Legendary Steeler Inducted Into Cotton Bowl Classic Hall of Fame
Legendary Steelers running back Jerome Bettis received another prestigious honor. He was inducted as a member of the 2025 class into the Cotton Bowl Classic Hall of Fame. The Cotton Bowl Classic Hall of Fame celebrates the people who helped make the Cotton Bowl one of the country’s legendary bowl games. The inductees are selected every two years by various sports media members and Cotton Bowl board members. Players, coaches, conference officials, and bowl staff who have made a significant impact on the Cotton Bowl are eligible for selection. There were seven other inductees this year. Randy Braband, David Cutcliffe, Tony Davis, Bo Jackson, and DeMeco Ryans were the other inductees. Fin Ewing III, a member of the CBAA Board of Directors, and Charlie Fiss, a CBAA staff member, were also inducted this year.
The “Bus” played collegiate football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 1990-early 1993. Notre Dame played Texas A&M in the 1993 Cotton Bowl. Bettis ran for 75 yards on 20 carries. He ran for two touchdowns and caught a 26-yard touchdown pass. He helped Notre Dame defeat Texas A&M by a score of 28-3. The game was especially significant for Bettis because it marked the last game of his college career as he left for the 1993 NFL Draft.
Bettis was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the first round as the tenth overall pick. He was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1993. Bettis joined the Steelers in 1996. That same year, he became the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. He was named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2001 and played for the Steelers in Super Bowl XL. The Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks 21-10. Bettis registered 13,662 rushing yards throughout his career, which is the sixth-most in NFL history. During his time with the Steelers, Bettis scored 78 rushing touchdowns, the second-most in franchise history. He played with the Steelers until his retirement following Super Bowl XL in 2006. Bettis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015 and the Steelers Hall of Honor in 2017.
