Bettis lives in a suburb of Atlanta,
Roswell, Georgia. He and his family also maintain a home in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
In July 2006, Bettis married his longtime girlfriend, Trameka Boykin,
in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The couple has a daughter, Jada, and a son,
Jerome Jr., together.
Bettis had made political donations to both
Democratic and
Republican candidates; specifically the Congressional campaign of Democratic
U.S. Representative Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, and the 2004 campaign of Republican
President George W. Bush.
[17] On March 29, 2008, Bettis accompanied
Barack Obama on a campaign visit to the
US Steel plant in Braddock, Pennsylvania.
[18]
he former Pittsburgh Steelers Running Back is one of the best
all-time running backs in the NFL (5th overall in rushing). Jerome
Bettis was also the recepient of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award
in 2001, and expected to be inducted into the Hall of Fame when he
becomes eligible.
“Football Night In America” NBC Sports Studio Analyst
The Bus Bio Photo
2006 Super Bowl champion Jerome Bettis, one of the National Football
League’s most popular players, the fifth best rusher of all-time and a
six-time Pro Bowl selection, serves as an analyst for NBC’s “Football
Night in America” studio show.
“The Bus” finished his NFL career in January 2006 after 13 seasons,
retiring immediately following the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 21-10 win over
the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL in his hometown of Detroit.
Bettis ranks fifth on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 13,662
yards and is one of six players in NFL history to rush for 13,000 yards.
He is one of only eight players in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards
for eight or more seasons. He ranks third in NFL history with 3,369
rushing attempts. Bettis was selected to the Pro Bowl six times,
including his rookie season.
Bettis finished his college career at Notre Dame averaging 5.7 yards
per carry and was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams 10th overall in 1993.
He was named NFL Co-Rookie of the Year and also earned Sporting News
Rookie of the Year and Rams MVP honors. Bettis followed the team in
their move to St. Louis in 1995 before being traded to the Steelers
prior to the 1996 season, where he spent the remaining 10 seasons of his
illustrious career.
Diagnosed with asthma at age 14, Bettis is a tireless advocate for
asthma awareness. Bettis also established “The Bus Stops Here
Foundation” in 1996 to help improve the quality of life for
disadvantaged and underprivileged children. In 2002, he was named the
NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year for his community involvement and work
by his foundation. Bettis and his wife Trameka live in Atlanta, Ga.
with their daughter Jada and son Jerome. The Bettises also maintain a
home in Pittsburgh, Pa
College Sports:
After graduating from high school in 1990, Jerome Bettis was off to
University of Notre Dame where he was signed as a fullback. During his
Notre Dame career, Bettis rushed 337 times for 1,912 yards (5.7 yards
per carry), and made 32 receptions for 429 yards (13.4 yards per catch).
High School Sports:
Jerome Bettis began his football career, not in little league, but in
high school at Detroit’s Mackenzie where he was also a member of the
National Honor Society. After watching his parents pay to put his older
siblings through college, Jerome looked at football as his ticket to
college. As a high school senior, he was the Gatorade Circle of
Champions Player of the Year award winner, and selected the top player
in Michigan by the Detroit Free Press. He also got his scholarship.
Early Life
Jerome (Roney) Bettis was born in Detroit, Michigan to Johnnie and
Gladys Bettis, the youngest of their three children. He was a dedicated
student, even in elementary school, and loved to bowl. He also ice
skated every winter on a rink his dad made for him in their backyard. He
credits much of his success to his loving parents and siblings and the
strong foundation they gave him.
Jerome The Bus” Bettis began his football career at the esteemed University of Notre Dame in 1990.
His strong foundation propelled him into the National Football League
when he was the picked 10th overall in the first round of the ’93
draft, by the Los Angeles Rams. Jerome’s highly successful rookie
campaign garnered him many post-season accolades including NFL,
Co-Rookie of the Year honors, Rams MVP and The Sporting News Rookie of
the Year. He became 1 of only 8 rookies to rush for 200 yards in a
single game and the first Rams rookie to rush for over 1,000 yards since
Eric Dickerson. These are just a few of the accomplishments that earned
Bettis his first trip to the Pro Bowl. After 3 successful seasons with
the Rams what many touted as the, Trade of the Decade saw Jerome moving
east to become a Pittsburgh Steeler in exchange for 2 second round draft
picks. His first season with the Steelers Jerome rushed for over 1,400
yards including a 220 yard performance against his former Ram teammates.
Jerome Bettis shares asthma game plan
By W. Reed Moran, Spotlight Health
With medical adviser Stephen A. Shoop, M.D.
When Pittsburgh Steeler Jerome Bettis takes to the field,
he carries a reputation for letting nothing get in his way. But the all-pro
running back known as "the bus" is the first to admit that asthma — a life-long
opponent — once had him sidelined, and nearly out of the game.
"In 1997, I had an asthma attack during a nationally televised
game," says Bettis. "The fact is I was fighting for my breath and I almost died.
It was the most frightening experience I've ever had, but it also served as
a turning point in my life."
"Since that day, I've learned to treat my adversary with
respect," says Bettis. "And the good news is that once I did, I found I had
my opponent under control."
Bettis was first diagnosed with asthma at 15 while in junior
high school. "At first I thought it meant I couldn't play sports anymore," says
Bettis. "But my parents said I could do anything I wanted in life — as
long as I followed my doctor's program."
Bettis relates that while early on he started an effective
asthma control program, he let it slip after high school. "Like a lot of kids,
I thought I didn't have a problem anymore, and I took my health for granted,"
says Bettis. "I only took an inhaler when I felt I needed to, and that complacency
led to the life and death crisis I confronted on the field in 1997."
"That wake-up call made me face my adversary instead of
running from it, and while I like to think I'm winning the game, I've learned
that it will never really
Asthma all-stars
Bettis has joined other world-class athletes, including
Olympic gold medalists Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Amy Van Dyken, in forming the
Asthma All-Stars Program (AASP), a national education initiative co-sponsored
by five leading medical and respiratory organizations and GlaxoSmithKline. The
goal of AASP is to show that people with asthma can live without limits —
but that each patient needs to work with a doctor to create an asthma action
plan.
Asthma is a chronic lung disease characterized by inflammation
and constriction of the lower airways. Asthma already affects 17 million people
in the USA, and asthma cases are expected to soar in the next 20 years, striking
29 million Americans.
More than 5,000 people die from asthma annually. Asthma
also causes nearly a half-million hospitalizations and accounts for more than
10 million missed school days per year.
Dr. Harold Nelson, of the National Jewish Medical and Research
Center at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, is concerned that asthma
in the USA is currently both underdiagnosed and undercontrolled.
"An enormous percentage of people with asthma don't know
they have it and never seek treatment," says Nelson. "And those who do often
don't comply with their medical program."
A medically supervised program is the key to living well
with asthma, says Nelson. "Parents should not only be aware of the risks asthma
poses, but the fact that available treatments can allow patients to successfully
manage their condition."
Among recent findings, Nelson points to studies from the
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) showing that low doses of inhaled
corticosteroids are effective over the long term without incurring severe side
effects. "We've discovered that inhaled corticosteroids reduce the morbidity
associated with asthma — including emergency room visits and missed days
of school — while showing no reduction in children's growth."
Nelson is an ardent advocate of increased awareness of
initial asthma symptoms as the primary step towards life-long control of the
condition. "If your child has a cold or cough that hangs on for weeks, or if
you find your child can't keep up with his peers in normal activities, consider
these as red flags for an underlying asthmatic condition," cautions Nelson.
For those parents who know their children have asthma,
but don't consider it to be serious, Nelson has further advice. "Every child
whose asthma forces him to wake up at night more than twice a month, or who
has flare ups that last one or two days every six weeks, should be receiving
regular treatment," says Nelson.
"Parents then need to incorporate the prescribed treatment
as part of the daily schedule," adds Nelson. "Compliance with medication should
become as routine as drinking your juice in the morning and brushing your teeth
at night. When the program is in place, then it's time for parents to relax."
Game-winning drive
"I look at my asthma like the team I'm going to play against
on Sunday," says Bettis. "I train and I prepare to win." Echoing that winning
spirit, the NHBLI has developed the following realistic goals asthma patients
can achieve with the help of their doctors:
- Preventing chronic asthma symptoms — This includes sleeping through
the night and not missing work or school because of asthma.
- Maintaining normal activity levels, including exercise — Asthma shouldn't
keep you from doing what you want to do, when you want to do it.
- Having normal or near-normal lung function.
- Having minimal or no side effects while receiving medications.
- Being satisfied with the continued level of care and asthma control you
receive — If handled with care, daily control of asthma symptoms should
be the norm, not the exception.
Bettis and the AASP advise that successfully treating asthma
requires creating a game plan in partnership with your doctor. Doctors should
serve as "coach;" patients are the ones "in the game" and have an equally large
role in controlling their condition.
If you have asthma, it's your job is to:
- Avoid your triggers — You can help prevent asthma symptoms by identifying
and avoiding the things that make your asthma worse. Ask your doctor how to
do this.
- Take your medications — Long-term medications prevent symptoms from
occurring in the first place, but they do not relieve sudden symptoms. Conversely,
quick relief medications do not treat the underlying causes of asthma.
- Monitor your asthma — Asthma can change over time. Keep track of your
level of control and share this information with your doctor at least every
six months.
- Create or update an asthma action plan with your doctor — Take your
plan with you to each doctor visit, and have it adjusted as necessary.
"The only way to get a grip on your asthma is through education,
awareness, and discipline," says Bettis. "I tell parents, 'If your kid's having
trouble breathing, then it's time to set up an appointment with a doctor.'"
Bettis also wants kids to know that even the toughest guys
can fumble away the game when they ignore their asthma. "I learn from my mistakes,
and avoid the negative consequences. Today I'm proof that if you manage your
asthma right, it doesn't have to get in the way of your game."