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It's been an incredible ride and there's always a time when you have to call it quits
Jerome Bettis retires from the NFL Feb 06, 2006
I get an opportunity to look at retiring as a Pittsburgh Steeler.
Steelers' Bettis: 'Another opportunity' Mar 02, 2004
It was just a matter of who is the bigger bully
Pittsburgh 17; Tampa Bay 7 Dec 24, 2002
Passing Riggins means a lot to me because he's a big, powerful back
Pittsburgh 25, Jacksonville 23 Dec 01, 2002
I knew I was going to get more carries today. I had to be ready
Pittsburgh 31, Baltimore 18 Oct 27, 2002
Jerome Abram Bettis, nicknamed "The Bus" (born February 16, 1972) is a former American football halfback for the NFL's Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers. Bettis is considered one of the best big backs ever due to his amazing footwork and sheer power, and is fifth on the National Football League's all-time rushing list. Bettis weighed 250 pounds at 5′10″. He retired in 2006 after a Super Bowl victory. Bettis attended Mackenzie High School in Detroit, and the University of Notre Dame.
Bettis was picked in the first round (10th overall) of the 1993 NFL draft by the then Los Angeles Rams. A star even in his rookie year, he rushed for 1,429 yards in 1993, and was named Offensive Rookie of the Year. He quickly earned the nickname "The Battering Ram". He rushed for over 1,000 yards in his first two seasons with the Rams. On September 17, 1995, in a road game against the Carolina Panthers, Bettis scored the first NFL touchdown and points in Carolina (Clemson Memorial Stadium, SC) on a 2-yard touchdown run.
The Rams moved to St. Louis for the 1995 season, and coach Chuck Knox was forced out in favor of Rich Brooks. Brooks favored a more pass-oriented attack as opposed to Knox' ground-based game, and Bettis all but vanished from the offense. When the Rams let it be known that they wanted to draft oft-troubled running back Lawrence Phillips, it was obvious Bettis' days in St. Louis were numbered.