The Accomplishments of Jerome Bettis in Helping People are Not Well Known

Almost every football player dreams of being on the winning team in the Super Bowl in his last game as a player, but few live to see their dream fulfilled, as running back Jerome Bettis, who retired from the Pittsburgh Steelers after Super Bowl XL, did in his hometown of Detroit. After his team won a 21-10 decision over the Seattle Seahawks, Bettis, who rushed for 13,662 yards during a 13 season career, fifth best in league history, hoisted the prestigious Vince Lombardi trophy that the winning team receives over his head. Bettis scored 91 touchdowns, rushing 3,479 times, during 192 regular season games, during his illustrious career. He rushed 14 times for 43 yards during Super Bowl XL. One of his less known honors, however, was only partially for his football talents, when he won the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2001.

The award is given for a combination of football prowess and community involvement. Bettis has a record of achievement in both areas that is hard to match. As a player, Bettis had successful seasons with the Los Angeles Rams-three-followed by ten successful seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers in a career that will land him one day in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. With the Rams he was one of two co-Rookies of the Year. He was one of only eight players to rush for more than 200 yards in a game in his first season. He was traded to the Steelers for two first round draft picks, and in his first season with his new team, he rushed for more than 1,400 yards, including 220 against his former team.

He is also a successful businessman, and in 1997 he started his Jerome Bettis Enterprises, a full-service sports marketing firm, which introduced the world to his line of apparel. He has been on advisory boards at Notre Dame, where he attended college and been involved in successful marketing campaigns for Nike, Ford, and EA Sports Incorporated.

Besides his football talent, it was the time he has spent helping others that earned him the Man of the Year Award. His endorsement deal with pharmaceutical giant Glaxo Wellcome has allowed him to focus on his own struggle with asthma. How many readers have seen his commercial encouraging a young football player to battle his own asthma and continue on? He and track star Jackie Joyner-Kersee head an Asthma All-Star program, designed to encourage young people to live productively with asthma.

He has founded the Jerome Bettis Bus Stops Here Foundation to improve the quality of life for underprivileged children. The foundation tries to help them succeed in life.

Bettis believes a strong moral foundation is the first step toward self sufficiency. According to the foundations official website, www.thebus36.com, a moral foundation will lead to responsibility, self-esteem, and employability.

Young people are made to feel wanted and accepted by peers and adults at the foundation. They are taught skills to help them meet their goals.

The Jerome Bettis Scholarship and the Jerome Bettis Football Camp are two of the older programs of the foundation. Money is generated for the scholarship program through an annual golf classic, and many young people pursing higher education are recipients of money from the program. Children in the football camp are taught fundamental life skills, not only football. The numbers of participants in the football camp has increased by 20 % annually.

In the Cyber “Bus” Computer Literacy Program children who may not have access to a computer receive the chance to learn computer technology. The program is a pilot program in schools in the city of Pittsburgh. The young people receive hands on training and learn web design, create their own virtual world, learn to research on the Internet, and are introduced to a math tutor.

Project S.C.O.R.E. (Save Children Opportunity Recreation and Education) focuses on rejuvenating neighborhood parks and recreation centers. As a part of the project, the Athletes at Risk College Admission Preparation ACT/SAT Program assists male and female participants to prepare for college admission exams, so they may receive a college scholarship.

In the Cyber Bus Computer Engineering Program inner-city middle school students are engaged in configuring, building, and programming computers. Students learn software and hardware installation. They are also taught to navigate around Word, Windows, Office Suite, PowerPoint, and Excel. Students are also taught about careers in the field and have the chance to take their computer home to show their parents and siblings what they have learned.

“A Life Without Limit” is an educational awareness video about asthma to educate children to better manage their asthma, prevent symptoms, and reduce health and lifestyle limitations caused by the disease.

Planned programs for the foundation include: The Jerome Bettis Mentorship Program, to provide professional and emotional support systems for overburdened youth; Improve Your Reading Program to motivate elementary school children to realize the importance of reading; and The Jerome Bettis Juvenile Second Chance Program to equip juvenile delinquents to make healthy choices.

Jerome Bettis, nicknamed “the Bus” while he was in college, will long be remembered by football fans for his rushing skills. Many people he has helped will also remember him for his humanitarianism.