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20. Jerome Bettis

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20. Jerome Bettis

Jerome Bettis began his NFL career with the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, where he donned the horns on his helmet for the first three seasons of his career.  Bettis was a First Team All-Pro as a rookie with 1,429 Rushing Yards, but in his third season, he dropped to 637 Yards and was deemed expendable by the Rams.  "The Bus" was traded to the Steelers, and the Rams regretted that decision ever since.

Bettis played for Pittsburgh from 1996 to 2005, and in that decade of work, he became one of the most productive offensive weapons in franchise history.  Bettis exceeded the 1,000 Yard mark in his first six years in Pittsburgh, with three going over 1,300 Yards.  With the Steelers, Bettis was a four-time Pro Bowl and one-time First Team All-Pro, and he rushed for 10,571 Yards and 78 Touchdowns.

The career of Bettis ended perfectly, as while he was no longer a starter in 2005, the Steelers won the first Super Bowl since the 1970s, and the Running Back ended his career as a champion. 

Bettis was chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015 and two years later was part of the first Hall of Honor Class. 

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Running Back
  • Acquired: Traded from the St. Louis Rams with a 1996 3rd Round Pick (which would be Steve Conley) for Pittsburgh’s 1996 2nd Round and a 1997 4th Round Pick (which would be Ernie Conwell and Jerome Daniels respectively) 4/20/96.
  • Departed:

    Retired after the 2005 Season.

  • Games Played: 145
  • Notable Statistics:

    112 Games Started
    2,683 Rushing Attempts
    10,571 Rushing Yards
    78 Rushing Touchdowns
    125 Receptions
    806 Receiving Yards
    2 Receiving Touchdowns
    3 Pass Completions
    6 Pass Attempts
    63 Passing Yards
    3 Passing Touchdowns
    1 Interception
    80 Approximate Value

    13 Playoff Games
    199 Rushing Attempts
    674 Rushing Yards
    9 Rushing Touchdowns
    8 Receptions
    57 Receiving Yards
    0 Pass Completions
    1 Pass Attempt

  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    Super Bowl Champion (XL)
    Walter Payton Man of the Year (2001)
    PFWA Comeback Player of the Year (1996)
    First Team All-Pro (1996)
    Second Team All-Pro (1997)
    Pro Bowl (1996, 1997, 2001 & 2004)
    Most Rushing Attempts (1997)

Last modified on Wednesday, 21 September 2022 21:21

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