Will Howard says that Ben Roethlisberger took him under his wing: ‘He’s been really helpful’

While Aaron Rodgers isn’t his teammate yet, Will Howard still has an opportunity to talk to a future Hall of Fame quarterback since the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted him.

Howard recently shared that he has had frequent conversations with former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger since Pittsburgh selected him in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. In fact, Howard’s first week as a Steeler included an appearance on Roethlisberger’s podcast along with fellow Steelers rookie and former Ohio State teammate Jack Sawyer. 

“We actually have the same agent, so we got connected through that,” Howard said on Up & Adams. “He’s been really good. He’s been super supportive of me through this whole process. Throughout now being a Steeler, getting to know him, he’s been really helpful for me. He texted me checking last week, you know, just been a really good mentor. I can see him being a good mentor for me going forward. He’s been super nice to me so far.”

Roethlisberger and Howard have quite a bit in common outside of playing the same position. Both grew up having a passion for and playing basketball before coming to the conclusion that their best shot at becoming a professional athlete was on the gridiron. 

Despite successful high school careers, neither quarterback was seriously pursued by the big in-state school. Roethlisberger, after being lightly recruited by Ohio State, ultimately went to and starred at Miami University before being taken by the Steelers with the 11th overall pick in the 2004 draft. Howard dreamed of playing at Penn State (his dad’s alma mater and where his sister currently attends), but he ultimately chose Kansas State over Kansas (his only two legitimate offers) after Penn State went MIA after Howard suffered an injury during his junior year. 

Howard had a solid career at Kansas State, but things didn’t really take off for him until his final year in college while playing at Ohio State. After a loss to Michigan at the end of the regular season, Howard and his teammates went off in the College Football Playoff. In four consecutive wins that culminated in a national championship, Howard completed 75.2% of his passes with eight touchdowns and just two picks. 

After leading the Buckeyes to a national title, Howard hopes to make the most of his opportunity with the Steelers while following in Roethlisberger’s footsteps. 

“Growing up for me, watching Pittsburgh, it was Big Ben,” Howard said. “Big Ben was that guy. He was Pittsburgh. He was the Steel City, the blue collar, the gritty guy. And I want to be that too. I want to bring that edge, that energy. I think I did a pretty good job of it Ohio State. I like to kind of pride myself on that, and I’m going to try and bring it to the Steel City.”