It was something of an ancestral victory tour: Roethlisberger's great-great-grandfather Karl Roethlisberger was a poor man who worked in the town of Lauperswil, Switzerland, and left for America in 1873 at age 32. His famous descendant's visit drew a standing-room-only crowd as schools closed, local officials gave speeches and villagers came from miles away.

His family in tow, Big Ben saw church records showing his ancestor's emigration and immersed himself in the local culture — playing the golf like sport hornussen, tasting the region's celebrated cheese and meeting the Bern Grizzlies American-style football team. Back in the States, he took a break from practice to answer our questions.