Jerome Bettis Jr. is determined to carve out his legacy, but escaping the towering shadow of his Pro Football Hall of Fame father, Jerome Bettis, has been no easy feat. Following in his father’s footsteps, Bettis Jr. made waves last year by committing to Notre Dame, turning down offers from prestigious programs such as Texas A&M, Duke, and Ole Miss.
Bettis Jr. knew committing to the Fighting Irish would spark endless comparisons to his legendary father, but that hasn’t shaken his resolve. Despite playing for the same team, he’s determined to chart his own path and prove himself on his own terms. Recently, Jerome Bettis Sr. weighed in, emphasizing that he never imposes on his son’s decisions and has given him the freedom to write his own story.
Jerome Bettis Jr. Wants to Get Out of the Shadow of His Legendary Father
Jerome Bettis Jr. considers his father an inspiration. However, he wants his career path to be distinct from his father’s. Even Jerome Bettis Sr. has supported his son’s decision to do things his own way, speaking about it with ESPN’s Heather Dinich.
He believes that everyone has the right to make their own life decisions, which is why he wants his son to succeed on his own terms.
“The challenge is allowing them to develop on their own,” Bettis told Dinich. “You have to. What you want to do is you want to give them the pathway, but they’ve got to go out there and earn the opportunity. You show them — you try to give them all the information you can — but at the end of the day, they have to go out there and work hard. It’s ultimately going to be their success and their failures.”
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“And the important part for them to understand and [for us] to impress upon them — I can only help you. I cannot make you the player that you will be.”
Bettis Jr. has immense respect for his father, who played 12 seasons in the NFL for the St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers. He has always been open to learning from his father’s experience, using it to his advantage as he grows and develops in his own career.
Jerome Bettis Jr. Is Hellbent on Making His Own “Legacy”
When Jerome Bettis Jr. first picked up a football, he tried to emulate his father. In youth football, he played running back—just like Jerome Bettis Sr.—and even wore No. 36.
However, in seventh grade, he switched to wide receiver. By eighth grade, he chose No. 4 to further separate his identity from his father’s. In a conversation last year with ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren, Bettis Jr. explained his reasoning for playing at Notre Dame despite his desire to create his own legacy.
“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 told VanHaaren. “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.”
Bettis Jr. has also emphasized that Notre Dame recruited him for his skills, not just his last name.
“They made sure super early on that it was known they recruited me for me and not my father,” he said. “They wanted me to know that they want Jerome Bettis Jr. at Notre Dame because of what he can bring, not just because of what comes along with me and my name. That was really important to me because I wasn’t sure how they viewed me and my dad and the entire situation, so for them to reassure me was great.”
Now, many fans are eager to see the different career path Bettis Jr. is carving for himself, distinct from the one his father followed.
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