Jerome Bettis

Jerome Bettis, nicknamed “The Bus,” is a Hall of Fame running back who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and L.A. Rams. Selected in the first round, 10th player overall, out of Notre Dame by the Rams in the 1993 NFL Draft, he finished second in the NFL in rushing during his rookie season with 1,429 yards. He was named Rookie of the Year by numerous media outlets and was chosen as a first-team All-Pro and All-NFC.

Bettis led the Rams in rushing each of his three seasons with the Rams, before he was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He rebounded from a subpar year in 1995 to earn Comeback Player of the Year and was again named first-team All-Pro in 1996, his first in the Steel City. Bettis gained 1,431 yards on 320 carries and scored 11 TDs for the division-winning Steelers.

He was the Steelers' leading ground gainer eight times in his 10 seasons. He retired following the Steelers’ Super Bowl championship season in 2005 (Super Bowl XL), in which they defeated the Seattle Seahawks, 21-10. The game was played in Bettis's hometown of Detroit.

At the time of his retirement, Bettis ranked fifth all-time in rushing with 13,662 yards on 3,479 career carries. He scored 91 rushing touchdowns in his career and eclipsed the 100-yard mark in a game 61 times during the regular season and three more times in playoff games.

In addition to his rushing totals, Bettis amassed 1,449 yards on 200 receptions and 3 TDs. His combined net yardage (15,113) was 19th best all-time at the time of his retirement. Bettis also completed three passes, all for touchdowns in his 13-season, 192-game career.

Since he left college early, Bettis later returned to Notre Dame to complete his college degree, and on May 15, 2022, he graduated with a business degree.