It appears ex-Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall isn’t struggling too much with the memory loss that’s sometimes associated with former football players.
He seems to remember plenty.
Reeves Weideman of Men’s Journal caught up with the Steelers’ 2008 first round pick and talked to him about his new career – a writer for the HBO show “Ballers” starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
In that, he dropped a bomb that’s likely to entice Steeler haters.
Of course, Mendenhall admits, there were parties. The wildest were the ones rookies are expected to throw at the start of each season. Mendenhall recalls a young offensive lineman making the mistake of giving his credit card to Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. “Ben just did the whole thing,” Mendenhall says. “One night — the rookie ended up with a $25,000 bill from the club.”
The article didn’t say which rookie it was or where it was, making it a bit harder to take at face value – especially considering Mendenhall’s employment is now based on viewership. One doesn’t need to look far to see examples of publicity-grabbing statements or actions when a new show or movie is being promoted.
Still, considering the reputation Roethlisberger had in Pittsburgh in the earlier parts of his career, and plenty to be said regarding 20s-something guys going out to the clubs with stacks of cash.
Mendenhall also accuses the Steelers of pushing him away from answers given for marketing material released from the team.
Mendenhall also grew frustrated with the off-the-field demands placed on NFL players. The conservative nature of the league, especially in Pittsburgh, felt stifling. Once, the Steelers wanted him to answer several personal questions for a video feature. When they asked for a favorite book, Mendenhall offered The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Eyebrows raised. “They were like, ‘Yeah, we can’t put that. Do you have another one?’ ” Mendenhall says. “I could have said Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy, and it would have been acceptable. But I’m like, ‘You walked up to me, asked me my favorite book, and it wasn’t OK?’ ”
This may not seem like the most brutal accusation one could make, but it does cut into the credibility of the internal workings of the team’s public relations staff – one that was given the Pete Rozelle Award as the top group in the NFL.
No word was said on whether Roethlisberger paid it back or anything of that nature, but it’s interesting to see a former player who appeared disgruntled toward the end of his career using anecdotes to boost his prestige now.
