Sunday, February 23, 2025, 7:39PM |  40°
MENU
Advertisement
Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis takes selfie with fans before the game in Canton, Ohio.
1
MORE

Steelers legend Jerome Bettis announces that he's graduated from Notre Dame

Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

Steelers legend Jerome Bettis announces that he's graduated from Notre Dame

It’s been a long time coming, but Steelers legend Jerome Bettis has graduated from Notre Dame.

The team’s Hall of Fame running back announced Thursday that he had earned his degree from the university’s Mendoza School of Business after returning to campus this past semester to complete course work he’d started there decades ago.

Bettis was a few classes short of graduation when he declared for the NFL draft as a junior back in 1992.

Advertisement

He was selected by the Los Angeles Rams the following year, then went on to rush for 13,662 yards for the Rams and Steelers before retiring in 2006, after he’d helped lead the Steelers to a Super Bowl victory over Seattle.

Jerome Bettis embraces his mother, Gladys, whose wishes motivated him to complete his college education at age 50.
Abby Mackey
Inside Steelers great Jerome Bettis’ 28-year path to graduation from Notre Dame

But when he left school early, he’d made a promise to his mother to finish his Notre Dame degree eventually.

“In my immediate family, I’ll be the first person to graduate from college,” he told NBC’s Today Show earlier this year. “But most importantly, I have two children. For them to see dad finish a commitment that he set out some 27 years ago, for me to complete that, I think it says a lot to them.”

Now he’s fulfilled his promise and finally completed a decorated Notre Dame career that started with 1,912 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns across three seasons on the football field for the Fighting Irish.

Advertisement

Adam Bittner: abittner@post-gazette.com and Twitter @fugimaster24.

First Published: May 12, 2022, 4:45 p.m.
Updated: May 12, 2022, 4:46 p.m.

RELATED
Louisiana-Lafayette defensive lineman Tayland Humphrey (99) celebrates during the second half of the Sun Belt Conference championship NCAA college football game in Lafayette, La., Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021.
Brian Batko
Steelers mailbag: Which undrafted free agents and tryout players have the best chance?
Steelers running back Najee Harris carries against the Browns in the fourth quarter, Monday, Jan. 3, 2022, at Heinz Field.
Adam Bittner
Steelers future betting markets remain mostly unchanged after NFL draft
SHOW COMMENTS (18)  
Join the Conversation
Commenting policy | How to Report Abuse
If you would like your comment to be considered for a published letter to the editor, please send it to letters@post-gazette.com. Letters must be under 250 words and may be edited for length and clarity.
Partners
Advertisement
The University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning
1
business
Amid funding uncertainty, Pitt pauses doctoral admissions
Prospect Rutger McGroarty is right on track according to Penguins assistant general manager Jason Spezza.
2
sports
From The Point: When are the kids getting called up? Jason Spezza details the Penguins’ ‘thought-out’ plan
A new report advises retirees in 2025 to aim for just 3.7% when withdrawing from savings -- down from 4%. Over a 30-year retirement, that could mean the difference between financial security or outliving your cash in your 80s or 90s, financial experts say.
3
business
How much can retirees safely withdraw from their nest eggs? Financial experts weigh in.
Pickers at Bonnie Brae Fruit Farms in Huntington Township, Adams County, harvest golden delicious apples on Sept. 10, 2024. President Donald Trump’s administration has frozen funding on several federal programs, including many that are under USDA and help farmers make their facilities more climate-friendly, protect against damage from wildlife, and help them employ more workers.
4
news
Pa. farmers feel funding pinch as federal freezes trigger labor and infrastructure instability
York County District Attorney Timothy J. Barker reacts during a news conference regarding the shooting at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York, Pa. on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025.
5
news
Police officer killed, gunman dead in shooting at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York
Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis takes selfie with fans before the game in Canton, Ohio.  (Peter Diana/Post-Gazette)
Peter Diana/Post-Gazette
Advertisement
LATEST sports
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story