A Pittsburgh food marketing company cut ties with Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger this morning and has stopped production of "Big Ben's Beef Jerky."
"It's something we've been contemplating for awhile," PLB Sports president Ty Ballou said. "We have a morals clause and it's something we never want to exercise, whether it be with the Steelers or any other professional team. There's just too much negative stigma attached to this thing."
Roethlisberger has been accused of sexual assault twice since last July. He will not face criminal charges stemming from a March 5 incident in Milledgeville, Ga.
Ballou said PLB Sports had made the beef jerky named after Roethlisberger for the last five years.
"We wish Ben the very, very best but we set a benchmark for the type of players we associate with," Ballou said. "It's not all about wins and losses and Super Bowl rings. It's about what you do off the field."
