Jerome Abram Bettis Sr is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nicknamed "the Bus" due to his large size and forceful running style, he played college football at the University of Notre Dame and was selected 10th overall by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1993 NFL Draft.

Early Life

Bettis was born February 16, 1972, in Detroit, Michigan. He is the oldest of three children of Gladys Elizabeth (née Bougard) and Johnnie E. Bettis. Bettis did not start playing football until high school, as his primary passion as a youth had been bowling. At age 14, he was diagnosed with asthma. As a youth in Detroit, Bettis and his brother made ends meet by selling crack cocaine. He attended Mackenzie High School in Detroit, where he was a standout running back and linebacker. As a senior, he was rated the top player in the state by the Detroit Free Press, and was the Gatorade Circle of Champions Player of the Year award winner.

College Career

Bettis enrolled at the University of Notre Dame to play college football for the Fighting Irish. Bettis finished his career with 337 rushing attempts for 1,912 yards (5.7 yards per attempt), and made 32 receptions for 429 yards (13.4 yards per reception). In his sophomore year, he set the Notre Dame touchdown record with 20 in one season, with 16 rushing, and 4 receiving (23 total touchdowns including the 1992 Sugar Bowl, a record which still stands). In his last game as a junior, a 28-3 win by Notre Dame over Texas A&M in the 1993 Cotton Bowl, he rushed 20 times for 75 yards, ran for two touchdowns and caught a 26-yard touchdown pass.

Following this Bettis decided to forgo his senior year and enter the 1993 NFL Draft. He returned to Notre Dame in 1996 when he was having a dispute with the St. Louis Rams and was considering retirement. He registered for courses in "history, philosophy, marketing and business" totaling an 18 credit class load. He returned to the NFL shortly thereafter. Bettis later returned to Notre Dame to complete his college degree, and on May 15, 2022, he graduated with a business degree.

Personal Life

Bettis has made political donations to both Democratic and Republican candidates; specifically the Congressional campaign of Democratic U.S. Representative Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, and the 2004 campaign of Republican President George W. Bush. On March 29, 2008, Bettis accompanied Barack Obama on a campaign visit to the US Steel plant in Braddock, Pennsylvania.

Retirement From Football

Asked about the possibility of retirement, Bettis announced, "I played this game for a championship. I'm a champion, 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!"

Although the Steelers have not officially retired Bettis' #36, they have not reissued it since his retirement and it is understood that no Steeler will ever wear it again. His number joins a list of other unofficially retired numbers such as those of Terry Bradshaw and Hines Ward.

On January 31, 2006, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and the City Council presented the key to the city to Bettis and declared the week "Jerome Bettis Week" for being "a shining example of what a kid with a dream from Detroit can accomplish with hard work and determination." Currently, he lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm of the State of Michigan declared February 1, 2006, to be Jerome Bettis Day. On May 21, 2006, Bettis received an honorary Doctoral degree from Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Michigan.

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 the franchise’s five Super Bowl victories; Lynn Swann and Franco Harris were also present.

Post-Football Career

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 where he was through the 2008 season.

In April 2006, Bettis and his parents teamed up with Don Barden, the head of PITG Gaming LLC, in a bid for a casino on Pittsburgh's Northside to be called the Majestic Star. 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.

Bettis opened a restaurant called "Jerome Bettis' Grille 36" on June 5, 2007, on Pittsburgh's Northside. Bettis makes a cameo as himself in the episode "The Convention" of season 3 of the NBC comedy series The Office. Signing autographs at a paper convention, Michael Scott tries to invite him to a room party, which Bettis declines. Later, Michael claims Bettis is nicknamed "The Bus" because he is afraid of flying.

In 2010, Bettis joined School of the Legends (SOTL), an online community and partner of the NFLPA. He was featured in an article on the D1 Training website in February 2011 and filmed training courses for SOTL that focused on his position as a running back.

Bettis is currently the host of The Jerome Bettis Show on WPXI-TV, filmed at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, airing Saturdays at 7:00 PM and 1:00 AM. He was a commentator for the NFL Network and a former NBC studio analyst for Football Night in America. Now he is an NFL analyst for different ESPN programs, such as SportsCenter.

The Jerome Bettis Bus Stops Here Foundation and other agencies sponsor the Jerome Bettis Asthma and Sports Camp annually for children with asthma. Bettis has also delivered over 1000 pairs of cleats to children in the Detroit school system.

After falling short as a finalist in 2013, on January 31, 2015, Bettis was voted into The Pro Football Hall of Fame. Bettis returned to NBC to help Bob Costas preside over the Vince Lombardi Trophy presentation at the end of Super Bowl XLIX on February 1, 2015. Bettis starred in a Geico commercial in 2019, playing a running back in flag football that dominates the competition (49-0).

Bettis portrays himself in the episode "Welcome to the Ex-Files" in Season 4 of the CBS comedy series The Neighborhood, where he visits the home of principal characters Calvin and Tina Butler for dinner after running into them at a restaurant. In the course of the evening, characters learn that Bettis & Tina had a "summer fling" when they were teenagers, triggering jealousy in Calvin that gets resolved by the end of the episode.

Bettis returned on campus at the University of Notre Dame in 2021-2022 to finish his bachelor's degree, something he had started nearly 30 years earlier. He graduated in May 2022 with a bachelor's degree in business.