Jerome Bettis, one of the most beloved Steelers of all time promised to give Pittsburgh a Super Bowl ring, and delivered that promise motivating the Steelers to win Super Bowl 40. But Super bowl 40 was also to become the Bus's final parking place as he announced his retirement from pro football in the minutes after the big game. The Bus decided to park in the garage, going out on top as a world champion. Jerome Bettis started out his career as a high school player in Detroit, and ended his career in Detroit playing in the Super Bowl. Less than eight miles from Ford Field where the Super Bowl was played, in 1989 The Bus led Mackenzie to the west side title and into the Public School League and state playoffs. Bettis then went on to a spectacular college career at Notre Dame with 337 carries for 1,912 yards (5.7 avg.), 27 TDs and 32 receptions for 429 yards (13.4 avg.), then closed out his college career with 75 yards on 20 carries and two TDs versus Texas A&M in Cotton Bowl. It was in college that Jerome Bettis was nicknamed The Bus, as a college reporter noticed the way Bettis carried people when he ran. The nickname, The Bus was popularized when Bettis came to the Pittsburgh Steelers by renowned sportscaster Myron Cope. 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 Offensive Rookie of the Year. He rushed for over 1,000 in his second season with the Rams. But the Rams did not think The Bus fit in with their plans, so in 1996, Bettis came to the Steelers, where he became one of the most beloved Steeler players of all time. No doubt Jerome Bettis will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame because of the spectacular numbers he's put up over the years as a professional football player. But despite the numbers, The Bus has meant a lot more to the Steelers organization because of his leadership qualities and Bettis' ability to spur players on to achieve more than they thought they could. The Steelers went to the Super Bowl because of The Bus. They wanted more than anything to give Bettis his final game in his hometown. # 36 Jerome Bettis Position: RB Height: 5-11 Weight: 255 Born: 02/16/1972 College: Notre Dame NFL Experience: 13 Jerome Bettis ranks fifth on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 13,662 yards...is one of six players in the NFL to rush for 13,000 yards…has become only second Steelers running back to surpass the 10,000-yard mark and is ranked second on the team’s all-time rushing yardage list in nine seasons with 10,203 yards. The Bus Ranks third in NFL history with 3,369 rushing attempts and has moved into second place on the Steelers’ all-time total yards from scrimmage list with 10,969 total yards. The Bus 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. Bettis began a charity called the Bus Stops Here Foundation to aid underprivileged children in 1997. Dave Cole Copyright ©