Posted: Wed December 24, 1997
JEROME BETTIS: CLEARING HIS NAME
 Sitting in the den of his posh home in a suburb north of
Pittsburgh on a late December afternoon, Bettis smiles at the
size of the holes in his midst. A half-dozen workers are
installing speakers into cavities in the wall, and soon Bettis
will be able to enjoy the ultimate entertainment experience. "I
can't wait for surround sound," Bettis says, earning a healthy
smile from Lester, his close friend and blocking back who is
seated next to him. Lester remembers what it was like when both
men played for the Los Angeles Rams. As a rookie in '93, Bettis
rushed for 1,429 yards and earned a trip to the Pro Bowl, but
running behind an injury-ravaged line the following season, he
gained only 1,025 yards. The walls seemed to be closing in.
Lester was cut by the Rams shortly after the franchise moved to
St. Louis in '95, and signed with the Steelers less than two
months later. Bettis staged a training-camp holdout that summer,
agitating fans and first-year coach Rich Brooks. When the sides
agreed to discuss a contract extension after the season, Bettis
returned to work. But he was slowed by a foot injury for most of
the year and, despite playing in 15 games, ran for only 637
yards. The low point came in the second-to-last game, a
meaningless matchup in St. Louis against the Washington
Redskins. Bettis had started the game, only to be benched. He
later returned to the lineup for one play. "I got booed on the
way to the huddle, gained four yards and got booed all the way
back to the sideline," he recalls. "I was in shock."
On draft day of '96 the Rams selected Nebraska halfback Lawrence
Phillips with the sixth pick and ceded Bettis to the Steelers
along with a third-round selection for second- and fourth-round
picks. While Phillips lived down to his troubled reputation and
has since been waived, Bettis rocked from the start in
Pittsburgh, where he was reunited with Lester. Most casual fans
would not recognize Lester, despite the fact that the fullback
sports the league's most robust Afro. "The players know how
special he is," Cowher says of Lester, whose blocking duties do
not end on the field. "Jerome and Timmy go everywhere together,
and Timmy's always in front."
But it is the 25-year-old Bettis who best exemplifies the
Steelers' physical style. "Jerome has a personality that fits
our approach to the game perfectly," Cowher says. "He likes to
carry the ball a lot, he works for what he gets, and he displays
an enthusiasm for running the ball that you would normally see
on defense. He's a great fit for this team and for this city."
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The Steelers' Ground Game
Philosophy: Pound the ball until the opponent succumbs. "It's
not something you can turn on or off," coach Bill Cowher says.
"With us it's an attitude—a general toughness—and it starts on
the first day of training camp." Adds halfback Jerome Bettis
(right), "Coach Cowher's philosophy is, in a word,
relentlessness. He says, 'We will run the ball and you will stop
us, but eventually we'll wear you down.'"
Leading the Way: Pittsburgh has two of the league's best run
blockers in fullback Tim Lester and center Dermontti Dawson. The
latter is a perennial All-Pro, the former deserves serious
consideration. "He's a one-man wrecking crew," Bettis says of
Lester. "He just destroys linebackers and safeties. By the end
of the game they're doing everything they can to run around
him." Dawson's ability to pull like a guard and call blocking
assignments affords the Steelers an inordinate amount of
flexibility. "Most defenses will use specific fronts to keep you
from running certain plays," Bettis says. "But Dermontti can
just make a call at the line, and we can run any play against
any front."
X Factor: The Steelers have a second rushing threat, and he
touches the ball on every play: Kordell Stewart, the NFL's
fastest and most explosive quarterback. He's second in the
league in percentage of runs that went for a first down (48.9%),
trailing only Tennessee Oilers quarterback Steve McNair.
Prime Numbers: Not only did they lead the league in rushing, but
the Steelers also ranked first in percentage of runs that went
for first downs (26.9%) and second in runs of 10 or more yards
(72).
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Next: Marcus Allen
Also: Jerome Bettis | Garrison Hearst | Dorsey Levens
| Rush to the Super Bowl
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