Big Ben has grown up

No real smack-down on Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, but his recent helmetless motorcycle accident should bring about more maturity to the young man. Even though the sixty-something female driver made an errant turn to cause the accident, Ben, who vowed not to wear a helmet because he is a safe rider, and did not have the bike properly licensed or registered, should have learned that safety on the football field is as important as safety in life.

Ben is fortunate that he was not severely injured or killed. He went through a seven hour operation to restructure broken facial bones and jaw fractures. His face demolished the woman's winshield, and his lower body took a beating as he rolled over several times after flying into her car.

Steelers' fans in Pittsburgh and around the Nation second guessed why Ben would be so stubborn and not wear a helmet. Would he go with out one on the football field, they asked? Ben was a 24-year old kid before the accident. He now is a 24-year old man who realizes that life or one's gifted profession can be snached away in a New York minute.

Hopefully, this brush with death, will make the Super Bowl winning QB focus more on what pays the bills. He will slow his life down a bit and realize that every day is a special day, and fame is fleeting. He is a good kid that had everything go so right so fast. He will only get so many snaps in the NFL. He can get a lot more snaps in life if he slows down. I think he will!