Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is trying a different approach to his offseason conditioning.
Rather than committing himself fully to gridiron work, Roethlisberger recently told Yahoo! Sports that he plans to tee off at a dozen courses during a marathon golf trip that he says will keep him sharp for the upcoming football season.
"Golf is such a mental challenge, and as frustrating as it can be sometimes, it can definitely make you stronger," Roethlisberger said. "Playing some great courses in a setting like Ireland and Scotland will be pretty awesome, but it is also a great way to keep your mind sharp."
Roethlisberger will visit both countries in June.
"It is going to be pretty hardcore," Roethlisberger said. "I will be playing something like 12 courses in 10 days and they are some of the very best ones that you can find. I'm going to the K Club, St Andrews and a bunch of others."
Of the 12 courses, several have hosted either the British Open or European Tour events. Roethlisberger is an avid golfer and once dated LPGA star Natalie Gulbis.
Last season, the Steelers lost in overtime to the Denver Broncos in the AFC wild-card game, a game in which Roethlisberger played on a badly injured ankle, among other ailments.
"Normally, you finally start to feel good physically, and then training camp starts and it begins all over again," Roethlisberger told the website. "This time it has been a bit tougher to get myself right but I will be good and ready to go."
