All-Pro edge rusher T.J. Watt, noting that it was a gift from long-time trainer Lorne Goldenberg.
“Goldie was my trainer for my last five years of playing and he’s from Canada. He’s like a die-harder, a die-hard CFL (fan). When I retired, he’s like, ‘Ben, any chance you go to the CFL?'” Roethlisberger explained, drawing laughs from Watt and producer Spencer Te’o.
“He came back from Canada and, typical Canadian, bringing back a bad accent, beer — we’ll see what the beer tastes like — all this smoke, and he brought me a shirt.”
Goldenberg, a native of Ottawa, Ont., now works as a strength and conditioning coach for professional athletes in the greater Pittsburgh area, but maintains close ties to the CFL and is an active supporter of the league on Twitter. He previously worked for the Ottawa Rough Riders and the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees football team, in addition to extensive experience in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators, Quebec Nordiques, Chicago Blackhawks, and St. Louis Blues.
Roethlisberger was one of his most notable clients towards the end of the quarterback’s 18-year stint as the starter for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Upon his retirement at the conclusion of the 2021 season, the 41-year-old sat fifth all-time in NFL history with 64,088 passing yards and eighth all-time with 418 touchdowns. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and was named the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2004, going on to lead the Steelers franchise to Super Bowl victories in 2005 and 2008.
While the future Hall of Famer never seriously entertained Goldenberg’s suggestion to play in the CFL, he can appreciate the three-down game — even if it remains largely foreign to him.
“I respect it. We were talking about it a little bit, trying to understand the game,” Roethlisberger shared with a chuckle. “If Goldie was here, he could break down every single detail of it.”
Roethlisberger and Watt spent the remainder of the episode enjoying the Canadian beer and talking football, as well as the viral security guard tackle of golfer Adam Hadwin following Nick Taylor’s historic win at the RBC Canadian Open.
With a budding appreciation for the Great White North already blooming, it might be only a matter of time before Goldenberg gets the legendary signal-caller out to a game at TD Place.