The Pittsburgh Steelers will report to training camp in Latrobe on July 25, 2012 – only 36 days from today. We’re taking a quick look at current and former Steelers as we countdown to football.
What can you say about Jerome Bettis? One of the greatest power backs ever to play the game, Bettis spent the bulk of his illustrious career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. His huge build and tough running style embodied everything Steeler fans love about football. Even as his career was nearing its end, Bettis was the team’s leader on offense and helped mold guys like Hines Ward, Ben Roethlisberger, and Willie Parker into champions.
After a heartbreaking playoff loss in 2004, Bettis strongly considered retirement after a long and productive career. He decided on playing one more season, however, hoping that the Steelers had the right mix of players to finally win a championship. After a rough 2005 season, the Steelers managed to sneak into the playoffs as a 6th seed.
The 2005 playoffs opened with a nasty slugfest against rival Cincinnati. Jerome Bettis came out late in the game to grind out first downs and run down the clock. The next week in Indianapolis, fans were treated to a quick-strike offense by a traditionally hard-nosed running team, a fumble by one of the most surehanded backs in the game, one of the better defensive plays a QB will ever make, and a shanked field goal by one of the NFL’s most reliable (at the time) clutch kickers. The Steelers went on to Denver, where the defense shined and the offense shined brighter in what ended up being a rout of the Broncos.
Bettis finally got to play in his first Superbowl in his hometown of Detroit. When the Steelers had the lead in the second half of what had mostly been a calculated game of field position, Bill Cowher saw fit to keep feeding Bettis the ball and to let his bruising running style pound out the first downs that sealed the Steelers’ victory.
Bettis announced his retirement on the podium after the game, the Lombardi Trophy in his hands. After an incredible career, Jerome Bettis finally won the championship that had eluded him for over a decade.
