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Bettis back in hometown of Detroit
By Stefani Rebekah Black January 23, 2006 |
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Jerome Bettis, running back of the Pittsburgh Steelers repeated "we're going home, were going home." The Steelers running back that was raised in Detroit looked around the roof of Ford Field at a practice Monday afternoon, after the Steelers came off a 34-17 victory over the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium in Denver on Sunday. Bettis who had a big smile on his face which would quantify him to get on the front of a Campbell's Chunky soup can and Bettis shaking his finger at an ESPN camera said, "I cant imagine anything better." referring to his return to his home town Detroit. "We did something historic." said Bettis. The Steelers did so something historic becoming the second NFL team to win all their playoff games on the road beating seeded #3 Cincinnati, #2 Denver, and #1 Indianapolis. The Steelers now face the Seattle Seahawks in an NFC Building in Detroit so it could be like another road game even though it’s suppose to be in a neutral site. The only other team to win three playoff games on the road in NFL history, was the 1985 New England Patriots who later went on to loose to the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl. Bettis who has caught the TV eye of Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels and the SNL group, have ideas for a skit for Bettis and television talk show host David Letterman who plans to invite Bettis to the show if the Steelers win it all. Bettis was so excited after the AFC Championship in Denver on Sunday; his thoughts were not on national TV shows but the win at hand. Steeler’s lineman Larry Foote said that Bettis was so excited when teammates asked Bettis for favors, "He said all the meals will be on him when we get there. After the game, he was so happy, he just said, 'yes, yes' to everything, and he didn't realize what everybody was saying." said Foote. Gladys Bettis mother of Jerome might have to prepare another home cooked meal at the Bettis house in Detroit like she did before when the Steelers came calling on Thanksgiving Day 1998 in Detroit. She knew what she was in for when the Steelers won on Sunday "oh we got to do this one more time. It took the whole family that Thanksgiving. We took out all the furniture and put up tables and chairs." said Mrs. Bettis. The Steelers who have nothing but success on the road to the Super Bowl continued that success in Denver last Sunday as Bettis ran for 39 yards, 15 carries, including a touchdown carry. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger ran a four yarder in before the end of the first half of the game at 2:50. Roethlisberger scored three touchdowns one by himself, another by Cedric Wilson for 12 yards and Hines Ward for 17 yards. Roethlisberger threw for 21 completions on Sunday in 29 attempts and had 275 yards; Roethlisberger in his second year in the NFL and with Pittsburgh had gone 49 for 79 and completed 68 and 680 yards. Roethlisberger says it is Bettis who is the "driving force all year. I'm glad I didn't have to cry and apologize to him and I didn't get him there." Stefani's Super Bowl XL footnotes: Steelers players give the credit to head coach Bill Cowher for getting the team this far and helping the club on some of the fundamentals in getting to the Super Bowl. Steelers players say Cowher's play book, utilizing the right players in their position, his encouragement, working with veterans and fitting rookies on their strengths in their respective positions, "I think coach Cowher did a great job getting us locked in, focused, and not worrying about being on the road. Putting us against everybody." said Steelers guard Alan Faneca. Cowher realizes that certain players really look up to him and sit on his every word, but Cowher said he wants everyone to focus on the game at hand most importantly. That would be more than satisfying in the end, "I don't want other people to stick to me, you can say anything you want about me and the failures I have had. That's fine we need to go and win one more game. No one ever remembers who lost the Super Bowl. Stefani Rebekah Black co-hosts Sportstalk on 1430 KVVN San Jose and 1110 KLIB Sacramento and is covering the Steelers in the Super Bowl and Joe Cronin and Ken Gimblin are covering the Seahawks. |
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