Jerome Bettis indicates he’s made the Hall of Fame

Posted by PlexusGroupe on January 31, 2015, 8:11 PM EST
AP

Via his verified Twitter account, former Rams and Steelers tailback Jerome Bettis indicated Saturday evening that he has been selected to the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015.

Wrote Bettis: “So happy to be amongst the games greatest players!! My Family and I are truly honored and blessed!”

Ed Bouchette, the Steelers’ beat writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and a member of the Hall’s selection committee, confirmed in a story for the newspaper that Bettis had made the Hall.

On Twitter, the Steelers congratulated Bettis for his induction writing: “The Bus is headed to the ! Congratulations to on a well-deserved honor!”

Bettis rushed for 13,662 yards in 12 NFL seasons, sixth-most in league history.

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89 responses to “Jerome Bettis indicates he’s made the Hall of Fame”

  3. He’s defintely borderline at best hofer but as the 6th leading rusher in nfl history it’s hard to get mad at the selection.

    Grats bus

  5. Great player, but to me not a HOFer. Never in his playing career, in any year he was considered the best RB in the league. That Super Bowl win helped him, but he was at the end of his career, and he never set a feat or any record that stands out.

  6. Yeah! Finally! Bill Cowher only lost one game when he was coach and leading by 11 or more at the half. Largely due to Bettis wearing down opposing defenses, grinding out yards in the second half.

  9. The guy had a good career but no way HOF worthy… but that doesn’t matter because the press (the voters) liked him. They are the voters and will always vote in their buddies. They should be ashamed of themselves for their voting record over the years. HOF doesn’t matter anymore. The press has ruined what should be a great thing.

  10. To the 90% of Ram fans who used their grumpy little down votes yesterday to insist Bettis would never get into the HOF, thanks for the chuckle, clowns.

    Back to the kiddie end of the pool for you dorks.

  11. The wheels on the bus go round and round ….round and round …..round and round ….the wheels on the bus go round and round …all thru the town

  12. Knowing it was his last year he took a team that was 7-5 and out of it and they ran the table for 8 wins….beating the 1,2 and 3 seeds on the road…..to win SB40.

    If ever a player carried a team it was the Bus.
    Of course it did take the greatest tackle in Steelers history…by Big Ben no less…to save the day in Indy.

  14. So he made the hall of fame?
    Yeah?
    I gotta talk to this guy because I want to make a house.

  15. That’s great news for Jerome. If he got in, Roger Craig should be in too. Craig was the better of the two, and that’s not a cut to Bettis. Bettis was a stud too.

  16. At the time of his retirement, Jerome was like three or four yards behind Curtis Martin from being 4th in NFL history for career rushing yardage. And the Bus got his yards the hard way — no cheapies, and he just moved the sticks.

  17. Fantasy futbollers won’t get it, but this guy’s combination of size, quick feet and terrific vision was the rarest of blends.

    One of-if not the-best “big” backs ever. And while most will remember him as the Bus, he was The Battering Ram first. Trading him away, then drafting Lawrence Phillips was one of the worst mistakes the Rams ever made. Fortunately for us, along came Faulk.

  18. Very, very well-deserved.

    As great a “big back” as ever was- nearly as good as James Brown.

    An absolutely great guy and maybe the last of the true NFL “power backs”

    Congratulations Big Bus!

    You earned it, every inch of the way!

    Go Steelers!

  20. Bettis making the HOF is a complete and utter joke. He averaged over four yards a carry FOUR times in his career, I believe.

    Seriously, head over to Pro Football Reference. Compare his stats to Corey Dillon’s. Dillon was way better, and nobody thinks Corey Dillon belongs in the HOF.

  21. Never thought of Jerome as a Hall of Famer.

    I think the voters may be getting too old and rewarding players they covered as beat writers.

  22. He goes into the HOF as the worst player in the HOF. I guess the claim that the HOF is for the best of the best goes out the window now because they just put in a guy who was never a great player but stuck around for a long time.

    He rushed for more than 1300 yards in 4 of 13 seasons, he only went over 1000 yards in 8 of 13 seasons, double digit touchdowns twice in 13 years, and he fumbled the ball 41 times.

    Bettis is in strictly because he’s a nice guy and he played in Pittsburgh. If he played his career in New Orleans or somewhere like that, he would never have made the final 15.

  24. So how exactly is this guy any better than Roger Craig, OJ Anderson, Terrell Davis, Shawn Alexander, Tiki Barber, Corey Dillon, etc? Heck his numbers are practically the same as Dillon and Dillon will never sniff the Hall of Fame.

    The hall of very good is what it has become. Good back, but certainly never great, just a compiler.

  28. In the 2005 playoffs Bettis had 56 carries for 180 yards and 3 touchdowns, that’s 3.2 yards per carry, 42 yards per game.

    Hard to believe anyone could say that’s carrying a team to a championship.

  29. How in the word can you make a case that the number 6 all time leading rusher did not have a HOF career? If the Hall only had record holders how many people that are in would be excluded? Silly people…..

  30. If Roethlisberger doesn’t make that incredible open-field tackle after the goal line fumble by Bettis, his career ends much differently. If Bettis is in, then Terrell Davis should be getting in tonight as well. The Broncos won 2 Super Bowls because of Davis. Bettis just happened to be backing up Willie Parker when the Steelers won Super Bowl XL.

  35. Clearly deserves to be in there and I am glad he is in but lame if he got in and Tim Brown didn’t. Tim has been waiting a year longer and arguably had a better career so if you are going to pick one of these waiting list guys then Tim should be it. Well, after Charles Haley of course. Pathetic he’s not in.

    Seems Brown is getting screwed because he played for the Raiders. Haley gets screwed because the media didn’t like him. A shame these media fools let bias and other such crap factor into the voting.

  36. All Time Great? One the BEST of ALL TIME? I don’t think so.
    Jerome Bettis in the Hall of Fame. Boy, that’s rich.

  38. Mentioning Bettis in the same sentence as Jim Brown is an abomination. Bettis didn’t have the speed Brown did.

  41. Please tell me a better big back the Bettis? Riggins is in the hof and he didn’t have the footwork of the Bus. Plus he’s in the top 10 all time rushing.

  42. I am literally furious. Bettis is the WORST Hall of Famer of all time. He had more seasons with 3.x YPC than ones with 4.x YPC! For a gigantic meatball, he only had like 3 seasons with double digit TDs! He contributed almost nothing in the season he tagged along for the Super Bowl win! This is an outrage.

  44. Vastly overrated player. What’s his claim to fame? What records did he set? What’s his hallmark game? Hallmark run? What awards did he win in the NFL? How many times did he lead the league in anything?

    Very disappointed that he took a spot from the many more deserving players.

  48. Congrats Jerome, couldn’t happen to a better man and a great representative not only of the Steelers, but the NFL as well.

  49. Typical bigmouth Stealer–getting the jump on the announcement for the rest of the class.

    No class for Bettis. Keep yapping, get a TV job–then disappear.

    As has been said–Canton is becoming the Hall of Pretty Good, but clearly not the Hall of the Greatest!

  50. This is sickening. The Hall of Fame has officially jumped the shark. Who cares about where Bettis ranks in the all time rushing yardage list, he was NEVER dominant! He literally rambled his way to 13k+ yards simply due to the massive amount of carries he received. His only dominant trait was longevity! He wasn’t even as dominant a power back as Marshawn Lynch is right now! Search your hearts, for you know this to be true.

  52. You people saying he should not have made it,are you aware he is number 6 ALL time rushing years!!! If you are top ten at any position life time you are a shoe in, PLEASE!

  53. So well deserved. Could not be more thrilled. Congrats to the Bus!!! It’s a happy day for Steeler Nation!!!

  55. Look I get it, we are all fans of one team or another, and we all have our favorites, we all have teams we can’t stand and regardless of how good that other team is, or how good that teams player is, some people feel the need to always bad mouth them. I will excuse the younger generation who posts on here, as you can only really comment on what you currently see on TV. But you have to remember the NFL wasn’t always geared to the offense. Teams used to require a stout defense, and a battering ram running back who could fight for those tough yards, and grind it out in the 4th quarter keeping drives alive and running out the clock. For those of you who want to point to stats, he was top 5 ALL time when he retired. And none, and I mean none of those yards were from ripping off 50-75 yards bursts. Bettis wasn’t gifted with great speed, but he had amazing foot work, and punished linebackers. When Bettis ran, the entire defense usually knew he was getting the ball, the box was filled with 8-9 defenders. People who claim he compiled stats due to longevity, forget that his last few years in the league he was strictly a short yardage, run out the clock back. Teams knew when he came in on 3rd down he was getting the ball, and yet he still powered ahead for that 1st down. Not every HOF player is the fastest, the strongest or the most athletic. A lot of HOF players are the ones who while not having the most talent, grinded it out, got the most of their talent. Not every receiver is a gazelle, not every RB is a sprinter. To imagine the punishment he received, and dished out, and to realize he lasted so many years. Despite that punishment he racked up the yardage. Stop being homers, stop being trolls, and just for once, show that you understand the game. No one is saying Terrell Davis doesn’t belong, his time will come. So will Warner’s and others. Bettis was a top 15 finalist 5 years straight. Google bettis and players like brooks, and Marcus Allen, and other ex NFL defenders are all saying he belongs. I’ll take their word for it over yours. I may not like certain players like Ray Lewis but I’d never dream of saying he wasn’t a HOF player.

  60. When you want a first down in 3rd and 1 who you gonna call? Who else? When the Bus runs a LB over like Urlacher and gets a TD that is a back-breaker for the their team. Stats like YPC are for losers. The Bus made his team’s better by his running style and his leadership. He kept the chains moving which is a tremendous asset in the game of football. Key first downs and touchdowns. Everyone knew when he was going to carry the ball and he still got his yards.

    If you were an opposing Defense you hated playing against him. If they could vote he would have been in on his first ballot.

    CONGRATS BUS! You da man!

  61. 8 times over 1,000 yards, with 91 Td’s.

    The guy was beast. How many of losers out there would wanna tackle him? NONE.

  62. I don’t understand the TD vs Jerome Bettis argument at all. Did anyone pay attention to what happened to the Steelers run game after Bettis retired? How much of TD’s success came as a result of Shanahan’s blocking scheme? Why were the Broncos able to plug in scrubs like Olandis Gary and Mike Anderson and still get 1400+ yards out of them? Bettis as an individual was much more a reason for the Steelers successful running game than Terrell Davis was for the Broncos.

  63. hardasahawk says:

    NFL had to “create” an undeserved SB ring, why not an undeserved HOF?

    —————————————————-
    Still whining after all these years? Remember how the Pack won in 1996, then lost to Elway the next year? Bet Brady does 😀

  66. So….. Terrell Davis defeats Curtis Martin and the Jets in the 1999 AFC Championship game. Martin makes the HoF, Davis misses the cut.

    Terrell Davis defeats Jerome Bettis and the Steelers in the 1998 AFC Championship game. Bettis makes the HoF, Davis misses the cut.

    Is this the Hall of Fame, or the Hall of the Very Good?

    SMH……..

  68. All these Bettis hater comments are hilarious, but bizarre.

    You realize he did it for 13 frickin’ years, right?? Top 10 in every category that means anything for a RB. Super Bowl champ. Rookie of the year. Six-time pro bowler. Great blocker, great hands, amazing feet, rarely missed a game. Best game closer of all time. He has the respect of his coaches, teammates AND opponents.

    Whatever… too many “football fans” are spoiled by video games and fantasy football. (Which I love, too, but c’mon… just appreciate a great player and give him his due.)

    Congrats Bus! I’m proud to be a fan! Well deserved and about damn time!!

  69. When it comes right down to it, who really cares who’s a Hall Of Famer? But in addition to deserving the HOF on merit…arguably the best ‘big back’ or ‘power back’ ever to play the game…Jerome Bettis was the 5th or 6th all-time leading rusher ever to play in the NFL at the time of his retirement. That’s ALL-TIME. As in, of all the RB’s who have EVER played in the history of the NFL!
    In addition, since part of ‘Hall Of Fame’ is ‘fame’…’The Bus’ was certainly famous! Every NFL fan knew who he was and who he played for; and for many years, he was not only a great player, but a great ambassador for the NFL, and went out on top with a win in SB 40. Really, what more could anyone ask for in an NFL Hall Of Famer?

  70. touchdownelvis says: Jan 31, 2015 9:38 PM

    This guy was Trent Richardson before Trent Richardson was Trent Richardson. But the media loved him, and the media votes on it, so…

    ——–

    Could be I was napping, but I missed when Richardson ran for 13,662 yards (sixth most in NFL history), scored 91 touchdowns (rank 10th), had 61 100-yard games (fifth all time), and ran for eight 1,000-yard seasons (fifth all time).

    And probably I wasn’t paying attention when Trent Richardson was crowned Rookie of the Year and won a Super Bowl championship.

    Also, I don’t remember when Richardson was voted the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, like Jerome Bettis was in 2001. Maybe I should see a doctor?

    Face it, man, you’re biased. Why tear down Jerome Bettis? He earned this. If you don’t like him, okay, but comparing him to a draft bust? That’s cheap.

  71. Deb says: Jan 31, 2015 9:34 PM

    hardasahawk says:

    NFL had to “create” an undeserved SB ring, why not an undeserved HOF?

    —————————————————-
    Still whining after all these years? Remember how the Pack won in 1996, then lost to Elway the next year? Bet Brady does 😀

    ========

    Remember when the Steelers were relevant?

    Me either. 😀

  72. Remember when the Steelers were relevant?

    Me either. 😀

    Seems to me they were relevant this year. They won the afc north at least. What NFL games were you watching.

  73. steelcurtainn says: Jan 31, 2015 10:35 PM

    Remember when the Steelers were relevant?

    Me either. 😀

    Seems to me they were relevant this year. They won the afc north at least. What NFL games were you watching.

    ========
    CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES son.

    Championship games.

  77. Most overrated rb of all time. Was never the best in his era. He was the product of running behind a great o line

    Hes in cuz the media likes him. This is why players should vote and not members of the media

  78. It’s also a lot easier for T. Davis to rack up yards when John Elway is the QB and defenses had to protect against the pass, whereas when Bettis played, his QBs were Kordell Stewart, Kent Graham, Tommy Maddox, etc. and with Bill Cowher’s style of Marty ball offense (run, run, pass, punt), defenses would always line up 8 to 9 guys in the box and yet still Bettis got his 100+ yd games.

  79. Over 13,000 yards in 12 seasons.. Do the math. Wasn’t he only 5-6 yards away from the number 4 spot when Cowher took him out that game? Thanks coach it will be a while until another RB gets in with those numbers

  81. swineflooo says: Jan 31, 2015 11:06 PM

    How does he get in? Hes average at best. If he played in jacksonville his whole career he doesnt get in. What a joke the hof is now

    ————-

    “Average”

    There have been hundreds, maybe thousands, of running backs the last 50 years. Jerome Bettis is 6th all time, 13,000+ yds, 90+ tds. Rookie of the Year, Super Bowl champion, Pro Bowler.

    I’m just waiting for one of the anti-Bettis army to EXPLAIN “average” to me. Cuz I really don’t get it. Can one of you NFL historian geniuses spell it out for me, please…..

  82. For all who think Jerome Bettis should not be in the Hall of Fame. Guess what…..your opinion doesn’t matter. Have a great evening.

  83. People crack me up. They say, the steelers only won, because they had a great defense. Yet when members of the steelers defense get inducted into the hall of fame, they will say they don’t deserve it. Someone posted on here, the only reason bettis had those yards were because the steelers had a great offensive line. So when steeler O linemen go into the hall of fame, I’m sure those same people will be on here posting they don’t deserve it. You can’t have it both ways, if ben has won SBs because of a great defense, then some of those members of the defense are going to get in. People say Ben sucks, well then I guess that means the running game carried the team, and that means the bus. Before Ben the steelers had an offense that was run, run, pass punt. Jerome had to run with 8 men in the box, and yet he still crushed defenders, and put up good numbers. In his later years, he was a short yardage only back which hurt his Yards per carry average. But he did what was best for the team. Willy parker, was the featured back, and Jerome came in when the team needed that 1 yard, and more often than not despite 8 defenders, he got that yard.

  84. Those of you saying he is not a Hall of Famer are showing your ignorance of the game. Look at the Steelers record closing out teams throughout his and Cowher’s years together. He is the Mariano Rivera of the NFL. The reason he averaged three yards a carry is because they ran him right into 10 man boxes over and over again because he consistently got that three yards over and over again. If the Steelers got the lead in the late 90s or early 00’s after half time, and they got the Bus going, it was over. Every single time. Did you really think Slash and Tommy Gun guided them to all those playoff runs during the Cowher years? Those Steeler teams had a ton of success, and the Bus is by far the biggest reason why. Well, maybe second behind Rod Woodson.

  85. i wouldn’t have voted for him.

    40 72
    Report comment

    Who cares about your uninformed vote. The voters have spoken so it is what it is. You hate the Steelers therefore all their players suck…very objective reasoning right? It makes me laugh at the truly ignorant fans of today who think what happened in the last five minutes has to be the greatest thing of all time…..do some homework….the NFL is full of people you young trolls no nothing about who were very very good players….maybe not today’s fantasy players but like THE BUS when you need to end a game he was the man time after time.

    Congrats to a great player, man, and teammate.

  86. notwhoyouthinkitis says:
    Jan 31, 2015 8:16 PM
    Yeah! Finally! Bill Cowher only lost one game when he was coach and leading by 11 or more at the half. Largely due to Bettis wearing down opposing defenses, grinding out yards in the second half.

    ___

    DUDE!!! That does not qualify you for the HALL OF FAME!!!! That is absurd… And i remember one specific Bettis fumble when the game was on the line…. This guy is a joke

  87. DUDE!!! That does not qualify you for the HALL OF FAME!!!! That is absurd… And i remember one specific Bettis fumble when the game was on the line…. This guy is a joke

    Dude, you probably are too young to have seen the Bus play. And what credentials do you have to qualify you to as the JUDGE for the HOF? The joke here is you and your uninformed opinion…..try to learn the history of each era before insulting legitimate non-fantasy players….it will take you a long time….but it doesn’t hurt.

  89. @hardasahawk and the other Seahawks commenting here …

    Your classlessness was duly noted by the Powers That Be.

    😀

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