The Pittsburgh Steelers victory in Super Bowl XL was a fairy tale end to the incredible career of Hall of Fame running back, Jerome Bettis. The journey for the #8th all-time leading rusher in NFL history to be a champion was a long “bus ride” where the Steelers were just shy of reaching the pinnacle multiple times, but also with how close the Steelers were to cutting Bettis five years before he would hoist the Lombardi Trophy in celebration.
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Bettis played in three AFC Championship games in Pittsburgh before that successful 2005 season. The Steelers lost those three games to teams that went on to win the Super Bowl. There could have been multiple Super Bowl rings for Bettis and many of his teammates of that era.
Bettis, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
“You go back and look at those opportunities lost and look at how close we were to being the team of the decade," Bettis continued. "We could have been a really, really special group of guys and we let it get away from us.”
The Steelers compounded their missed opportunities in the Super Bowl and AFC Championship games of the 1990's with financial challenges that led to a lot of veterans leaving late in the decade. 1998 and 1999 saw the franchise hit the lowest point of the Bill Cowher era. The ensuing Cowher vs. Tom Donahoe feud that resulted from the frustrations of those missed chances led to a high-tension environment in the Steelers facility, and the pressure was felt everywhere.
In the NFL, the game of football is a business, which is one of the first lessons a player learns upon entering the league. Bettis experienced that hard lesson first-hand during his three-year stint with the St. Louis Rams and would experience it with the Steelers after his numbers dipped in 1998-1999, and the loss of a teammate that contributed to his decline in production.
Jerome Bettis takes on his former team in 1996. -- Getty Images
Former Steelers’ fullback Tim Lester played for eight years in the NFL, five of them with Bettis. Lester was best remembered as a member of the Steelers, and his consistently strong work as a blocker for Bettis earned him the nickname “The Bus Driver.” Bettis considered Lester the best blocking fullback in the league and was his closest friend on the team.
So, when the Steelers turned down Bettis’ offer to take part of his salary to retain Lester in 1999 and decided to release the veteran instead, Bettis might have been justified in feeling it was going to be a tough season. However, Bettis felt it wasn’t about the money, but something else.
Bettis, per The Bus: My Life In and Out of a Helmet:
"They had no intention of keeping Tim," Bettis said about Steelers management. "It wasn’t about money (they never offered him a contract); it was about wanting to give the job to Jon Witman. Witman was a Penn State guy handpicked by another Penn State guy, Coach [Dick] Hoak."
After his release, Lester would spend one season with the Dallas Cowboys in 1999 playing in only five games. Lester tragically passed away at the age of 52 due to COVID-19.
"Without Lester, there’s no question my rushing numbers wouldn’t have been as good as they were," Bettis said. "I was angry and told reporters that I’d be 'A very, very disgruntled employee' if the Steelers didn’t re-sign him. It wasn’t a threat, it was just the way I felt about the situation."
Bettis broke the 1,000-yard barrier in 1999, but it was not a great season statistically, as Bettis only had two 100-yard games and his numbers had declined since his peak season in 1997. Bettis didn't become an unhappy employee like he had said he would be if the team didn't keep Lester. He would eventually learn to like having Witman as his lead blocker.
During an interview with Ron Lippock of "Steelers Takeaways," Witman admitted that Bettis wasn't a huge fan of his at the beginning.
"To be honest, Jerome was against me being there. He brought Tim Lester with him from the Rams and they were like a brotherhood," Witman said. "But Tim was great. I knew my role as a rookie. He took me under his wing, even though we were competing for a job. I really wasn’t a backup fullback, I was Jerome’s backup as a rookie. I wasn’t comfortable with it really. I was a one-cut, running and stumbling white boy."
"In my third year, they had to let Tim go. I went to Jerome and told him I wanted us to get along. He told me then I was his boy. I think I just had to prove myself to him. In training camp, I busted my [butt] and we got close. He took my money betting on bowling and I took his playing darts!"
It wouldn't be a long pairing for Witman and Bettis, though. After the 1999 season where Witman started 11 games, he would only start 5 in 2000. That's when Dan Kreider came onto the scene. Kreider filled in for an injured Witman for most of the 2000 season, and backed up Witman in 2001. After the 2001 season, Witman's career would end. Kreider would become the Steelers starting fullback for the next six seasons helping pave the way for Bettis, and Willie Parker.
Did you like the difficult choice the Steelers had to make with Tim Lester? Let us know in the comments!
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