Ben Roethlisberger and Jerome Bettis each had legendary careers with the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, they only got to spend two years together. Bettis retired after the 2005 season, and Roethlisberger was drafted ahead of the 2004 season. Still, the two shared a backfield for two years, and Roethlisberger led a successful team while doing so. As is the same for any rookie quarterback, moving up to the NFL was an adjustment for Roethlisberger. However, he had some help from Bettis, which he spoke about recently.
“My first memory I had was walking into the southside after I was drafted, and carrying my playbook and all these books, and seeing Jerome Bettis,” Roethlisberger said via Tuesday’s episode of Footbahlin. “Just being like, whoa, that’s Jerome Bettis. You know, you play with him on a video game.”
The shock Roethlisberger felt meeting Bettis is understandable. By the time Roethlisberger entered the league, Bettis was considered one of the best backs for about a decade. Stepping into the building of a historic organization with a legendary running back to play with is undoubtedly a bit of pressure. Roethlisberger mentioned that Bettis was welcoming toward him, which made the transition easier.
“Him walking up, I’m holding a notebook… he opens the first page, writes his number down there, says ‘whatever you need, I got you’ type thing, ‘reach out to me,'” Roethlisberger said.
It seems like whatever Ben Roethlisberger needed help with, Bettis kept his word. Roethlisberger had an incredible year in his rookie season. Pittsburgh lost just one game in the regular season that year. Unfortunately, they were dispatched by the New England Patriots in the playoffs. Still, the young quarterback had one of the best rookie campaigns we’ve seen at the position, only recently rivaled by Jayden Daniels. Somehow, things improved even more in the second and final year these two played together. Pittsburgh made the playoffs again. This time, they won the Super Bowl in what would end up being the swan song of Bettis’ career.
By the time Roethlisberger joined the Steelers, Bettis was admittedly past the prime of his career. He had just 360 total rushing attempts during his two years with Roethlisberger. Compare that to his 1997 season, when he ran the ball 375 times, and it shows how his role had begun to decrease.
Bettis wasn’t lighting up the stat sheet anymore once Ben Roethlisberger took control of the offense. However, as a veteran player with the pedigree he had, he was able to make an impact. He made enough of an impact on Ben Roethlisberger as a rookie for this memory to become one of the legendary quarterback’s core memories regarding his career. The two formed a good relationship, and each holds a legendary status in the franchise’s history.
