My life in and out of a helmet: the bus Bettis,Jerome. New York: Broadway Books, 2007

Jerome Bettis had many good and bad things happen to him in his life. From growing up in inner city Detroit to a pro bowl running back. No matter where you come from, you can still be great. That’s what Jerome has been saying for a long time. Jerome has always thought; if you work hard, good things will come with it. The theme about life is; always keep your head held high even in the worst situations. It’s because he grew up in one of the toughest neighborhoods and came out to be a hall of fame running back.
Jerome Bettis was a running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was in six pro bowls, had one super bowl win. He grew up in the worst neighborhood in Detroit. He actually played linebacker and fullback at McKenzie high school. He was later recruited by Notre Dame. He played outstanding and was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the 1997 draft. He was then traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was the team that would make him even greater. After many years with the Steelers he hadn’t won the Super bowl. But after losing to the Patriots in the 2005 AFC championship, he was ready to retire. Then Ben Roethlisberger promised him another shot and that he did. He played in and won Super Bowl XL.
When Jerome Bettis was little, he didn’t want to play football. He wanted to be a pro bowler. When other kids would go to football games, he would go to bowling tournament. He never thought about playing football until middle school. He got his nickname “the bus” until college. His college coach said the he hit the other players like a bus. So that was how he got it. His other nickname in college was “Big Daddy” because he was big and he would hit the players like they were bowling pins. He was so fast and strong as a fullback.
Jerome Bettis doesn’t let anything bring him down in life and on the field. He saw many bad things when he was growing up. He didn’t let any of that effect him. He always kept a good attitude on and off the field. That’s how everyone should be in life. In all I thought the book was great. It told me things that I would have never guessed like: he grew up in one of the worst places in Detroit. It showed me that no matter where you come from you can keep a good attitude in life.


5/26/11