The Pittsburgh Steelers have renamed one of their awards in honor of Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinee Jerome Bettis. The organization announced that its mentoring program award for high school athletes will now be known as the Jerome Bettis Leadership Award.
“Jerome Bettis embodies what it means to be a leader on and off the field and the Steelers are honored to recognize young football players contributing to their communities with an award in his name (…) By doing so, we are highlighting the power of high school football to shape not only better athletes, but better people,” said Steelers Vice President of Business and Development Strategy Dan Rooney in a statement.
According to the team’s website, the Jerome Bettis Leadership Award “recognizes local high school football players who go above and beyond to mentor their teammates both on and off the field.” This year, eleven high school football players and seven girls flag football players from Western Pennsylvania will receive recognition. Each winner’s school will also get a $1,000 donation from the Steelers.
Bettis joined Pittsburgh following a trade from the Los Angeles Rams in 1996. Over his career with Pittsburgh, he rushed for more than 10,000 yards between 1996 and 2005. He was selected for four Pro Bowls and named first-team All-Pro once. He ran for at least 1,000 yards during six straight seasons. Bettis completed his career as part of a Super Bowl-winning team when Pittsburgh claimed victory in Super Bowl XL.
Beyond athletics, Bettis has remained active in community initiatives. He established The Bus Stops Here Foundation to provide resources for inner-city children. His foundation is scheduled to host a gala at Acrisure Stadium later this year. In addition, he received recognition as NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2001—a distinction given to those making significant contributions off the field. He is among five Steelers honored with this award.
“Throughout my career, I strived to be a positive influence on my teammates and in my community (…) I firmly believe sports – and athletes in particular — have the power to make a lasting impact on their schools and communities. That’s why I’m excited to have my name connected to this award recognizing the peer leadership of high school athletes in the Pittsburgh area,” said Bettis in a statement released by the team.
Bettis was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015 and became part of the inaugural class for Pittsburgh’s Hall of Honor two years later.
