The blood of three former Pittsburgh Steelers stars are uniting to play for Notre Dame, with the sons of Jerome Bettis, Plaxico Burress, and Ike Taylor all committing to the Fighting Irish. We knew about all three of these commits, but they say a picture is worth 1,000 words. And now we have a picture of fathers and sons posing together.
Jerome Bettis Jr. is a three-star wide receiver who committed to Notre Dame in March. Elijah Burress, also a three-star wide receiver, committed in February. Ivan Taylor, a four-star defensive back, announced his commitment last year. The NFL’s Twitter page shared a new picture of the young trio in Notre Dame gear, posing sitting at the feet of their famous fathers.
The resemblance in each of them is striking, to my eye. You can certainly see Jerome Bettis in his namesake son, and likewise for Ike Taylor, as well as Plaxico Burress in Elijah. All three of them made in impact during their careers with the Steelers and elsewhere. Their sons have a lot to live up to now, and not everybody in the same boat succeeds. For every Peyton Manning, there is a Thaddeus Moss.
In addition to Bettis, Burress, and Taylor, another Steelers great sends his son to Notre Dame. Jordan Clark, son of Ryan Clark, transferred to the school in December.
Notably, only Jerome Bettis played for Notre Dame; Burress played for Michigan St., Taylor for Louisiana. They each played for different eras of the Steelers, as well, though their time overlapped. All three were teammates with the Steelers for two years in 2003-04.
The Steelers drafted Taylor in the fourth round in 2003, three years after drafting Burress in the first. The latter left in free agency after the 2004 season, missing out on their Super Bowl by one season. Bettis was the focal point of that.
Bettis already considered retirement after that season, but others managed to persuade him to play one more year. It ended up working out with the Steelers claiming the championship with Taylor. Burress won a Super Bowl a few years later with the New York Giants.
At 52, Bettis is the oldest of the group, drafted in the first round by the Los Angeles Rams in 1993. The Steelers traded for him in 1996, Bettis spending the next decade there and cementing a Hall of Fame legacy. With his former teammates, Taylor and Burress, he is also continuing his legacy at his alma mater.
While a member of Notre Dame’s football team, Bettis rushed for 1,912 yards on 337 carries with 27 touchdowns. He also caught 322 passes for 429 yards and 6 more touchdowns. Burress only played two seasons at Michigan St., catching 118 passes for 1,970 yards and 17 touchdowns. Taylor actually mostly played running back until his senior season. He didn’t record an interception, but he had eight passes defensed and two forced fumbles.
So what does this mean a few years down the line? The Pittsburgh Steelers already have one second-generation player on the roster. After his father played linebacker for them for some years, they drafted CB Joey Porter Jr. in 2023. He has already established himself as a starter and could feature as a lockdown cornerback this season.
