Jerome Bettis Torture

[blackbart]

Watching "A Football Life" and seeing the Bettis story and Rich Brookes says he think he help Bettis get to the HOF because he traded him to Pittsburgh. He didn't think Bettis would have put up the same numbers in StL.

Still makes me sick Brooks was/is an idiot and just a bad chapter in Rams history.

 

[KNUCKLEHEAD]

I read somewhere that according to Brooks, the real decision to trade Bettis came down to his people wanting to renegotiate his contract, and the Rams refusal to do so

 

[blackbart]

I read somewhere that according to Brooks, the real decision to trade Bettis came down to his people wanting to renegotiate his contract, and the Rams refusal to do so

He did want to renegotiate after the first two years of 1000+ yards, rookie of the year, and 2 Pro Bowls. From 300ish carries for ground Chuck to less than 200 for Brooks. The next year in Pittsburgh it was back to 300+ and the bus was on the road to Canton.

 

[TheDYVKX]

It all worked out. We ended up getting Faulk a few years later, and we all know how that went.

 

[Tron]

It all worked out. We ended up getting Faulk a few years later, and we all know how that went.

Agree. Without losing Bettis chances are we don't get Faulk; no Faulk = no GSOT IMO. Was a win for both sides. Always liked Bettis, but I loved Faulk!!! The GSOT took a perfect storm of random events to achieve, and without one of them everything could have turned out different.

 

[WvuIN02]

My family is a Steelers household and I chose the Rams when I was younger (Rams and WVU were the same colors lol which I loved as a kid), so needless to say Im a big fan of both....it definitely worked out for both players careers. Both backs excelled in the style of offense they ran. I used to dream of the GSOT offenses paired with some of the Steel Curtain defenses of the same era, talk about dream team.

I will never forget the play where Jerome Bettis trucked Brian Urlacher in this snowy cold game. That play defined his entire career for me.

 

[blue4]

I'd take any one of Faulk, Jackson, or Gurley over Bettis any day of the week. I think it worked out well for us. Besides we've all said it before, you negotiate a contract, you play the contract. I guess maybe becoming a Rams fan in 95 I view it differently than most fans from before.

 

[FRO]

I don't think Bettis should get into the Hall of Fame. Great RB, but not HOF. He is Steven Jackson, only on a winning team.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I'd take any one of Faulk, Jackson, or Gurley over Bettis any day of the week. I think it worked out well for us. Besides we've all said it before, you negotiate a contract, you play the contract. I guess maybe becoming a Rams fan in 95 I view it differently than most fans from before.

Agreed. I was pissed when he pulled that shit. I call that being a weasel.

I don't think Bettis should get into the Hall of Fame. Great RB, but not HOF. He is Steven Jackson, only on a winning team.

I agree. He was nothing special. He was a big pounder with good durability. SJ was the better back.......he just had a bad Oline.

 

[OldSchool]

I don't think Bettis should get into the Hall of Fame. Great RB, but not HOF. He is Steven Jackson, only on a winning team.

One of many players that qualify for the Hall of Very Good, not a HoFer imo either.

 

[blackbart]

I don't think Bettis should get into the Hall of Fame. Great RB, but not HOF. He is Steven Jackson, only on a winning team.

6th leading RB all time

 

[blackbart]

It all worked out. We ended up getting Faulk a few years later, and we all know how that went.

Bettis left for Pittsburgh in 96 and Faulk didn't get to Stl until 99. Love Marshall and would never consider giving back the GSOT days but those 4 years including 95 Bettis could have been a beast in StL if he had been used right.

7, 6, 5 and 4 wins for the Rams in those years. That did not work out all right for Rams fans IMO.

 

[FRO]

6th leading RB all time

He also averaged under 4 yards per carry for his career and was only above 4 yards per carry in 4 seasons. I would like a little bit better results than that for Hall of Fame. Very good running back, he was a great player. I judit don't think he should be immortalized.

 

[WvuIN02]

Not sure how many of you followed those teams closely, but he did that on some pretty blah offenses in Pittsburgh during those years. No Big Ben. The dreaded Kordell Stewart experiment years as slash. He didnt have a real QB until he was already on the downward spiral. He had Hines Ward and Plaxico Burress later on, but still didnt have a QB until Big Bens rookie season.... he literally carried those teams on offense while the defense tried to hold serve. I cant imagine what kind of crazy numbers he would have done if he was in his prime along with Big Ben at the same time. I honestly think those teams making the playoffs those years showed what a leader and workhorse he really was.

He was no Faulk (but who ever was in their prime? LT is the closest?), but he was a great player and one tough SOB.