Jerome Bettis - Definition and Overview

Jerome Bettis (born February 16 1972 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American NFL running back, considered one of the best of his era.

Nicknamed "The Bus" because opposing linebackers often felt as if they had been run over by a bus, Bettis attended Notre Dame. He was picked in the first round of the 1993 draft by the St. Louis Rams. A star even in his rookie year, he rushed for 1429 yards in 1993, and over 1000 in his second season, both with the Rams, but his carries declined as he fell out of favor with the team. His career took an upturn when he was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1996. He has been an integral part of the Steelers offense since that time, and until 2001 was a dependable 1000-yard rusher. Although age has slightly reduced his role, he remains important to the Steelers and is the NFL's 5th leading all-time rusher.

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.