Wednesday’s “First Call” has some eyebrow-raising comments from a former Pittsburgh Steeler. Ben Roethlisberger has high praise for some former teammates. Max Starks is excited about his new job.

And big bucks are coming to a pair of former WPIAL basketball stars.

Safety First?

Old allegiances die quickly in the AFC North, I guess.

Former Steelers cornerback Mike Hilton left Pittsburgh via free agency this year. He signed a four-year, $24 million contract with the division rival Cincinnati Bengals.

Via Steelers Wire, this week Hilton referred to new teammate Jessie Bates as the best safety in the game. Not former teammate Minkah Fitzpatrick.

“[Bates is] the best safety in the game. He just doesn’t get the respect he deserves,” Hilton told Bengals reporters Monday.

In fact, Hilton went so far as to say Bates makes “just as many plays” as Fitzpatrick. In particular, Hilton praised Bates’ mental approach and play-making ability.

We’ll see who makes more in Week 3 of the season. The Steelers host Hilton and the Bengals on Sept. 26 at Heinz Field.

Big praise from Big Ben

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger made an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio’s “Movin’ the Chains” show Tuesday.

And he had effusive praise for his former teammates — and coach — who are about to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend.

Of his former head coach Bill Cowher, Roethlisberger said, “It’s so humbling, to have played for a Hall of Fame coach. I think we all kind of knew that he was going to get in. Winning that Super Bowl (XL), I think kind of cemented it.”

As far as playing behind future Hall of Fame guard Alan Faneca, Roethlisberger said, “I only got to play a couple years with him, but what an honor to play with one of the best lineman in the game, and his passion for the game was something special.”

Finally, on safety Troy Polamalu, “Troy was one of the greatest players that I’ve ever seen play. Played against, played with. The things that I saw that man do on a football field were … you still shake your head to this day.”

Someday, Roethlisberger will be inducted himself. And, unless Hines Ward gets in soon, Roethlisberger may be the next to be enshrined in Canton.

New gig

Max Starks is ready for his new job.

It was announced Tuesday that the former Steelers offensive tackle will be joining the team’s radio play-by-play team this season. He’ll be a sideline reporter with Missi Matthews. And it’s clear Starks is already excited about the job.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Max Starks (@mstarks78)

Starks made 96 starts and played in 123 regular-season games for the Steelers. He started at right tackle in the Super Bowl XL win against the Seattle Seahawks after the 2005 season, then started at left tackle three years later when the Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII.

Craig Wolfley will move to the booth from the sideline full-time as a lead analyst alongside veteran play-by-play man Bill Hillgrove. Wolfley has been a sideline reporter for 19 years and started splitting his duties in recent years due to the pandemic and some knee issues.

The changes to the broadcast team were necessitated by Tunch Ilkin’s retirement. He’s stepping down as color analyst to concentrate all his energy toward his battle against ALS. Ilkin was also recently named as a 2021 inductee to the Steelers Hall of Honor.

Not the news you want to break

The Steelers are usually very tight-lipped when it comes to announcing injuries during training camp.

But no one can stop an athlete from tweeting something about his own health. That’s what cornerback DeMarkus Acy did Tuesday.

Unfortunately tore my acl today, it hurts that this happened just days before my pro debut but there’s no quit in me. Prayer has always got me through anything and I continue to live through faith and let life teach me valuable lessons.

— DeMarkus Acy (@DeMarkusAcy2) August 3, 2021

Undrafted in 2020, the former Missouri Tiger signed with the San Francisco 49ers, but Acy never saw the field and wound up signing with the Steelers earlier this year.

Acy had been doing work on the left side of the Steelers defense on the third or fourth string depending on the day.

Million Dollar Men

Schenley High School products D.J. Kennedy and DeAndre Kane were part of the million-dollar winners at The Basketball Tournament.

Again.

The made-for-ESPN single elimination tournament culminated last night, and Boeheim’s Army won it. As you may guess from the team’s name, it was a roster constructed largely of Syracuse alumni. But Kane and Kennedy were added this year, after being part of Overseas Elite. That club won the tournament four years in a row from 2015-18.

Keifer Sykes, who actually played at Wisconsin-Green Bay, hit the tournament-ending shot Tuesday night to win the final 69-67 over Team 23.

KEIFER SYKES FOR $1 MILLION!!!!!!!!!!!!@BoeheimsArmy IS YOUR TBT 2021 CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/tgAwO8tMpa

— TBT (@thetournament) August 4, 2021

It was the first TBT title for Boeheim’s Army after being close but coming up short many times over the past seven years. In the final, Kane left the game early with a groin injury after scoring just two points. Kennedy had 11.

---

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)

---