FINDLAY, Ohio (AP) -The black and gold Ben Roethlisberger jerseys are long gone from store display windows in his hometown. Stacks of bobblehead dolls at a downtown shop haven’t been touched for months.
Adoration for the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback has faded after two women accused him of sexual misconduct within the past year, sparking questions about his character and judgment.
Yet many remain reluctant to criticize the hometown sports hero, even as they agreed with a Georgia prosecutor’s assessment that Roethlisberger needs to “grow up” and be a better role model.
“He’s one of ours,” said Carol Allen, of Findlay. “I’m not saying he was right or wrong. But he’s family.”
club bathroom last month.
“People are pretty loyal to him, but it’s happened twice now so it does make you wonder,” said Mark Manuszak, who works in Findlay and lives nearby.
Just a few NFL seasons ago, Roethlisberger posters decorated barbershops and bowling alleys in the middle of Cleveland Browns territory. Fans couldn’t get enough merchandise as long as it had Roethlisberger’s name, face or No. 7 jersey – magnets, blankets, flags, mugs, hats and clocks.
“Anything that smelled like Ben was going out of here,” said Cathy Linhart, owner of House of Awards and Shoes.
She used to be a Browns fan and switched to the rival Steelers when they drafted Roethlisberger in 2004. Now she wonders if he’s a different person than the one she sold basketball shoes and baseball cleats to when he was in high school.
“I’m shocked. I thought he was a great role model,” she said. “I don’t get it. He’s from a solid family, a solid hometown.”
Roethlisberger acknowledged on Monday that he’ll need to work to regain the trust of teammates and fans. He still faces a lawsuit by another woman who said he raped her in 2008 at a Nevada hotel. He has denied the allegation and is seeking counter-damages in the matter.
gia who authorities said bought shots for a 20-year-old student and her friends.
They know him as the star athlete who donated autographed footballs to local charities, bought a police dog for the city, and came home every year for a celebrity basketball that raises money for the high school teams.
“That’s why people aren’t quick to rush to judgment because they do know him from high school and church,” said Tony Iriti, who first coached Roethlisberger in grade school and has stayed close to the family.
He just hopes that Roethlisberger will stop putting himself in places where he can get into trouble.
“It’s just like your kids,” said Iriti, the town’s former mayor. “You want them to make the best judgments and put themselves in good positions all the time. Sometimes, that just doesn’t happen.”
Roethlisberger’s trips home have been less frequent lately. His parents moved to Pittsburgh last summer and his sister, Carlee, plays basketball for the Oklahoma Sooners.
Whether his hometown and its 40,000 residents will stay behind him might be better known when football season comes around. “Fans are fans, that’s not going to change,” said J.D. Cataline, who owns High Five Sports, a shop inside the town’s mall.
He worries about how all of this will affect his 9-year-old granddaughter who started cheering for Roethlisberger during his first Super Bowl run five years ago.
ration to see more positive role models,” he said. “That’s why we’re hoping for a positive outcome.”
For now, a stack of Roethlisberger calendars sits near the cash register next to smaller piles of calendars featuring other players.
“We can sell everybody else’s, but not his,” said Cataline’s wife, Sue. “We can’t sell any of his stuff.”
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