Roethlisberger: Good sandwich, even better person

Though the spirit of giving normally ends in December, Pittsburgh Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger… Though the spirit of giving normally ends in December, Pittsburgh Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger continues to carry it with him through the NFL playoffs.

This time, however, it won’t be about giving the Steelers fans the play they want on the field, and it doesn’t have anything to do with the time he gives to sports reporters and media affiliations after each game.

No, this time, Roethlisberger looks to provide something greater, for people in much more need than your average sports fan or reporter.

Roethlisberger announced Tuesday that he plans to donate his first NFL playoff paycheck to the tsunami victims’ relief effort in Southeastern Asia where the death toll has reached 153,585 civilians, with Indonesia being impacted the worst.

This act of kindness and generosity surprised many around the league and just adds even more to the ever-growing legacy that Roethlisberger is currently building.

“A game check isn’t anything like some of the Yankees and some of those people who’ve donated a million dollars, but every little thing they can get can help,” Roethlisberger said in an Associated Press story.

Roethlisberger’s donation after the Steelers’ game with the Jets on Saturday will total $18,000 — the playoff salary that all players receive, which is determined by the league’s collective bargaining agreement.

The idea of the donation occurred to Roethlisberger while noticing NBA players — including Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O’Neal and Bob Sura — donated $1,000 per point scored in games last weekend, in addition to the $500,000 that the NBA and its players’ union donated to the efforts.

Roethlisberger hopes that his gesture motivates other players, as well as the league itself, to donate any amount of funds they can, but so far, no one else has made such an announcement.

“That’s a heck of a gesture on his part. That says a lot about the kid for him to do something like that,” Steelers head coach Bill Cowher said in the AP article. “I’ve said all along the kid’s got a great perspective on things, and that’s another example of it.”

To the rest of the sports world, this all may come as more of a surprise to them, but for the area of Pittsburgh that has been following the savior of its beloved football team, this is just an act by the youngster that we could have all seen coming.

Since the day the Steelers made him the 11th pick in the 2004 NFL draft, Roethlisberger has done nothing but good things for his new home of Pittsburgh.

He has single-handedly brought a sports city that Kordell Stewart left in shambles back together, and doesn’t mind speaking with a few fans when he is spotted down on the South Side, the Waterfront or even the Mall at Robinson.

His superstar status in Pittsburgh is a feat that not many athletes have been able to accomplish or deal with, but what else should we expect from a kid who is 13-0 as a rookie starter in the NFL and has the opportunity of a Super Bowl victory in his sights?

The answer is getting hard to tell with him, because every time you turn around, he comes right back with something that impresses you more. Only time will tell what this mature young man can achieve, but his future is definitely as bright as any player in any sport.

For now, though, we can just sit back and say “thank you, Mr. Roethlisberger” for all that you have done to help your city, teammates, the NFL and all the victims who will benefit from your charity.

If you would like to donate any amount of money as well, the following organizations have set up relief fund efforts and their contact information can be found on msnbc.com: Action Against Hunger, ADRA International and Air Serv International.

Alan Smodic is a senior staff writer for The Pitt News, and he urges you to help out in any way you can.