NFL quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s mother, Ida Jane Foust, passed away at 34.
Recently, the Pittsburgh team significantly added DK Metcalf to their offense on Sunday. Following the deal, former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisger took to social media with a video in which he voiced his excitement.
Highlights
- Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger recently voiced his excitement after Pittsburgh added DK Metcalf to their squad.
- Ben was born to his father, Kenneth T. Roethlisberger, and his mother, Ida Jane Foust.
- Roethlisberger’s half-sister, Carlee Roethlisberger, tied the knot with Tyler in 2017.
Ben was fired up, and he jokingly floated the idea of coming out of retirement to play with Metcalf. He said,
“Coach T, are you kidding me? DK Metcalf on one side, [George Pickens] on the other? [Pat Freiermuth] working the middle? I might need to throw my hat in the ring. If you’re looking for a guy, I might still have a couple throws in me!”
Ben Roethlisberger
Roethlisberger, who recently turned 43, hasn’t played in the NFL since 2021, but the allure of playing with such a talented group of receiving weapons may have him considering a return to the league.
As it stands, Pittsburgh doesn’t have a quarterback locked in for 2025, with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields set to hit free agency.
While Roethlisberger doesn’t seem realistic about returning to the field, he’s fired up about the upcoming campaign after Sunday’s trade.
Ben Roethlisberger Spent Every Weekend With His Mother, Ida, Although His Father, Kenneth, Married Brenda
Ben, 43, was born on March 2, 1982, in Lima, Allen, Ohio, to his father, Kenneth T. Roethlisberger, and his late mother, Ida Jane Foust.
His parents were married in Allen County, Ohio, on September 1, 1979, but their marriage ended in divorce on July 26, 1984.
Although his father married Brenda two years later, Ben spent every other weekend with his mother, Ida.

Kenneth was born in 1956 to Kenneth Carl Roethlisberger and Audrey Louise Heslop. He is a former pitcher and quarterback at Georgia Tech.
He was named to the First Team All-City in Football in high school, the State Acme Baseball Championship Team, and the Golden Helmet Award Winner in 1973.
In 1974, he was named to the First Team All-City Basketball and All-WBL in Baseball and played in the 1974 Ohio North/South All-Star Football Game. He was also the Lima News’s Most Outstanding Scholar-Athlete.
On the other hand, Ida was born in Ohio on September 12, 1956, to Franklin “Frank” Foust and Frances Arlene “Fran” Shoemaker.
Sadly, Ida died as the result of injuries sustained in a car accident on September 24, 1990, while on the way to pick up Ben at his father’s for a weekend together when Ben was 8 years old.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger Grew Up With Her Half-Sister
Ben Roethlisberger has one half-sister, Carlee Roethlisberger, 36, born on August 24, 1988, in Ohio. She played basketball and volleyball at the University of Oklahoma.
She also played AAU basketball for the Dayton Lady HoopStars and was a Community Relations Coordinator for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
She recorded 1,625 career points and most steals, 199, and as a volleyball player, she averaged 3.7 kills per set and had 90 blocks.
Happy #NationalSiblingsDay to my one and only!!! ❤️😍 pic.twitter.com/jJSxoM9hNv
— Carlee Roethlisbergr (@C_Roeth107) April 11, 2017
She played on Oklahoma’s women’s volleyball team during her fifth year as an athlete. Later, she went on the AVP Beach Volleyball tour from 2015 to 2017.
In 2017, Carlee tied the knot with Tyler and shared a glimpse on her social media handle.
On National Siblings Day, April 10, 2017, Carlee posted a childhood picture of her and Ben and wrote, “Happy #NationalSiblingsDay to my one and only!!!” indicating she has only one sibling.
Additional Information
- On July 23, 2011, Ben married Ashley Harlan, a physician assistant in New Castle, Pennsylvania. They have three children: Ben Jr., Baylee, and Bodie.
- Ben is a spokesperson for Swiss Roots, a campaign intended to help Americans of Swiss origin reconnect with their Swiss ancestral heritage.
- He has his barbecue sauce line, Big Ben’s BBQ, and is an investor in tech startups, including NeoLight, a neonatal care company.