At McKenzie High School in Detroit, Michigan, Jerome Bettis 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.
At the University of Notre Dame, Bettis rushed 337 times for 1912 yards (5.7 yards per carry), and caught 32 receptions for 429 yards (13.4 yards per reception). In his last game, as a senior, the Cotton Bowl, he rushed 20 times for 75 yards.
Bettis was picked in the first round (10th overall) of the 1993 draft by the Los Angeles Rams. A star even in his rookie year, he rushed for 1429 yards in 1993, and was named one of the two Rookies of the Year. He rushed for over 1,000 in his second season with the Rams but his carries declined as he fell out of favor with the team.
After Rams head coach Chuck Knox retired and was replaced by Rich Brooks, Bettis no longer fit into the team's plans. He was traded to the Steelers in 1996 along with a third round draft pick in exchange for a second round pick in 1996 and a fourth round draft pick in 1997.
His career took an upturn when he was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has been an integral part of the Steelers offense since that time, and until 2001 was a dependable 1,000-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. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2001, and 2005. In 2002 Bettis was the recepient of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
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. Later, Bettis agreed to stay with the Steelers for another season. He has stated he would love to play in the Super Bowl in 2006 since it will be played in his hometown of Detroit.
--Wikipedia
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