Where Is Jerome Bettis?

It's been four seasons now since Jerome Bettis retired from the Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL. He spent his first three years of retirement as part of NBC's Football Night in America, but was replaced by Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison for this season. So where is Jerome Bettis now?



Well, he was been busy this past week telling Dan Patrick on Patrick's Fox Sports national radio show that "the Steelers are done." (Sean's note: While this is probably true, the Steelers dramatic win Sunday against the Packers gives us fans some false hope. I'm sure that I wasn't the only person looking into the NFL's tiebreaking procedures and the schedules of Denver, Baltimore and the other 7-7 teams.) Bettis continued by stating that "when you lose your spirit, then everything is pretty much gone. And that's what I saw when they hit the field against the Cleveland Browns. ... When you don't have the enthusiasm to get up for a game in which you have to win, then it tells me that the leadership isn't there." Ben Roethlisberger was not pleased. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

However, Bettis didn't just talk about the Steelers' problems; he provided solutions. As part of his weekly Sports Illustrated column, #36 shared his thoughts about what he would do to fix the Steelers. [Sports Illustrated]

Bettis also serves as the host in the collaboration between the NFL and Monster.com for the NFL Director of Fandemonium [NFL-Monster.com]



Even if Bettis shied away from the public focus, people continue to compare others to the future Hall-of-Fame running back.

Stanford RB Toby Gerhart "is an inelegant runner, blasting and banging and bouncing, lifting his style from the University of Jerome Bettis, where tackler tuition is paid in punishment." [Palo Alto Daily News]

James Island RB Matel Johnson "tries to emulate the style of former NFL great Jerome Bettis, a 5-10, 250-pound running back who was known as "The Bus" during his playing days." [Charleston, South Carolina's The Post and Courier]

Waseca, Minnesota RB Sam Milbrett "compared his running style to that of former Pittsburgh Steelers and St. Louis Rams running back Jerome Bettis, who earned the nickname, “The Bus” because of his ability to carry tacklers due to his powerful running style." [Waseca County News]

The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor? "This thing drives like Jerome Bettis: big, heavy, yet changes directions with ease and keeps them wheels churnin'." Um, OK. He's The Bus not The Truck! [Motor Trend]



Outside of the football field and the motor vehicle comparisons, Bettis continues to give back to the community. He's reading to kids with his mom who "love[s] little people." [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]



Plus, he also has the restaurant Jerome Bettis' Grille 36 and the "Bus Stops Here" Foundation.

Finally, Jerome Bettis prepares for Christmas with his wife and two kids. [WPXI]

So to answer the original question, Jerome Bettis appears to be everywhere! Well, except on NBC.


This is the second (annual?) where is Jerome Bettis piece. To see what happened to Jerome Bettis last year, click here.