Faithwire
  • Watch
  • Go!
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • SCOTUS
  • Life
  • Religious Liberty
  • News
  • Politics
  • Faith
  • Opinion

NFL Star Ben Roethlisberger’s Porn Addiction — And How He Fought It with Faith

AP Photo/Colin E. Braley
AP Photo/Colin E. Braley
Share Tweet
By Tré Goins-Phillips
Editor

January 31, 2022

Amid news of Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement, comments the outgoing Steelers quarterback made about his past struggles with alcohol and pornography have resurfaced.

Two summers ago, Roethlisberger, 39, spoke at the ManUp Pittsburgh conference, where he opened up about the personal struggles that defined him for years, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Listen to the latest episode of the Faithwire podcast 👇

“People don’t realize all the time that us athletes, we’re human,” he said. “We sin like everyone else, and I am no different. We make mistakes, we get addicted to things, we sin — we’re human. And I think sometimes we get put on this pedestal where we can’t make mistakes; we do.”

“I’ve fallen as short as anybody,” the NFL star continued. “I’ve been addicted to alcohol. I’ve been addicted to pornography, which makes me then not the best husband, not the best father, not the best Christian I can be. But you have to dedicate yourself and understand that you can get out of it because of the grace of God and Him saying, ‘You’re good enough for me the way you are. You don’t have to be perfect.'”

Roethlisberger went on to say that all people “fall short,” a reference to Romans 3:23.

“That’s OK,” he said. “You can get back into the good graces and all it takes is [to] ask. And how easy is it for us to use our words? We don’t have to go do a bunch of things. We don’t have to go and do a bunch of services and do all this — all we have to do is ask. If we ask for forgiveness, He’s gonna say, ‘OK,’ and that’s — how lucky are we.”

The famous athlete, who credits his return to faith to his wife, Ashley Harlan, whom he married in 2011, said he was raised in a Christian home but strayed from his religious roots when he went to college.

Looking back, he said he never fully abandoned his belief in God but instead failed to dedicate time and energy to furthering his relationship with God. Roethlisberger said that, although he prayed “here and there,” he “wasn’t a strong Christian” during his college career — a decision he said he now deeply regrets.

Some four years ago, Roethlisberger — who was baptized as a child — rededicated his life to Jesus and was rebaptized.

“I just felt that I needed to do that,” he said during last year’s ManUp event. “I wanted to have a closer walk, a better relationship with Jesus, my wife, my kids, my family — become a better person.”

Now, he said, he’s “trying to be a better Christian than I am an athlete at football.”

“I push myself every day to do that,” he explained, adding, “It starts here,” placing his hand on his Bible.

Where is he now?

Roethlisberger announced last week he is ending his NFL career, and he’s crediting God for his success on the field.

“First and foremost, I need to thank the Lord for all the many blessings he’s bestowed on me,” he said in an announcement shared on his social media accounts. “[F]ootball has been a gift, and I thank God for allowing me to play it. Surrounding me with great people and protecting me through until the end with love and honor.”

You can read more about his retirement here.

***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***

Latest

  • Entertainment

    ‘The Chosen’ Begins Filming Season 4, Series to Be Translated into 600 Languages: ‘We’re Back’

  • Faith

    Weatherman Reveals Why He Prayed to Jesus On-Air as Deadly Tornado Hit: ‘God Helps People’

  • News

    ‘I Am Beyond Grateful’: Liberty University Names New President in Wake of Jerry Falwell Scandal

  • Faith

    EXCLUSIVE: Famous Activist Prays For Mass ‘Exodus’ of Clinic Workers With Launch of Powerful Good Friday Campaign

  • News

    Actor Mark Wahlberg Reveals Why He Moved Family Out of Hollywood: ‘It’s Really Giving the Kids a Chance to Thrive’


Sponsored
Sponsored

Newsletter
Signup

Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • ‘The Chosen’ Begins Filming Season 4, Series to Be Translated into 600 Languages: ‘We’re Back’
  • Weatherman Reveals Why He Prayed to Jesus On-Air as Deadly Tornado Hit: ‘God Helps People’
  • ‘I Am Beyond Grateful’: Liberty University Names New President in Wake of Jerry Falwell Scandal
  • EXCLUSIVE: Famous Activist Prays For Mass ‘Exodus’ of Clinic Workers With Launch of Powerful Good Friday Campaign
  • Actor Mark Wahlberg Reveals Why He Moved Family Out of Hollywood: ‘It’s Really Giving the Kids a Chance to Thrive’

Archives

  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016

Categories

  • Christian Persecution
  • Coronavirus
  • culture
  • Culture
  • Entertainment
  • Faith
  • Faith
  • Family
  • George Floyd
  • Go!
  • Israel
  • Life
  • Life
  • Lifestyle
  • Media
  • Men
  • Mission Haiti
  • News
  • News
  • Opinion
  • P.O.V
  • Politics
  • Politics
  • Roe
  • Sponsored
  • Sports
  • Virtue
  • Women

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Navigation

  • Watch
  • Go!
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Staff
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Sign up to get our newsletter your inbox every day.

Newsletter Signup

Do you want to read
more articles like this?