“He wrote this long note saying, ‘No matter what happens tomorrow at the game, we will always be here for you,’” Roethlisberger said. “I still have that letter in my desk in my office. That is a neat thing to have and not something that a lot of agents would have done.”

Tollner has written notes and letters to Roethlisberger before all of his big games in the NFL. They talk on the phone — if not every day, every other day. Tollner gives Roethlisberger advice on dealing with players, coaches and the media. “I don’t really think of him as an agent,” Roethlisberger said. “I think of him as a friend.”

Roethlisberger was the first big client Tollner signed, ahead of when he was selected No. 11 overall in the 2004 draft. Since then, Tollner has signed Jacksonville quarterback Blake Bortles and Tennessee quarterback Marcus Mariota. He represents those players and about 45 other NFL players with his partners: his older cousin Bruce; agent Chase Callahan; and marketing agent Nima Zarrabi.

Rep 1 also represents quarterbacks Carson Wentz (North Dakota State) and Jared Goff (California), both of whom who could be selected at the top of this year’s NFL draft. Tollner, before his agency days, was a quarterback at Cal, too.

“Quarterbacks and their families are usually extremely thorough in their agent selection process and rarely fooled,” Tollner said. “Through experience, we identify talent and intangibles well and have been fortunate to connect on our core values.”

Roethlisberger said Tollner’s ability to build relationships based on friendship, honesty and trust is the reason for his success. He said he has talked a little bit with Tollner about what he might do when he retires from playing football, as well. “We will be best friends forever, there is no doubt about it,” Roethlisberger said. “I don’t know what I am going to do afterward, but … he will be a part of my life, whatever I do.”

— Liz Mullen