Former Steelers running back and all-time great Jerome Bettis retired following Super Bowl XL in 2006. Five years later, he became eligible for induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. We found out yesterday that Bettis was denied entry to footballs most hallowed ground once again this year. That is three years that “The Bus” has been on the ballot, and three years that he has been rejected.
There might not be a bigger travesty is sports right now.
I have spent the past 24 hours listening to the “experts” on the radio and television trying to explain why the sixth-leading rusher in the history of the National Football League doesn’t deserve to be in the leagues Hall of Fame. Some of these geniuses have actually said “you have to put statistics aside” – in other words, we should all look for intangible reasons to decide on whether somebody is deserving of this great honor. Unfortunately for these “experts,” it is ALL about the statistics, these are the measurements that we utilize to determine a players worth. To hear people try to justify the exclusion of Bettis is amusing and angering at the same time.
Bettis is one of the greatest running backs in the history of football. His statistics back that up, as does his list of accomplishments. The sixth leading career rusher in NFL history with 13,662 yards, including eight 1,000+ yard seasons – we can start with that. Some of the players below “The Bus” on that list are Eric Dickerson, Tony Dorsett, Marshall Faulk, Marcus Allen, Franco Harris, Thurman Thomas, and John Riggins – ALL Hall of Famers. Bettis is tied with Franco Harris for tenth all-time in career rushing touchdowns with 91 scores. By comparison, Walter Payton – considered one of the greatest running backs of all-time – finished his twelve year career with 110 touchdowns, just 19 more than Bettis. Tony Dorsett – the Hopewell High School and University of Pittsburgh hero – is 20th on this list with 77 touchdowns. Was there ever any debate that “T.D.” deserved a Hall of Fame nod?
Need more? One of the great measures for determining success of a running back is the 100-yard game. Rushing for 100 yards is considered the cornerstone achievement for rushers, as it shows that they were able to help their team control the pace and outcome of the game. Jerome Bettis finished his career with 61 100-yard rushing performances, behind only Emmitt Smith (78), Walter Payton (77), Barry Sanders (76), and Eric Dickerson (64). Furthermore, Bettis accomplished this feat as a completely different type of back than any of those other four, a power back who averaged a playing weight of 252 lbs. during his career. Power backs usually do not last long in this league, as evidenced by rushers like Earl Campbell and Larry Csonka. Bettis played at a high level for 12 seasons, before he began to truly wear down in 2006. That is virtually unheard of for a player of his type. Bettis also proved his durability throughout his career, with five seasons of over 300+ carries and five more of over 200 carries.
When it came to being a leader, Bettis was the very definition of the word. He was the unquestioned captain of the Pittsburgh Steelers for over a decade. His guidance helped ease the transition from college to the pro level for hundreds of Steelers. When Bettis spoke, EVERYONE listened. His accomplishments speak for themselves as well – six Pro Bowl appearances, the 1993 NFL Rookie of the Year, the 1996 AP NFL Comeback Player of the year, a three-time Steelers team MVP, a member of the Steelers All-Time team (a feat for ANY player), and the 2001 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award – given annually by the National Football League honoring a player’s volunteer and charity work, as well as his excellence on the field.
This isn’t about whether Jerome Bettis is more qualified for the Hall of Fame than the men who have been elected the past three years. Voters have had the chance to elect whomever they wanted, and could have easily added Bettis to their ballot. I have no idea what these voters are looking at when they make this decision. As outlined in this article, Jerome Bettis is not only one of the greatest running backs to ever play professional football; he is one of the best players EVER, period. The only possible explanation is that the Hall of Fame voters are simply tired of inducting Pittsburgh Steelers. After the inductions of Dermonnti Dawson and Jack Butler in 2012, the Steelers have the greatest number of “primary” inductees of any team founded on or after 1933. As they have dominated on the field, the franchise has also dominated the Hall. There are 25 Hall of Fame busts in Canton bearing the Steelers logo, and that number should eventually expand to 29 when Hines Ward, Bill Cowher, and Ben Roethlisberger all become eligible and the bias against “The Bus” finally ends.
Congratulations to Warren Sapp, Chris Carter, Jonathan Ogden, Larry Allen, coaching inductee Bill Parcells and senior selections, Curley Cupp and Dave Robinson. All of these men are deserving entrants. For Steelers fans, we will have to wait another year. It is a disgrace and a disservice to football fans everywhere, and the more years that this carries on, the more we are having our intelligence as fans questioned by the voters of the NFL Hall of Fame.
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