Son of Steelers legend announces his college commitment

Bettis, the son of Steelers legend and Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis, chose Notre Dame over Texas A&M, Duke and Ole Miss. He said he “heard all about the ways Notre Dame can change your life academically and athletically” while he was growing up.

While he was a running back and wore No. 36 like his father when he first started playing football, the 6-foot-2, 192-pound Jerome Jr. changed positions to wide receiver in seventh grade and began wearing No. 4 shortly after that. He told ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren that he wants to be “my own man.”

“One of the biggest things was changing my number, and so me really getting my number away from his, that was a big step for me realizing that at the end of the day, I’m my own man,” Bettis Jr. said. “I love my dad and I love everything that I guess comes with him being my father, but at the same time, I create my own legacy and my own journey.”

The elder Bettis, who was famously nicknamed “The Bus,” ranks eighth on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 13,662 yards. His 91 career touchdowns rank 11th. Bettis played his first three seasons for the St. Louis Rams before joining the Steelers, where he became one of the most popular players in the NFL. Bettis won a Super Bowl with Pittsburgh in 2005 and made six Pro Bowls during his career.

Bettis Sr. played three seasons at Notre Dame before he was drafted with the No. 10 overall pick in 1993.