Jerome Bettis segues smoothly from NFL to broadcast booth.
By Steve Wilson
Photography by Brian Ach/WireImage.com and Al Messerschmidt/WireImage.com
Jerome Bettis might carry the nickname “The Bus,” but the former star NFL running back never stops. Rather, he merely changes direction, as evidenced by his quick transition this year from the playing field to the television broadcast booth.
Bettis, a member of Treesdale Golf & Country Club in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, retired from professional football in February of this year after helping the Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Seattle Seahawks, 21-10, in Super Bowl XL in his hometown of Detroit. In 13 seasons — 10 with Pittsburgh and three with the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams — the bruising running back amassed 13,662 rushing yards, the fifth-highest total in NFL history. He was a six-time Pro Bowl selection and received the 2002 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, awarded to players for their on-field excellence and their charitable work within the community.
In Bettis’ case, his community service revolves around his nonprofit foundation. The Bus Stops Here Foundation helps underprivileged children in inner cities in a number of ways, including awarding college scholarships and promoting computer literacy.
While the foundation is going strong, so is its namesake. Just weeks after winning the Super Bowl, Bettis joined NBC’s re-entry into NFL broadcasting. For the 2006 season, he will serve as a studio analyst for the network’s NFL pregame show, Football Night in America, which leads into the NBC Sunday Night Football game of the week.
Constantly on the move, Bettis paused during his hectic summer schedule to talk about his careers, both old and new, as well as two constants in his fast-paced life: his charitable work and his parents.
Looking back at your NFL career, what do you miss most about being a player?
I miss my teammates, the camaraderie, being in the locker room with those guys getting ready for a big game. I miss running out of the tunnel at the start of the game.
What one thing do you not miss at all?
Training camp [laughs].
Is there a player you will miss playing against?
Definitely, Ray Lewis [Baltimore Ravens linebacker]. He always plays with a lot of energy. Playing against him was always fun because you knew you were going to get his best shot.
What do you regard as your greatest accomplishment as a player?
Winning a championship. It’s a team game, and the goal every year is to win it all. So to have won a championship in my last year is what I’m proudest of.
This is an amazing fact. Is it true that your parents attended all but two of your NFL games over a span of 13 years? That’s more than 200 games.
Yes, they only missed a couple of preseason games. It meant so much to me because they were always there to support me. It made playing a lot easier, because regardless of whether we won or lost, I knew Mom and Dad loved me the same. So it created a feeling that it’s only a game.
Speaking of support, your foundation is there for inner-city children who need a helping hand. Can you pick out one aspect of your foundation that gives you the greatest satisfaction?
That I’m able to use my celebrity — or whatever you want to call it — to benefit people who need it the most, mostly children who need an opportunity. To be able to provide that is the greatest thing in the world. I grew up in the inner city and didn’t necessarily have many opportunities.
You talked to other networks about an analyst’s position, so why did you choose to work for NBC?
First of all, I felt I would be working with a great group of guys, and the vision of what [NBC] wanted to do really fit. It’s a pregame show in prime time so it’s going to get great viewership, and it’s the big game every week. The package was so impressive, it seemed like it was the No. 1 opportunity available in the marketplace.
Do players get a little more jacked up for nationally televised games in prime time?
There’s no question they do. You know the whole country’s watching, and it’s an opportunity to make a big impact. All players are conscious of the big televised games. They have a playoff atmosphere from the word go.
How do you see your role on Football Night in America alongside host Bob Costas and veteran analysts Cris Collinsworth and Sterling Sharpe?
I’m here for realism and truth from a recent player’s perspective. The other guys haven’t played the game in many years, so I can lend a fresh perspective of the game. I’m also going to call it how I see it. I’m not going to be overly critical, but I’m going to be critical when it calls for it.
You will work your first regular-season game in, of all places, Pittsburgh, when the Steelers host the Miami Dolphins in the NFL’s season-opening game. That night you and your teammates from last season will receive your Super Bowl rings. You must be itching for that night to finally arrive.
I’m psyched. That’s going to be a big game. It’s going to be very exciting. It’s a great way to start a new career and officially finish another career.
One of sportswriter Steve Wilson’s goals is to see a football game at Jerome Bettis’ alma mater, Notre Dame.