Bettis, Jerome 1972- (Jerome Abram Bettis, The Bus)

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Bettis, Jerome 1972- (Jerome Abram Bettis, The Bus)

PERSONAL:

Born February 16, 1972, in Detroit, MI; son of Johnnie (an electrical inspector) and Gladys Bettis; married; wife's name Trameka; children: Jada, Jerome. Education: Attended Notre Dame University.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Atlanta, GA; Pittsburgh, PA. Office—Jerome Bettis Enterprises, Inc., 2615 W. 12 Mile Rd., Berkley, MI 48072.

CAREER:

Running back for the Rams (professional football team), Los Angeles, CA, 1993-94, St. Louis, MO, 1995; Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh, PA, running back, 1996-2006; television announcer for the National Broadcasting Company, 2006—; KDKA-TV, cohost of sports program The Jerome Bettis Show. Jerome Bettis Grille 36, Pittsburgh, PA, proprietor. Founder, The Bus Stops Here Foundation, 1997.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Named National Football League (NFL) Rookie of Year, Sporting News, 1993; NFL All-Pro, 1993, 1996, 1997; named to National Football Conference Pro Bowl Team, 1993, 1994, 1996, and to American Football Conference Pro Bowl Team, 1997, 2001, 2004; Walter Payton Man of Year award, 2002; Art Rooney Award, Catholic Youth Association, Pittsburgh, PA, 2006.

WRITINGS:

(With Teresa Varley) Driving Home: My Unforgettable Super Bowl Run (includes DVD), Triumph Books (Chicago, IL), 2006.

(With Gene Wojciechowski) The Bus: My Life in and out of a Helmet, Doubleday (New York, NY), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

A former star running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jerome Bettis, also known as "The Bus," left professional football after thirteen seasons and an impressive record as the fifth-best rusher of all time and a six-time Pro Bowl selection. His career was capped off by a Super Bowl victory over the Seattle Seahawks in 2006. Thereafter, he became a sports analyst for the National Broadcasting Company. Additionally, he continues to advocate for asthma awareness, an illness Bettis has suffered from since his youth. Also, through his The Bus Stops Here Foundation, he contributes toward the betterment of life for disadvantaged and underprivileged children, work that earned him the 2002 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year award for his community involvement. Bettis has also turned to writing as a career, authoring the 2006 memoir Driving Home: My Unforgettable Super Bowl Run, with Teresa Varley, and the 2007 autobiography, The Bus: My Life in and out of a Helmet, with Gene Wojciechowski.

Born in Detroit in 1972, Bettis was the youngest of the three children of Johnnie and Gladys Bettis. Life in inner-city Detroit could be perilous, but Bettis focused on sports as a youth, which helped him stay out of trouble. Bowling was his first love; he even thought of making a professional career of it. Attending Mackenzie High School in Detroit, he also played basketball and football. As a senior he ran for 1,355 yards and scored fourteen touchdowns as a fullback. Playing both offense and defense, he averaged fifteen tackles as a linebacker, too. This performance earned him a place on the Parade magazine All-America team, and other publications listed him among the top one hundred high school athletes. Bowling had definitely taken second place to football by this time.

Colleges actively recruited the teen, but most of these wanted him to play defense, not offense. Eventually, Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz offered him a scholarship to play fullback for the Irish. Bettis's first season in 1990 was spent in the shadows of great running backs such as Ricky Watters and Reggie Brooks, who were already performing well for Notre Dame. He only got to touch the ball fifteen times that first season, racking up over a hundred yards. In his second season, however, he was a starting fullback. His hefty size, combined with speed and agility, helped him gain almost a thousand yards on 168 carries and break the school record for scoring with twenty touchdowns. This effort earned him the most valuable player award along with his quarterback, Rick Mirer. During his third season in 1992 he suffered an ankle injury that kept him out of contention for the prized Heisman Trophy. Still, he managed to run for 825 yards and score ten touchdowns, leading his team to victory in the Cotton Bowl over Texas A&M.

Bettis left Notre Dame after his junior year, turning pro and joining the Los Angeles Rams in the tenth round of draft. His first season with the Rams was a success: he ran for 1,429 yards, scored seven touchdowns, was selected NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and was voted by fellow players to the Pro Bowl. By his second season in the NFL, however, Bettis was up against defenses specially targeted against his running game. He rushed for over a thousand yards, but averaged only 3.2 yards a carry. Bettis's troubles carried over into the 1995 season, when he and the new coach of the relocated St. Louis Rams had differences of opinion. His running game was down, and in 1996 he was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was the best thing that could have happened to him.

In Pittsburgh, Bettis had the best offensive line in professional football blocking for him, and he helped take his team to an AFC Central Division title, rushing for 1,431 yards, the second highest yardage in team history. Bettis became "The Bus" that year; his teammates could count on him to deliver. In the 1997 season, Bettis signed a 14.4 million-dollar, four-year contract with the Steelers; he would stay a decade with that team. In the 1997 season, he finished second in the AFC with 1,665 rushing yards, and his team again won the AFC Central Division title. Meanwhile, Bettis was also becoming active off the field, not only with his charitable work, but also with The Bus line of clothing and a restaurant.

Bettis became a staple of the Steelers offense throughout the rest of the 1990s and into the new millennium, racking up high yardage each season. Later in his career, injuries plagued him and he had to compete against new and younger stars. However, one goal still eluded him: a Super Bowl ring. His team came close several times. In 2005, the Steelers lost the AFC championship game to the New England Patriots, and Bettis was about to call it quits. Then his young quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, whose mistakes had helped lose that game, convinced Bettis to return for one more season. In 2006, with retirement drawing near, he had one more chance. His team met the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL, played in Bettis's hometown of Detroit, and won, 21-10. Bettis's thirteen-year pro career ended with that game. Writing in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Ashley Fox echoed the thoughts and feelings of many fans: "This is how Jerome Bettis deserved to go out. With confetti falling on his head. With the game ball in his hands."

Working with Varley, Bettis recounts his final NFL season in Driving Home. Here, in a narrative plentifully accompanied by color photographs, he describes the 2005 season, from training camp to playoffs, culminating with the 2006 Super Bowl in which he did not gain much yardage, but threw crucial blocks and also took time off the clock with his carries. He gives inside portraits of his relationships with fellow Steelers, provides telling anecdotes of the pain inflicted on an NFL running back, and also supplies fans with an insight into his activities after leaving pro football. Additionally, an accompanying DVD looks at his Super Bowl run and at highlights from his life. In his 2007 publication, The Bus, written with Wojciechowski, a senior writer for ESPN, Bettis takes readers deeper into his life, describing the road from his youth in Detroit all the way to a Super Bowl champion. Bettis provides candid critiques of fellow players and, as a Publishers Weekly reviewer noted, "gives readers a good look at the inside stories of college recruiting, professional contracts and the agony of NFL injuries." Further praise came from Booklist contributor Wes Lukowsky, who called The Bus an "enjoyable sports autobiography."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Bettis, Jerome, and Teresa Varley, Driving Home: My Unforgettable Super Bowl Run, Triumph Books (Chicago, IL), 2006.

Bettis, Jerome, and Gene Wojciechowski, The Bus: My Life in and out of a Helmet, Doubleday (New York, NY), 2007.

UXL Biography: Sports Stars, Series 4, Gale/UXL (Detroit, MI), 1998.

PERIODICALS

American Banker, February 17, 2006, "People," p. 2.

Blade, February 3, 2006, Matt Markey, "Following the Bus: Bettis' Parents Have Had Lots of Travel Travails"; May 23, 2006, Maureen Fulton, "Bettis Will Stay Busy: Former Steelers Back Excited about Future."

Booklist, August 1, 2007, Wes Lukowsky, review of The Bus, p. 22.

Business First—Columbus, October 8, 1999, "Custom Coach Corp," p. 35.

Crain's Detroit Business, February 6, 2006, "Bettis Readies His Next Play in Detroit; Redeveloping Riverfront Site a Top Priority," p. 1.

Detroit Free Press, January 12, 2005, "Back on the Bus: Refurbished Model Bettis Carries Steelers' Load"; January 23, 2006, "Bettis Recalled as Class Act at Old High School"; January 26, 2006, "Bettis Is in World of His Own: Bus Balancing Super Schedule"; January 30, 2006, "This Time Johnnie and Gladys Can Stay Home for the Bus"; January 31, 2006, "The Bus Stops for the Press, Mayor and Chunky Soup"; February 1, 2006, "Detroit Free Press Drew Sharp Column: Mayor Turns Key into Tacky Stunt"; February 1, 2006, "Mama Bettis Plays Host: She Plans a Meal for All the Steelers"; February 6, 2006, George Sipple, "Bus Drives off into Sunset: Bettis Thrilled to End Career as a Champion"; February 6, 2006, Nicholas J. Cotsonika, "There's More to Bettis Than Detroit Storyline"; November 29, 2006, Ben Schmitt and Amber Hunt, "Johnnie Bettis: He Raised a Super Bowl Champion."

Ebony, July 1, 2005, "An Asthma Update," p. 84; December 1, 2007, review of The Bus, p. 36.

Football Digest, April 1, 2005, "Back on Top: The Steelers Coach Returned to the Smash-Mouth Style of Football He Knows Best and with Stunning Results," p. 46.

Fort Worth Star-Telegram, February 1, 2006, "One Last Stop for the Bus? Bettis Might Just Turn His First Super Bowl into a Final Farewell."

Golf Magazine, October 1, 2005, "Steel Drivers: Pittsburgh Steelers Stars Jerome Bettis and Ben Roethlisberger Pop Off about Their Second-Favorite Sport," p. 49.

In Style, January 1, 2007, "Trameka Boykin & Jerome Bettis," p. 346.

Jet, January 31, 1994, "Rice, Woodson, Bettis, Stubblefield Get Honors," p. 48; March 10, 1997, "Pittsburgh Steelers' Star Jerome Bettis Signs History-Making Four-Year, $14.4 Million Deal with Team," p. 48; February 25, 2002, "Jerome Bettis Honored as NFL's Man of the Year," p. 48; February 27, 2006, "Bettis in Disney World," p. 44; March 20, 2006, "The Bus Travels down New Career Path, Joins NBC as Football Analyst," p. 48.

Kirkus Reviews, July 1, 2007, review of The Bus.

Men's Fitness, August 1, 2005, "From Bowling to the Bus: Three Random Questions for Steelers Running Back Jerome Bettis," p. 60.

Miami Herald, February 4, 2006, Armando Saguaro, "Bettis Hoping for a Ring at This Bus Stop."

Morning Call (Allentown, PA), February 6, 2006, Larry O'Rourke, "Bettis Almost Missed His Retirement Sendoff."

Nation's Restaurant News, October 29, 2007, "Jerome Bettis' Grille 36 Pittsburgh," p. 24.

Orange County Register, January 15, 2005, "Steelers Ride Dependable Transportation—The Bus."

Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, FL), February 7, 2006, Tania Ganguli, "Bettis, along with MVP Ward, Honored Here."

People, January 21, 2002, "This Bus Never Stops: Neither Linebackers nor Asthma Could Put the Brakes on Pittsburgh Steelers Running Back Jerome Bettis," p. 131.

Philadelphia Inquirer, December 15, 2004, "Bettis Shows the Side of a Consummate Professional"; February 1, 2006, "For Bettis, It's Time to Get Back to Work"; February 6, 2006, Ashley Fox, "After an ‘Incredible Ride,’ the Bus Is Stepping Off."

Pittsburgh Business Times, November 26, 1999, "Business Man," p. 6.

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, January 9, 2005, Carl Prine, "Jerome Bettis, the NFL's King of Pain"; November 29, 2006, Scott Brown, "Steelers Mourn Loss of Bettis' Father"; August 22, 2007, Regis Behe, "Former Steeler Bettis Criticizes, Confesses in New Book"; August 24, 2007, "Former Steelers Star Bettis Mum on Book Details"; October 25, 2007, "Steelers Name Best of Their 75-year History"; December 16, 2007, "Students Learn Computers' Value with Bettis' Cyber Bus"; January 4, 2008, "Former Steeler Agrees in Part with Taylor"; February 10, 2008, "Bettis' Restaurant Satisfies Big, Small Appetites."

PR Newswire, March 15, 2005, "Jerome Bettis to Be Honored at YMCA Scholar Athlete Banquet"; February 13, 2006, "S&T Bank Reaches Multi-Year Agreement with Pittsburgh Steeler Jerome Bettis"; September 11, 2006, "Jerome Bettis and GNC Team Up to Promote Health and Wellness."

Promo, October 31, 2007, "Visa Runs Super Bowl Sweep with Jerome Bettis."

Publishers Weekly, October 2, 2006, Mitch Rogatz, review of Driving Home, p. 30; June 18, 2007, review of The Bus, p. 48.

Saint Paul Pioneer Press (St. Paul, MN), December 2, 2001, "Bettis Does His Damage before Leaving with Hip Injury"; January 31, 2006, "Bettis at Home: Steelers Honor Veteran Running Back, Who Will Play for a Title in His Hometown"; February 6, 2006, Sean Jensen, "‘Bus’ Picks Up Title in His Final Stop."

South Florida Sun-Sentinel, September 7, 2002, "Steelers Hope to Ride Bus All the Way."

Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA), February 6, 2006, John Blanchette, "Last Stop for ‘Bus’ a Memorable One."

Sport, October 1, 1992, "On the Campaign Trail: Notre Dame's Rick Mirer and Jerome Bettis Are Running Mates as Well as Rivals in the Heisman Race," p. 58; December 1, 1994, "The Three Horsemen: Bettis, Brooks and Watters Rush from Notre Dame to NFL Fame," p. 62; December 1, 1996, "Jerome Bettis," p. 18.

Sporting News, January 31, 1994, "TSN's NFL All-Pro Team," p. 26; November 12, 2001, "First-Half Medals," p. 64; December 3, 2001, "Driving Force: After Being Slowed for Three Years by a Knee Problem, Jerome Bettis Is Back—and Maybe Even Better—as the Defense-Busting ‘Bus’ and Is Steering the Steelers toward the Playoffs," p. 6; January 28, 2002, "Extra Points," p. 22; January 14, 2005, "These Are the Guys I'd Want in My Foxhole: If You Don't Keep Your Eyes on Muhammad, He'll Knock Your Helmet Sideways," p. 37; February 17, 2006, "One Last Sunday Ride," p. 60.

Sports Illustrated, October 3, 1994, "Overachievers," p. 74; December 14, 1998, "Jerome Bettis's Travails," p. 82; October 29, 2001, "Inside the NFL," p. 74; September 2, 2002, "1 Pittsburgh Steelers: Tuned up and Rarin' to Roll, the Bus Wants to Complete the Trip to the Super Bowl This Year," p. 152; November 29, 2004, "Jerome Bettis: Steelers Running Back," p. 33; June 6, 2005, "Coming Back? As He Makes One More Run in '05, the Steelers' Jerome Bettis Hopes to See the Pats' Tedy Bruschi across the Line," p. 83; February 6, 2006, "The Love Bus: A Favorite of Fans, Media and His Fellow NFL Players, Steelers Running Back Jerome Bettis Is Looking for Final Fulfillment in Detroit," p. 40; February 13, 2006, "Exit, Biggest Stage Left: In Front of Fans from Both of His Hometowns, Jerome Bettis Closed Out His Career as a Champion," p. 60; February 15, 2006, "The Bus," p. 12.

Sports Illustrated for Kids, April 1, 1994, "Jerome Bettis: Running Back, Los Angeles Rams," p. 44; November 1, 1998, "10 Questions For … Jerome Bettis," p. 22; January 1, 2006, "The Secret Art of … Seven Cool Sports Skills You'll Want to Learn and Share with Your Friends," p. 38.

Tampa Tribune (Tampa, FL), January 23, 2006, "The Bus Finally Finds the Road to Super Bowl," p. 1.

Time, February 6, 2006, "10 Questions for Jerome Bettis," p. 8.

UPI NewsTrack, November 10, 2004, "Bettis among NFL Players of the Week."

USA Today, August 24, 2004, "Bettis Means Business, on and off Field," p. 10; April 27, 2005, "Steelers' Bettis Carries Message to Keep Asthma under Control," p. 3; October 11, 2005, "Bus Rolls in Return, Reed Kicks Steelers Past Chargers," p. 1; January 13, 2006, "‘Bus’ Knows He's Vehicle for Greater Good," p. 8; February 3, 2006, "Jerome Bettis File," p. 2; June 2, 2006, "He Said It," p. 3; August 11, 2006, Michael Hiestand, "Bettis Won't Be Shy with His Words," p. 3.