Jerome
Bettis Tribute
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jerome
Abram Bettis,
nicknamed "The Bus" (born
February 16,
1972 in
Detroit, Michigan), is a former
American football
running back for the
NFL's
Pittsburgh Steelers. Bettis is considered one
of the best big backs of his era, and is fifth
on the National Football League's all-time
rushing list. He retired in 2006 after
a Super Bowl victory in which he ran for 43
yards on 14 attempts.
College career
Bettis attended the University of Notre Dame and finished his career with 337 rushing attempts for 1,912 yards (5.7 yards per rushing attempt avg.), and made 32 receptions for 429 yards (13.4 yards per reception). In his last game as a senior, he rushed 20 times for 75 yards and led Notre Dame to a 28-3 victory over Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl.
National Football League career
Bettis was picked in the first round (10th overall) of the 1993 draft by the Los Angeles Rams. A star even in his rookie year, he rushed for 1429 yards in 1993, and was named Offensive Rookie of the Year. He rushed for over 1,000 in his second season with the Rams but his carries declined as he fell out of favor with the team.
After Rams head coach Chuck Knox retired and was replaced by Rich Brooks, Bettis no longer fit into the team's plans. The Steelers were in need of a running back: Bam Morris, their featured back in the 1995 season, had pleaded guilty to marijuana possession and was cut by the team in June, 1996. Bettis was traded to Pittsburgh that summer with a third round draft pick in exchange for a second round pick in 1996 and a fourth round draft pick in 1997.
Bettis was at the center of one of the most controversial calls in NFL history. During a Thanksgiving Day game with the Detroit Lions on November 26, 1998, Bettis was sent out as the Steelers representative for the overtime coin toss. Bettis called "heads" while the coin was in the air but the referee declared that Bettis had called "tails" and awarded first possession of the ball to Detroit, who would go on to win the game. After reviewing the incident, the NFL changed the rule and declared that the call of "heads" or "tails” would be made before the coin was tossed rather than during the coin toss and that at least two officials would be present during the coin toss. Some have joking referred to the new procedure as the "Jerome Bettis Rule". The readers of ESPN voted the incident as the #8 on its list of the top ten worst sports officiating calls of all time. [3]
His career took
an up turn after the trade, and Bettis became an
integral part of the Steelers offense. Bettis
was a dependable 1,000-yard rusher until
2001. Injuries cost him part of the
2002 season, and began the
2003 season as a back-up to
Amos Zereoue. Despite regaining his starting
role mid-way through the
2003 season, Bettis again found himself a
back-up to start the
2004 season, this time to Duce Staley. But
when an injury held Staley out of action mid-way
through the year, Bettis stepped in and gained
100+ yards in each of his seven regular season
starts, leading to a Pro-Bowl berth fo
r
the sixth time in his career. Bettis spent the
2005
season as a full-time short yardage runningback,
but managed 101 yards against Chicago in week 14
and scored 3 touchdowns in his final home game
against Detroit. Although age had slightly
reduced his role, he remained important to the
Steelers and was the NFL's 5th leading all-time
rusher. He was named to the
Pro Bowl in
1993,
1994,
1996,
1997,
2001, and
2004. Bettis won the
NFL Comeback Player of the Year award in
1996, and in
2002 he was the recipient of the
Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
During the 2004
season, Bettis and
New York Jets running back
Curtis Martin dueled for position on the
all-time rushing yards leaderboard. Bettis
entered the season in 6th place all-time and 684
yards ahead of Martin in 9th place. Due to
Bettis being the backup in Pittsburgh for the
start of the season, Martin was able to pass
Bettis in week 13 until the Steelers played
their game later in the day and
Bettis retook the lead by 6 yards. When the Jets
traveled to Martin's home town of Pittsburgh to
play the Steelers the following week, both backs
would cross the 13,000 yard mark, making this
the first time two players crossed the 13,000
yard mark (or other similarly high yardage
milestones) in the same game. Their combined
career totals were also one of the biggest
combined career totals for opposing running
backs in history. At the end of the game, Martin
would lead Bettis by 9 yards. Two weeks late
r
in week 16, Bettis would again pass
Martin and establish himself with
a lead of 81 yards. In doing so, Bettis passed
Eric Dickerson for 4th place on the all-time
list. Bettis sat out the final week of the
season, and when Martin rushed for 153 yards
that week he passed Dickerson and Bettis for the
final time.
After the Steelers' defeat in the 2004 AFC Championship Game on January 23, 2005, Bettis announced that he was considering retirement, but would not make a final decision for several months to prevent the sting of the defeat from clouding his judgement. Later, Bettis agreed to stay with the Steelers for another season. He stated he would love to play in the Super Bowl in 2006 since it was to be played in his hometown of Detroit. His wish came true as the Steelers played in, and won, Super Bowl XL (40) against the Seattle Seahawks 21-10 on February 5th, 2006.
Bettis finished his 13 NFL seasons as the NFL's 5th all-time leading rusher with 13,662 yards and 91 touchdowns. He also caught 200 passes for 1,449 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Most people think Bettis acquired the nickname The Bus from legendary Steelers radio color commentator Myron Cope; but Myron only popularized the nickname after hearing a brother of a fellow Notre Dame alumni call Jerome "Bussy" in Green Bay. Although some would think otherwise, the nickname had no association with wearing a black and gold uniform; it actually comes from his ability to carry multiple defenders on his back, like a bus ride, during his carries. It was during the Green Bay broadcast that Cope starting using the nick name "The Bus." Jerome credits someone at the Notre Dame school newspaper with first using the now famous nick name.
Off the field
- Bettis was the host of a Pittsburgh-based television sports and entertainment program called The Jerome Bettis Show.
- He began a charity called the Bus Stops Here Foundation to aid underprivileged children in 1997.
- His book is due in 2006 from Triumph Books.
The road to Super Bowl XL
Shortly after the
Steelers lost the 2004-2005 AFC Championship
game to the eventual
Super Bowl XXXIX champion
New England Patriots,
Ben Roethlisberger approached Bettis. He
promised Bettis that if he came bac
k
for one last season, he would get him to the
Super Bowl. Apparently, it was this promise that
got Jerome Bettis to play one last season. In 12
NFL seasons, Bettis had reached the playoffs 5
times, but had never been in the Super Bowl.
In week 17 of the 2005 NFL season, Bettis rushed for 41 yards and three touchdowns against the Detroit Lions. The Steelers won 35-21 and thanks to Bettis' three touchdowns, they clinched a playoff berth. When Bill Cowher pulled Bettis from the game late in the fourth quarter, he was given a standing ovation from the Steeler fans. This game would be the last home game (not including the neutral-site Super Bowl) for Jerome Bettis.
Bettis contributed 52 yards and a touchdown in the Steelers' wildcard playoff victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on January 8. After their wildcard win, Ben Roethlisberger revealed to the team that he promised to Bettis that he would get him to the Super Bowl, in order to get him to come back for the 2005 season.
On
January 15,
2006, Bettis was the center of one of
football's most memorable endings in a
divisional playoff game against the
Indianapolis Colts. While the Steelers
offensive attack was mostly pass driven during
the game, Bettis ran well, taking in 46 yards on
17 rushes, including one touchdown. When the
Steelers took possession of the ball on the
Indianapolis 2 yard line with 1:20 remaining in
the game, leading 21-18
,
the outcome seemed almost certain. The first
play from scrimmage went to the surehanded
Bettis, who had not fumbled once the entire
year. As Bettis ran towards the end zone, Colts
linebacker
Gary Brackett popped the ball out of
Jerome's hands, where it was picked up by
cornerback
Nick Harper, (seeming another sign of the
Sports Illustrated cover jinx) who was
stopped from returning the fumble all the way
for a touchdown by Steelers quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger. Ultimately, however,
Bettis's mistake did not result in a Steelers
loss, as Colts kicker
Mike Vanderjagt missed a 46-yard game-tying
field goal, ending the game with a 21-18
Steelers victory.
The next week, the Steelers were set to face off against the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship game. Bettis, who had never been to a Super Bowl in his storied career, delivered a rousing speech to his teammates the day before the game, asking them to "Just get me to Detroit," his hometown, where Super Bowl XL was to be played. Bettis's wish was granted, as he and the Steelers advanced to Super Bowl XL with a 34-17 win over the Broncos, led by Ben Roethlisberger's arm and Bettis's 39 yards on 15 carries, including a touchdown. After the game was over, Bettis found his parents in the crowd and mouthed the words "We're going home" to them.
In front of a crowd that was estimated by NFL analysts in attendance to be "80% - 90% Steeler fans" (as evident by the influx of "Terrible Towels" seen waving in the crowd), Pittsburgh would go on to defeat the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL, 21-10. Bettis rushed for 43 yards on 14 carries; an average of 3.1 yards per carry.
Asked about the
possibility of retirement, Bettis announced,
"It's been an incredible ride. I played this
game to win a championship. I'm a champion
[now], and I think the Bus' last stop is here in
Detroit." Thus,
Jerome Bettis officially announced his
retirement standing on the champions' podium,
holding the
Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Hines Ward, the MVP of the game, said during
the Super Bowl commercial; "I'm
going to Disney World and I'm taking The
Bus!"
For his long career in the NFL, and his status as a native of Detroit, Jerome Bettis was awarded the key to the city of Detroit.
During post-game celebrations on Ford Field, Bettis was given a Gatorade shower by some of his teammates. While the tradition of dunking a head coach has become commonplace, this may have been the first such shower of a player in Super Bowl history.
After Retirement
In February 2006, at the 2006 Winter Olympics, NBC Sports announced that Bettis had been signed as a studio commentator for NBC's new Football Night in America Sunday night pregame show.
On Tuesday, April
18, 2006, Bettis and his parents teamed up with
Don Barden, chairman and chief executive officer
of PITG Gaming LLC, in order to get a called the
Majestic Star, on Pittsburgh's North Side. Their
plan would aid the
NHL's
Pittsburgh Penguins with funding for a new
ice arena. Barden said that he would give $7.5
million a year for 30 years to help build a new
arena
[4].
Bettis is also in talks to open a restaurant on Pittsburgh's North Side called "Jerome Bettis' Grill 36".[5]
On May 21st, 2006 Bettis received an honorary Doctoral degree from Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Michigan for providing remarkable benefits to young people. He will be awarded the Doctor of Humanities, honoris causa, recognizing his leadership in founding the innovative “Cyber Bus” program that to date has enabled some 120 Detroit middle and high school students to both build and use the latest computer technology.
The Steelers did not issue Bettis' #36 jersey in 2006. While the Steelers do not officially retire numbers, given Bettis' popularity and likely induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, it is not likely that any Steeler will wear #36 again.
Before the Steelers' home opener of the 2006 NFL season, a large school bus drove onto the field, and Bettis stepped out to a massive crowd ovation. He was one of several Steelers players being honored as part of the celebration of their five Super Bowl victories; Lynn Swann and Franco Harris were also present.
Trivia
- Bettis' parents, Gladys and Johnnie, have been present at every one of Jerome's games in his entire football career except for two: one in Mexico and one in Japan. Both games were unimportant preseason matchups. A shot captured by cameras at the end of Super Bowl XL showed his mother, Gladys, in tears following the Steelers' victory.
- As a child, Bettis suffered greatly from asthma, and still does to some extent. He is now a spokesman for GlaxoSmithKline's Asthma Control Test, and has appeared in advertisements in various media to promote it, including a commercial that paid homage to Coca Cola's famous "Mean Joe" Greene advertisement.
- Bettis is an avid bowler and has several perfect (300) games to his credit. In April, the International Bowling Museum & Hall of Fame announced Bettis would be the first inductee into its Celebrities Bowling Hall of Fame, according to the Associated Press.
- He is the 5th leading rusher in NFL history.
- Bettis is a part owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates Double-A affiliate, the Altoona Curve.
- Bettis was the subject of 80 football cards in his rookie year of 1993.
- Bettis, along with Steelers owner Dan Rooney and Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, helped design the Steelers’ Super Bowl rings, which feature five diamond Lombardi trophies – representing the Steelers’ five total Super Bowl victories – a bejeweled Steelers’ logo, the athlete’s name and the final score of Super Bowl XL.
- In Pittsburgh, Bettis has his own line of submarine sandwiches, chicken wings, mustard, barbeque sauce, and other products. In March, limited edition “Bettis World Championship Crunch” frosted flakes sold out of stores quickly after they landed on grocery store shelves.
- Bettis has said he was nicknamed “Baby Huey” as a kid because he was “bigger than normal and cried a lot.”
- Bettis’s humanitarian work includes his The Bus Stops Here foundation, which works to improve the quality of life for disadvantaged and underprivileged children, and his work with the American Lung Foundation to increase asthma awareness.
Quotes
"I played this game to win a championship. I am a champion, and I think The Bus’ last stop is here in Detroit." – Bettis announcing his retirement following the Steelers’ Super Bowl victory in his hometown of Detroit.
Career
- In 1997, Bettis reached 1,000 rushing yards in only nine games, the fastest to reach that mark in Steelers’ history.
- During his rookie year with the Rams, Bettis was one of only eight rookies to rush for 200 yards in a single game, was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and was the first Rams rookie since Eric Dickerson to rush for more than 1,000 yards.
See Also
- Featured Athlete on Fox Sports Net's Beyond the Glory
External links
- Jerome Bettis at ESPN.com
- Pro-Football-Reference.com - career statistics
- NFL's all-time leading rushers
- The Bus Stops Here Foundation
- Sunday Night Football on NBC
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Preceded by: Derrick Brooks and Jim Flanigan |
Walter Payton Man of the Year Award 2001 |
Succeeded by: Troy Vincent |
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Preceded by: Jim Harbaugh Garrison Hearst |
NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award 1996 |
Succeeded by: Robert Brooks |
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