Pittsburgh Steelers great Jerome Bettis said the team didn’t have the right pieces on offense to make a deep playoff run in recent years. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
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Jerome Bettis knows how special the Pittsburgh Steelers fan base is.
Bettis technically started out his career as a highly touted first round draft pick of the Los Angeles Rams, winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 1993. He was named a First Team All-Pro selection during his rookie season after rushing for 1,429 yards on what would end up being a career high 4.9 yards per carry.
The bruising running back known as “the Bus” would spend the first three years of his career with the Rams before spending his most memorable stint with the Steelers. Bettis spent the final 10 years of his career in Pittsburgh, winning Super Bowl LX in his final game in his hometown of Detroit at the conclusion of the 2005 season.
Bettis led the Steelers to six playoff appearances and ended his career as the NFL’s fifth all-time leading rusher after notching four Pro Bowl bids and three All-Pro selections with Pittsburgh.
“It’s a generational fan base,” said Bettis in a one-on-one interview. “It’s not, ‘Hey, I just became a Steelers fan. It’s my grandmother was a Steelers fan, my grandfather, my father, my kids are.’ It’s a rite of passage to a degree for family and so that breeds that type of relationship that they the fans are ingrained in the team.
“They are a part of the success or failure of the team, and that’s why the city on a win kind of exhales, on a loss it’s kind of like you can feel the collective groan of the city, because they’re in it with us,” Bettis continued. “It’s a unique relationship with fan to team. It’s pretty impressive.”
Jerome Bettis On Importance Of 2026 NFL Draft Being Held In Pittsburgh
The 2026 NFL Draft was held in Pittsburgh, only the second time in history that PIttsburgh has hosted the draft. The last time the city hosted the draft was back in 1947. Bettis announced the team’s first pick in the first round at No. 21 overall with the Steelers selecting Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor.
According to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, the steel mill city drew 320,000 fans for the first round on Thursday night, which is a new NFL record. The previous record was 275,000 in Detroit set back in 2024. In total, Pittsburgh drew a record-setting crowd of 805,000 fans over three days.
“It’s great not only for the fan base, but for the opportunity to showcase the city,” said Bettis. “I think people around the country think of Pittsburgh as a sleepy town, a steel town. It’s not that, it’s so much more. It is so highly developed, it’s evolved. It’s doing so much. The entire country gets an opportunity to see it. I think that’s the beauty of this draft, showcasing not only the fans, but the city itself.”
Bettis’ 10 seasons in Pittsburgh were rather consistent, spending his entire decade under one head coach in Bill Cowher. Obviously, the Rooney family has owned the Steelers franchise from the very beginning since 1933, which is another sign of consistency of the historic franchise.
The Steelers made a major move this offseason, going from longtime head coach Mike Tomlin to hometown coach Mike McCarthy. Tomlin had led the Steelers since 2007, winning a Super Bowl in his second year and never suffering a losing season. However, Pittsburgh hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season and are on a seven-game postseason losing streak, the longest in franchise history and currently in the NFL.
Bettis admits he was “surprised” they went with McCarthy, but understands the mindset behind the decision considering his offensive background, the fact that he’s from Pittsburgh and his connection to Aaron Rodgers, who the Steelers are hoping returns for another season.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame running back said that in order for the Steelers to snap their postseason win drought and advance deep into the playoffs, they have to produce more on offense. Bettis said the Steelers made that a point of emphasis over draft weekend with seven of their 10 draft picks being on offense. Pittsburgh also selected Penn State quarterback Drew Allar as an insurance policy and possibly long-term franchise quarterback.
The Steelers strengthened their offensive unit by making seven of their 10 draft selections on offense, including Alabama’s lead wide receiver Germie Bernard. Bernard posted 64 catches for 862 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
“They went out and said, ‘Hey, you know what? We don’t have the necessary talent,'” said Bettis. “Let’s go and get that talent. Now with the addition of these draft picks, you say, ‘Okay, now we’re going to round out a capable offense.’ That was part of the problem. They didn’t have a capable offense.”
Jerome Bettis On ‘Immaculate Reception’ Weekend at Nemacolin
Shortly after announcing the Steelers’ draft pick at the 2026 NFL Draft, Bettis spent part of draft week at Nemacolin for the “Immaculate Reception” weekend. Bettis gathered with Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw — who was part of that infamous play — for a panel discussion in front of Steelers fans at the luxury resort in Farmington, Pennsylvania. Nemacolin is about an hour-and-a-half away from Pittsburgh in Western Pennsylvania and is a favorite visiting spot for Steelers and NFL players.
Among the notable players who appeared during the weekend for the festivities — which included Terrell Owens’ pickleball tournament and golf — were Terrell Owens, Levon Kirkland, Cam Heyward, Pat Freiermuth, Brett Keisel, Matt Hasselbeck and Brian Westbrook. Pittsburgh’s own Wiz Khalifa also performed all of his hit songs including “Black and Yellow” to cap off the event weekend.
The “Immaculate Reception” is one of the most historic — if not the most historic — plays in NFL history, with Franco Harris catching a ball that came within inches of hitting the ground to help deliver the Steelers their first playoff win after 25 years without winning one. The Steelers defeated the Raiders, 13-7, in the divisional playoff game in 1972. Pittsburgh would go on to win four Super Bowls during the Bradshaw/Harris era in the ensuing years.
The owner of the football since the big moment in the game, Jim Baker, also appeared at the event, giving an emotional speech in front of Bradshaw and Bettis. This was the first time Baker, an insurance salesman, had spoken to Bradshaw since recovering the football all those years ago.
“We’re here to celebrate the Immaculate Reception,” said Bettis. “The incredible moment in Steelers history, and I’m fortunate to be a fly on the wall and hear some stories from Terry Bradshaw. But a good opportunity to celebrate the moment in history, spend some time and get a chance to meet some huge Steelers fans.”
The weekend at Nemacolin also celebrated the release of The Divinity Draft, a limited edition beer using DNA from the “Immaculate Reception” football. The beer — which will eventually be made available beyond the Nemacolin resort — features a taste of cherry, vanilla, caramel and a hint of leather.