National Football League

Report: Roethlisberger finds religion before Goodell meeting

Published Sep. 2, 2010 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Amidst news that Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger will meet Friday with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in hopes of reducing his league suspension from the current six weeks, Roethlisberger told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review about how he's altered his lifestyle since the April 21 ruling.

In a one-on-one interview, the two-time Super Bowl champion Roethlisberger discussed how reading the Blble helped him find religion after a rocky offseason involving sexual assault allegations. He also discussed how a rapid rise to stardom led him on a path he's now looking to reverse.

Teammates and coaches seem to have noticed a more fan- and teammate-friendly disposition after Roethlisberger's change of heart.

"Earlier in his career, he left the building and a lot of people didn't know what he did," veteran wide receiver Hines Ward said. "He was just secluded by himself, but now he's opening himself up to guys. He's joking around with everybody, rookies included. He's a different guy."

Roethlisberger also let it be known it's unlikely he'll ever address the incident where he was accused of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old girl in the bathroom of a bar in Georgia.

"I doubt I will ever even talk about it again. It's a bunch of chapters in my life that have closed and I am moving forward. I don't think you need to dwell on things in the past, just like football. You throw an interception, you move on. You have a bad season; you've got to move on because if you dwell on those things, it will bring you down. So to me, it's over. It's all about moving on and playing football."