The Top Five Runs in the Career of Steelers Hall of Fame RB Jerome Bettis

1. ‘The Bus’ Bowls Over The Bears and Urlacher on the Way to a Title

December 11th 2005 was truly the day the Steelers clinched their 5th Super Bowl title. Of course they didn’t know it at the time, but it was this day that Jerome Bettis had the biggest impact on a Steelers team that had to win out and then win three road games on the road to Super Bowl XL in Detroit.

The first game was against the NFL’s #1 ranked defense at the time, the Chicago Bears. The Bears came to Heinz Field on a snowy Sunday sitting at 9-3, just coming off a big win over their rival in the Packers.

The Steelers were licking their wounds after they had lost the week before to the Bengals at home to drop to 8-5. Another loss and it was basically clinched that the season would be over, as would Bettis’ career.

All ‘The Bus’ did that day at Heinz Field was carry the Steelers to a win, in what turned out to be the final 100-yard rushing day of Bettis’ career.

The run that everyone recalls came in the third quarter. With snow falling and the Steelers leading the game 14-3, it was a run over the future Hall of Fame linebacker that still to this day is the defining play of Bettis’ career.

From the 5-yard line Ben Roethlisberger handed off to Bettis, who cut back inside and at about the 2-yard line came head-to-head with Urlacher.

The back ran over Urlacher, pushing him down with one arm as he braced himself to fall into the end zone from about the 2-yard line to put the Steelers up 21-3.

“I knew it was him,” said Bettis of his run-in with Urlacher.

“I was able to bang off of him and use his leverage against him. I knew it was going to be a big hit. I just tried to play off of it and keep those legs churning. He didn’t let go, but I’ve made a living off of carrying people – that’s why they call me The Bus.”

It sent the Steelers on a ride – a ride that ended with Bettis holding up the Lombardi Trophy on a stage at Ford Field in Detroit.

Watch as Bettis runs over Brian Urlacher in his greatest run as a Pittsburgh Steeler.

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