Nov 16, 2014 4 min read

PITTSBURGH – There once was a time when Ben Roethlisberger resented Ken Whisenhunt.

Roethlisberger’s first offensive coordinator when he joined the Steelers in 2004, Whisenhunt was in charge of reigning in the young gunslinger.

It worked so well that the Steelers went 13-0 with Roethlisberger at quarterback in his rookie season and won the Super Bowl the following year.

Despite that success, there was always an underlying current of unhappiness between the young quarterback and the first-time offensive coordinator.

“We butted heads, as lots of people do, but I don’t think it was an issue,” Roethlisberger said as the Steelers (6-4) prepared to travel to Tennessee Monday to take on the Whisenhunt-coached Titans (2-7).

Time and distance have a way of solving problems, and so it has been with Roethlisberger and Whisenhunt.

The two now text regularly and each follows the other’s career closely, something that would have seemed strange 10 years ago.

Whisenhunt replaced Mike Mularkey as the Steelers’ offensive coordinator in 2004 under then-head coach Bill Cowher. Roethlisberger, a rookie No. 1 pick, replaced injured Tommy Maddox at quarterback in the second game of that season.

Whisenhunt left the Steelers following the 2006 season to become head coach of Arizona.

Now, when Roethlisberger and Whisenhunt butt heads, it’s on opposite sidelines.

He and Roethlisberger first went against one another in 2007, when the first-year head coach and his Cardinals beat the Steelers, 21-7, in Arizona.

Roethlisberger and the Steelers got the bigger win in the rematch in Super Bowl XLIII over Whisenhunt and the Cardinals, 27-23. The Steelers also won 32-20 in 2011 at Arizona.

“I was very lucky to have an opportunity to work with Ben,” Whisenhunt said. “I admire the fact that he’s been such a good player for so long. I’m not excited about facing him, because of the way he’s playing right now, but I certainly have a great deal of respect for the pro that he’s become.”

Whisenhunt can take a lot of credit for that maturation process, even if it wasn’t always easy.

As the Steelers’ offensive coordinator, Whisenhunt drew up the team’s game plan each week with little input from his young quarterback, who wanted more control over the plays being called.

“It’s probably because I was a young guy as much as anything,” Roethlisberger said. “It was kind of (Whisenhunt’s) way. And I think some of that, too, with ‘Coach Whiz’ was because of ‘The Chin’ (Cowher) he had looking down on him. (Whisenhunt) had to kind of run it a certain way and that’s just the way it goes.”

Whisenhunt has dealt with current Tennessee quarterback Zach Mattenberger, a rookie who will make his third career start Monday, with just as much tough love as he did Roethlisberger.

“He holds Zach accountable just as he did Ben,” said former Steelers receiver Nate Washington, who is now with the Titans. “I constantly see him preaching to him as I did when Ben was growing up in this league. He is teaching him how to understand becoming a better quarterback. I think the league understands that Coach is a pretty good guy when it comes to working with quarterbacks. He has carried that over from working with Ben and working with a couple other guys who he has had success with.”

Roethlisberger can admit to learning a lot from Whisenhunt, even if he didn’t necessarily see it at the time.

“He was the first guy I ever worked with, before I knew what it was like to be in the NFL,” Roethlisberger said. “Just the communication, talking to him and understanding the game, I think he worked so well with me and Coach (Mark) Whipple, my quarterbacks coach at the time, just to help a young guy understand what the game of football is all about.”

Nose tackle Steve McLendon (shoulder), safety Troy Polamalu (knee), linebacker Ryan Shazier (ankle), cornerback Ike Taylor (forearm) and safety Shamarko Thomas (hamstring) were declared out for Monday’s game. … Tight end Delanie Walker still has not cleared concussion protocol for the Titans and is questionable to play.