{"product_id":"the-bus-isbn-9780767926669","title":"The Bus","description":"He was one of pro football’s most beloved and respected stars, admired not only by NFL fans and his own teammates, but by his opponents as well. Super Bowl champion; six time Pro Bowler; NFL Comeback Player of the Year; NFL Man of the Year; fifth all-time leading rusher in the NFL; future Hall of Famer; now NBC Sports commentator.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou may think you know Jerome Bettis, but you don’t. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn\u003ci\u003e The Bus\u003c\/i\u003e, Jerome Bettis tells his full, unvarnished story for the first time--from his sometimes troubled childhood in inner-city Detroit to his difficult transition at Notre Dame, to a pro coach who almost caused him to quit the game, to a trade for the ages that resulted in ten glorious seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs a chunky child wearing glasses, Jerome’s only sports-related aspiration was to become a professional bowler. But growing up in one of the roughest neighborhoods in Detroit, he eventually found his escape on the high school football field, thanks to the devotion of hard-working parents, a concerned coach, and his prodigious talent. He arrived at Notre Dame as one of the nation’s best prep players, but despite his incredible performances, he never stopped worrying that he would somehow blow his chance to make good. Drafted and later discarded by the Los Angeles Rams, it was in the football-obsessed city of Pittsburgh that Jerome found his home and became a legend. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Bus\u003c\/i\u003e captures the sweetness and honesty of Bettis, but also details the jaw-dropping, violent nature of the game he loved, the mind-boggling injuries he endured, and the cut-throat NFL business tactics he overcame and later mastered. Through it all, Jerome was also a loving son, an adoring father, and the ultimate teammate and mentor. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Bus\u003c\/i\u003e not only takes you under the helmet, but inside the huddle, the locker room, the practice field, the negotiating table, the owner’s office, and the Super Bowl sideline. You’ll learn how Bettis became The Bus, how he helped engineer the greatest trade in Steelers history, how he almost cost Pittsburgh a conference championship, and how sweet it was to win—finally—one for the thumb.“Exciting – entertaining – extra special like the Bus himself!”\u003cbr\u003e-- Dan Rooney, owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This is one Bus ride you won't want to get off.'”\u003cbr\u003eRick Reilly, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eWho’s Your Caddy?\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eMissing Links\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eJerome Bettis is now a commentator on NBC’s Football Night in America.. He is the founder of The Bus Stops Here Foundation, which works to improve the quality of life for disadvantaged children, and works with the American Lung Foundation to increase asthma awareness. He lives in Atlanta.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGene Wojciechowski is a senior writer for \u003ci\u003eESPN The Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e and ESPN.com. He has authored or coauthored eight books, including \u003ci\u003eCubs Nation, My Life on a Napkin\u003c\/i\u003e (with Rick Majerus), \u003ci\u003eI Love Being the Enemy\u003c\/i\u003e (Reggie Miller), \u003ci\u003eNothing But Net\u003c\/i\u003e (Bill Walton) and his baseball novel, \u003ci\u003eAbout 80 Percent Luck\u003c\/i\u003e. He lives in Wheaton, Illinois.\u003cb\u003eFirst Quarter\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJanuary 15, 2006\u003cbr\u003eAFC Divisional Playoff\u003cbr\u003ePittsburgh Steelers v. Indianapolis Colts\u003cbr\u003eRCA Dome\u003cbr\u003eIndianapolis, Ind.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eSteelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt sat nervously in the visiting team coaches booth of the RCA Dome. A once ear\u003c\/i\u003e–\u003ci\u003esplitting sellout crowd of 57,449 was now strangely subdued, as if their mouths had been duct\u003c\/i\u003e–\u003ci\u003etaped shut. Only eighty seconds stood between the Steelers and a second consecutive trip to the AFC Championship game. Pittsburgh led, 21\u003c\/i\u003e–\u003ci\u003e18, and had the ball on the Colts\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003e 2\u003c\/i\u003e–\u003ci\u003eyard line.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe reality of the situation had become depressingly clear to the hometown fans. Not only did the Steelers have four downs to cover just 2 yards for the game\u003c\/i\u003e–\u003ci\u003eclinching score, but the mass transit system known as Jerome \u003c\/i\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Bus\u003c\/i\u003e”\u003ci\u003e Bettis was jogging toward the Pittsburgh huddle. It was over. The Colts, favored by as many as ten points by the Las Vegas wise guys, were going to lose. It would take the Colts the football equivalent of Pittsburgh\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003es fabled 1972 Immaculate Reception, to save them.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhisenhunt discussed the Steelers\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003e options with head coach Bill Cowher. There were two choices:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eQuarterback Ben Roethlisberger could take three snaps and then take a knee three consecutive times, forcing the Colts to use each of their remaining timeouts. Then the Steelers could kick a chip-shot field goal on fourth down, meaning Colts quarterback Peyton Manning would have about a minute, maybe less, to attempt a touchdown drive with no timeouts remaining against the AFC\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003es No. 1 defense.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOr they could do what they had done for years: Give the ball to Bettis.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhisenhunt knew if the Steelers scored to move ahead by ten the Colts couldn\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003et possibly recover. Whisenhunt recommended the Steelers board the Bus.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“\u003ci\u003eYou give the ball to Jerome because Jerome doesn\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003et fumble,\u003c\/i\u003e”\u003ci\u003e he told Cowher and the other offensive assistants. \u003c\/i\u003e“\u003ci\u003eWe\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003ere OK because Jerome doesn\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003et fumble.\u003c\/i\u003e”\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCowher agreed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhisenhunt called for a goal\u003c\/i\u003e–\u003ci\u003eline formation. The play was a no\u003c\/i\u003e–\u003ci\u003ebrainer: Counter 38 Power. Bettis could run it with his eyes squeezed shut. Nobody in Steelers history has run that play better than Bettis. Of his 10,000\u003c\/i\u003e–\u003ci\u003eplus yards gained in a Pittsburgh uniform, it would be fair to say that at least a third of those yards had come on Counter 38 Power.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Steelers offense took the field. The safest rushing play in the team's Old Testament\u003c\/i\u003e–\u003ci\u003ethick playbook had been called.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn a nearby broadcast booth, the team of WBGG-AM radio play-by-play announcer Bill Hillgrove, who had spent twelve years as \u003c\/i\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Voice of the Steelers,\u003c\/i\u003e”\u003ci\u003e and analyst Tunch Ilkin, a former Pittsburgh All\u003c\/i\u003e–\u003ci\u003ePro offensive tackle, told their listeners on the forty\u003c\/i\u003e–\u003ci\u003eseven\u003c\/i\u003e–\u003ci\u003estation, three\u003c\/i\u003e–\u003ci\u003estate\u003c\/i\u003e–\u003ci\u003ewide Steelers network that the game was done. The last eighty seconds? A formality, nothing more.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs the Steelers broke the huddle, Hillgrove described the action.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHillgrove: Now the ball\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003es at the 2\u003c\/i\u003e–\u003ci\u003eyard line. It\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003es gone over on downs to Pittsburgh. They have a first and goal and they\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003eve got Jerome Bettis in that lineup.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIlkin: For all you fantasy football players out there that have Jerome you\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003eve got to be very excited right now.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHillgrove: Wouldn\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003et it be nice for him to get his second touchdown of the game? Here\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003es the give to Jerome. He has it and\u003c\/i\u003e—\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIlkin: Oh! Fumble! Fumble! He picked it up\u003c\/i\u003e–\u003ci\u003eoh, no!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHillgrove: The ball is fumbled\u003c\/i\u003e…\u003ci\u003e and the Colts pick it up! Look out!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIlkin: Oh, no! My gosh! Oh, my gosh!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHillgrove: Nick Harper has it\u003c\/i\u003e—\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIlkin: Oh, my gosh! Somebody\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003es got to tackle him!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHillgrove: Big Ben tackles him. He tackles him at the 42\u003c\/i\u003e–\u003ci\u003eyard line.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIlkin: Oh, my gosh!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHillgrove: Jerome Bettis, who rarely fumbles, fumbles at the goal line. Nick Harper picks it up and the Colts are still alive with 1:01 to go!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIlkin: Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! All you got to do is fall on the ball! What a turn of events! OK, now you got 1:01 left, right? The Colts got the ball on the 42\u003c\/i\u003e–\u003ci\u003eyard line. The game is not over. Cancel the reservations to Denver. We got to finish this one out here. Unbelievable! I just can\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003et believe what I just saw. The Steelers hand the ball off to Jerome with 1:20. All you gotta do is take three in a row quarterback sneaks\u003c\/i\u003e…\u003ci\u003eThe Steelers are lucky that that ball isn\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003et run in for a touchdown by Harper. If it wasn\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003et for Ben Roethlisberger making a shoestring tackle the game\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003es over the other way.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhisenhunt and the other assistants were in shock. Bettis fumble? How was that possible? Bettis hadn\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003et fumbled once in the entire 2005 season. He\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003ed only fumbled ten times in his last six seasons, only forty\u003c\/i\u003e–\u003ci\u003eone times in 3,479 regular season carries.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA disturbing thought flashed through Whisenhunt\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003es mind: What if that was the last carry of Bettis\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003es career? Imagine that: The final carry in the glorious thirteen\u003c\/i\u003e–\u003ci\u003eyear career of Jerome Bettis would cost the Steelers a chance to reach the AFC Championship and\u003c\/i\u003e—\u003ci\u003eif they were to beat the Denver Broncos\u003c\/i\u003e—\u003ci\u003eto play Super Bowl XL in Bettis\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003es hometown of Detroit.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhisenhunt wasn\u003c\/i\u003e’t\u003ci\u003e the only one thinking Bettis\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003es career might have come to an inglorious end. In Miami Lakes, Florida, Bettis\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003es former NFL teammate Tim Lester had watched the ball pop free and bounce into Harper\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003es hands.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“\u003ci\u003eNo, my boy can\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003et go out like that,\u003c\/i\u003e”\u003ci\u003e thought Lester, who was Bettis\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003es fullback in Los Angeles, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh. \u003c\/i\u003e“\u003ci\u003eIt can\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003et end this way.\u003c\/i\u003e”\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn El Paso, Texas, Bettis\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003es former high school coach Bob Dozier also stared at the television screen in disbelief. \u003c\/i\u003e“\u003ci\u003eWow, this can\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003et be,\u003c\/i\u003e”\u003ci\u003e he thought. \u003c\/i\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThis kid\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003es done too much to deserve this.\u003c\/i\u003e”\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd at Cupha\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003es bar on Pittsburgh\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003es South Side, Steelers fan Terry O\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003eNeill, forty\u003c\/i\u003e–\u003ci\u003enine, saw the play and immediately went into cardiac arrest. Two firemen from Company No. 22, who just happened to be in the bar watching the game, rushed to O\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003eNeill\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003es aid and revived him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe RCA Dome crowd was so loud that the players\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003e eardrums begged for mercy. Manning had sixty\u003c\/i\u003e–\u003ci\u003eone seconds, three timeouts, and the conference\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003es highest\u003c\/i\u003e–\u003ci\u003escoring offense at his disposal. He needed 25 to 30 yards to move into feasible field goal range, 58 yards to win the game outright.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIlkin, in need of a hug, later asked sideline reporter Craig Wolfley for an update.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“\u003ci\u003eWell, guys, I\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003em just standing here, just watching Jerome Bettis,\u003c\/i\u003e”\u003ci\u003e said Wolfley. \u003c\/i\u003e“\u003ci\u003eI\u003c\/i\u003e’v\u003ci\u003ee been watching him the last minute or two, and for such an unbelievable career, for such a great leader for the Steelers, this has got to be one of those moments that you just can\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003et believe. It\u003c\/i\u003e’\u003ci\u003es like a nightmarish moment. He was on his knee, and just the look on his face just said everything about what he was feeling at this time.\u003c\/i\u003e”\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo, it didn’t. It couldn’t.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor thirteen years I had left bits and pieces of myself on NFL football fields from Pittsburgh to San Francisco, all for the \u003ci\u003echance\u003c\/i\u003e—just the chance—to play in a Super Bowl. That’s 13,662 yards, and who knows how many punishing hits, just for the opportunity to reach the pinnacle of my profession. And this one, Super Bowl XL, was going to be in the city where I was born and raised, the city where I carried my first football, where I played my high school ball, where my parents still lived, where I still had deep, strong roots.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNow, in only a few seconds’ time, my last chance at realizing my ultimate football dream was in serious jeopardy. And it was my fault. All my fault.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAll playoff games are special, but this one meant more to us because about six weeks earlier we had gotten our asses beat by the Colts. And I mean beat—26–7 at the RCA Dome. Now we had a rematch.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBefore the game, everybody was talking trash. While we were going through our pregame warm–ups in the end zone, some of the Colts fans started yapping at us. I let them yap, but then I told them, “I’ll be back to see you soon, \u003ci\u003ereal \u003c\/i\u003esoon.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI don’t usually mouth off to fans, but I felt so good I couldn’t contain myself. I wanted them to know I’d be in the end zone again, but I'd have a football in my hands and a touchdown on the scoreboard.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the opening snap we unleashed everything we had and led, 14–0, at the end of the first quarter. The Colts fans behind our bench were jawing at me, and I was jawing back.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Aw, you wasn’t expecting this, were you?” I said. “Uh–huh. What a difference a day makes.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI was playing with them, but there wasn’t much they could say back. They were frustrated with their team, and we were the ones responsible for the frustration.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThen, late in the third quarter, I dove into the end zone on a 1–yard touchdown run to put us ahead, 21–3. I’d warned those Colts fans I’d visit them again.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI let out a huge scream. You could see the dejection in the fans’ faces. They didn’t expect us to come in there and dominate the game.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOh, I was going crazy. It was so sweet. Then the Colts scored early in the fourth quarter, but we were still up, 21–10. No problem.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBack and forth it went until Troy Polamalu intercepted a Manning pass near midfield with 5:33 left in the game. I was thinking to myself, “OK, we can seal the deal. This is my time now. Time to pound the ball, get the tough yards, squeeze the life out of the clock and the Colts.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI started to run onto the field, but then the officials told us that Colts coach Tony Dungy was challenging the call. Huh? What was there to challenge? Manning threw it. Troy intercepted it. Our ball.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eExcept that referee Pete Morelli looked at the replay and said—and I still can’t believe this—that Troy didn’t have possession of the ball. Incomplete pass. Whoa, what was going on here?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe NFL would later say Morelli made a mistake, that the interception shouldn’t have been overturned. But that didn’t help us then.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI went back to the sideline and watched nervously as Manning hit a 9–yard pass, a 20–yard pass, a 24–yard pass. Bam, bam, bam. Then Edgerrin James scored on a 3–yard run. Then Manning hit Reggie Wayne for the two–point conversion. It was, 21–18, and here we go.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLater, with 1:27 left and the ball at the Colts’ 12, Joey Porter sacked Manning for a 10–yard loss on fourth down. I watched the whole thing from the sideline and it was such a perfect moment. Time for me to go to work.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut first I had to do some bragging. Like I said, I hardly ever popped off during a game, but I couldn’t help myself this time. I ran out on the field and when I saw Colts defensive tackle Corey Simon, I just went off on him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“We shocked the world!” I said. “Yeah, I knew you wasn’t ready for this. Y’all didn’t think we had anything coming in.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI saw Colts linebacker Cato June and I started lipping off to him too.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Yeah, y’all came in talking all that talk…thought it was going to be that same old stuff. Uh–uh.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis was totally not me. I was rubbing it in their faces.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo we got in the huddle and I knew I was getting the ball. I told myself, “OK, Bus, it’s on now.” I was ready to punch it in. Ben called the play: Counter 38 Power.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis was our money play. We called it, the bread and butter play. In fact, we ran that play so much over the years that our offensive line coach, Russ Grimm, would look at me from the sidelines and start moving his right hand over his left palm, like he was buttering a slice of bread. Time for Counter 38 Power.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBen took the snap. I took the handoff.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe way the play was supposed to work was like this: I take a jab step to the left, then go to the right and get the ball from Ben. My right guard blocks down, the right tackle blocks down. My left guard, Alan Faneca, pulls around and kicks out the defender, and I run inside his block.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut on that play, Faneca decided to turn up a little bit early. He thought he saw a hole inside and decided to turn up that way. Faneca had been to five Pro Bowls and was one of the best in the business. If he thought he saw a hole, then that was fine by me.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe problem was, with him turning upfield early, I got no kick–out block on the linebacker, and that linebacker, Gary Brackett, was just sitting there waiting for me. So I decided to try to squeeze inside him. I knew I could still score, but I had to cut back inside. I’d made the same move thousands of times in my career.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo I sort of turned my body sideways and Brackett shot over and delivered a perfect hit. I’ve got gigantic hands and it just about takes a sledgehammer to get the ball out of my hold. But Brackett’s helmet hit the ball flush. An absolutely perfect hit. In fact, if you look at the replay, it’s not like I was being careless with it. I still had my hand cupped over where the ball used to be.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI felt the ball pop out, but I couldn’t see it. Brackett had me by the knees and I was falling backward toward the goal line. I was trying to find the ball on the turf. I figured it was somewhere near my feet. It’s weird: In that split second that I was falling I thought, “Well, at the very worst they’ll recover the fumble on the 3–yard line and they’ll still have to drive 97 yards for the win.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJust as I was about to hit the ground I saw the ball. It wasn’t on the turf—it was still floating in the air! Then I saw Nick Harper, who played cornerback, grab it after the ball bounced off the turf at the 7 and I’m thinking, “Oh, my God. Oh, my God. I don’t believe I just fumbled the football. I cannot believe I just fumbled the football.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt first, everything was in slow motion. It was like that movie \u003ci\u003eThe Untouchables\u003c\/i\u003e, when the baby carriage is rolling down the train station steps and a gunfight breaks out. When I finally saw the ball in the air my mind was screaming, “No–oooooooo!” But I couldn’t stop what was happening. I was completely helpless.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThen I saw Harper break free, and suddenly the only things in slow motion were the guys chasing him. We had our goal–line unit—a lot of 300–pounders—in the game, so the chances of somebody catching him from behind weren’t good. I saw Kendall Simmons, our 315–pound guard, chasing after him. I saw our fullback, Dan Kreider, doing the same thing. And I saw Ben in the distance. And me? I was on my butt, and by myself (most of the Colts defenders had sprinted off to try to block for Harper). I was a lonely, lonely soul.","brand":"Crown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46300812771557,"sku":"NP9780767926669","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780767926669.jpg?v=1767738568","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-bus-isbn-9780767926669","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}