Ben Roethlisberger, TJ Watt give honest take on Steelers playing 'Renegade' to hype fans - "We were not backing it up"
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and linebacker TJ Watt couldn't count the times they've heard the song Renegade blaring through the Pittsburgh Steelers' home stadium's sound system.
But it's hard for them to miss it because it's part of the team's soundtrack during every home game.
Hence, Ben Roethlisberger asked his former teammate during a recent episode of his Footbahlin podcast:
"How are you, because it's a mixed bag out there when Renegade comes on. Do you love it? Does it get you going?"
The 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year answered:
"I like Renegade. I mean, the fans love Renegade. But the problem is, there was a stretch there where Renegade was being played, and we were not backing it up. That is the worst feeling."
Fast-forward to the 1:29:00 mark to hear more about the conversation.
Renegade is a hit song by the American rock band Styx. They recorded the four-minute song in 1978 and released it a year later as part of the album Pieces of Eight.
Lead vocalist Tommy Shaw wrote the song, which peaked at 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.
The song starts slowly, acapella-ish, as Shaw narrates the story of an outlaw captured for a bounty. The pace then picks up with heavier drum beats and faster guitar riffs, much to the Steelers fans' delight.
The love affair between the song and the Pittsburgh Steelers started in 2002. Pittsburgh was down 24-7 when the production team played Renegade. The Steelers' defense made a stop, and the offense scored a touchdown. They also rallied to defeat their division rivals 36-33.
Last year, students from Point Park University researched if the song did help the Steelers' defense. They discovered that the Steelers maintained the lead in 33 out of 54 home games from 2014 to 2021 after the song was played.
They came from behind or tied the score in six games and lost in only seven matches. Opposing teams are seven times more likely to fumble in the next possession after Renegade.
Ben Roethlisberger and TJ Watt gave mixed takes on Renegade
Long-time Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, Roethlisberger, and other Steelers players shared how the mood changes once Renegade is played.
However, in the heat of the moment, TJ Watt forgot that the song was already being played.
He said during the same conversation with Ben Roethlisberger and co-host Spencer Te'o:
"It never really hit me until I went home after a game, and my dad was like, 'I told them stop playing Renegade. And then they play Renegade; they run it right down your throat.' I was like, 'I never thought about it.'
"And there are those stretches where it's like, 'D*mn, we need to back this up.' It's never like I hate the song coming out. It means it's a huge moment."
Meanwhile, Ben Roethlisberger recalled times when the song did not fit the situation.
"It used to come on just one time, and I was like *shaking his head*."
Despite their varying reactions, the song might have helped them become icons in Steelers lore. Ben Roethlisberger brought two Super Bowl titles to Steel City while earning six Pro Bowl selections.
Meanwhile, TJ Watt is a three-time First Team All-Pro member who tied the league record for most sacks in a season (22.5) two years ago.