Few teams love a good pedigree more than the Pittsburgh Steelers. They have a history of fielding sets of brothers on their rosters, and now fans are once again talking about the possibility that they will have a child of a former player on the team. Recently, there have been a number of mock drafts that have the Steelers picking Joey Porter, Jr. but there is another up-and-coming offspring out there.
Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis, right, shows his son, Jerome Jr., his Pro Football Hall of Fame ring after having it presented to him on the sideline of Heinz Field after it was presented by former coach Bill Cowher / Photo Credit: AP Photo/Gene Puskar.
Steelers "We Are Family"
Former Steelers running back, Jerome Bettis has a son who is a wide receiver at Westminister High School in Atlanta, GA. He is the son of one of Pittsburgh's most beloved players. Bettis, known as "The Bus", was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the first round of the 1993 draft. When St. Louis changed their offensive style during his second season, he was given the choice to move to fullback or request a trade.
Bettis knew that his strength was in his running game and was given a choice of either the Steelers or the Houston Oilers, he chose Pittsburgh and the Rams have regretted it ever since. They did not see the potential in Bettis, despite him winning Offensive Rookie of the Year, and gave him away for a second and fourth-round pick in the 1997 draft.
The Steelers struck gold on the trade and never looked back. Bettis would play for Pittsburgh from 1996 through 2005. During his time on the team he was selected to six Pro Bowls, was the comeback player of the year in 1996, Walter Peyton Man of the Year in 2001 and was ultimately inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. Bettis made the "last stop on The Bus," Super Bowl XL in Detroit where the Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks.
Like Father, Like Son?
Does Bettis, Jr. have a career in professional football in the future? He is still young and not ranked nationally yet but he has garnered interest from several schools. According to Rivals.com, that includes some smaller and mid-sized schools like Arkansas, South Carolina and his father's alma mater, Notre Dame. However, we now know that the big schools are taking notice.
He is out there exploring his options and getting his name out. Recently he attended The University of Alabama's junior day. During junior day, student-athletes set to graduate in 2025 converge on the campus to learn about the program and show off their skills to the coaching staff, including Nick Saban.
Photo Credit: Ronald Martinez | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images / University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban
The 6'3" 185 lb receiver said that he is hoping to receive an offer from Saban and Alabama. Bettis said the best part of the day was attending meetings with Saban and the other coaches.
"It was great. It was a great experience. I had a great time there," the younger Bettis told BamaOnline.com.
It certainly gives the young player a boost to have a father who has gone through the process and knows how to navigate the cutthroat road to pro football. Bettis said that he talks to his father about his path to the NFL but the process has changed considerably since his father took the field for Notre Dame.
"I was just talking to him about the visit. He guides me as much as he can but he said the recruiting world has changed a lot since back in the day. So he's like make sure to take everything with a grain of salt. They didn't even really have unofficial visits back then. So this is kind of new territory for both of us. So we're just adjusting to it. He's helping me as much as he can."
The younger Bettis still has a ways to go, and it is too soon to predict if he will grow into his lanky frame or excel at the pro level. However, he comes with the pedigree the Steelers love and is definitely a player to keep an eye on going forward.
What do you think about the Steelers having so many family members play on the team? How much do you think pedigree helps a player like Bettis Jr. get noticed?
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