Steelers Legendary RB Jerome Bettis Said Brian Urlacher Is Still Mad About The Colossal 2005 Hit

Pittsburgh Steelers former running back, Jerome Bettis made a name for himself with his legs, quite literally in fact. The nickname "The Bus" came from how Bettis used his powerful lower body to drag defenders behind him. It was given to him by a journalist when Bettis played at the University of Notre Dame. But just like a real bus, Bettis also could run people over and few runs were as memorable as when Bettis trucked over top of Chicago Bears star defender, Brian Urlacher. 

It was December 2005 in Pittsburgh and the weather was exactly what teams like the Steelers and the Bears are built for - cold and snowy. It was Bettis' last season with Pittsburgh and he was no longer a regular starter. However, he had a very definitive place on the team as a power back. With the weather conditions worsening, they brought Bettis in to spell young running back, Willie Parker. Bettis has said that he was always considered a "mudder" and these kinds of sloppy conditions are exactly what he was built for.  

During the third quarter of the game, Bettis tore through the Bears' defense, which included flattening and running over the eight-time Pro Bowl linebacker Urlacher. Urlacher did all that he could to try to stop Bettis from his place on the ground, but was unsuccessful. Bettis ran the five yards into the end zone to score. Pittsburgh won that game 21-9. 

Steelers' Jerome Bettis Says Brian Urlacher Is Still Mad About The Hit

Bettis left Pittsburgh with so many memorable moments from his incredible career. However, the hit on Urlacher is one that gained him national admiration, not just from Pittsburgh fans. 

Recently, Bettis appeared on The Dan Patrick Show and long-time sportscaster, Dan Patrick, asked him about the hit on Urlacher. He said whenever Urlacher comes on his show, he always teases him about getting laid out by Bettis. Bettis said that Urlacher still isn't over it. 

"Yeah, he is p***ed off about that to this day. But we exchanged shoes after the game, so he has the shoes that actually ran him over. How many guys in the history of the game have the actual shoes from the guy that ran them over?"

Patrick and Bettis joke that when Urlacher goes to sleep, he puts the shoes on his chest in the exact spot where he felt Bettis run him over. The exchange of shoes, rather than an exchange of jerseys confuses Patrick. Bettis said that it was a bit hard for him to get out of his jersey, so he took his shoes, plus jersey exchanging wasn't as common back then as it is now. 

"The shoes were the right thing to do. I thought so much of Brian that I went into their locker room afterward, out of respect for him, and wanted to exchange the shoes because I just felt there was some things that are special. I wanted to do something a little different, so I exchanged different things with different people."

Bettis says that he is sure Urlacher is going to kill him when he hears this. But he felt it was important to let the opponent know that you respect them when something like that happens. He said it is critical to get right back there and make them feel good so they don't hate you afterward. According to him, the longer you wait to show respect, the angrier they get.   

However, that courtesy didn't quite extend to everyone. Bettis said while he and former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis are friends now, back then, he wouldn't have set foot in their locker room. 

Those rare huge hits from a running back on a defender are something that Bettis said he lived for. He told Patrick that he could hear them whimper, it is a very specific sound, and that motivated him.

"Yes, that was fun because obviously, you don't get that many opportunities. You are kind of breaking their will and you can hear it (*mimics a high-pitched whining sound*). It's just a long hurt that you can kind of feel. When you look into their eyes and they don't want to look at you, that's when you know you have broken their will and you don't even have to worry about that guy anymore. He's gonna make it look like he's trying to dive, but he's diving straight into the ground, he wants you to jump over him."

Bettis retired at the end of that season after helping the Steelers win Super Bowl XL in his hometown of Detroit, MI against the Seattle Seahawks. His career lasted 13 seasons and Bettis was on the winning end of a trade agreement that is still talked about. 

Initially drafted by the then-Los Angeles Rams (they moved to St. Louis while Bettis was with the team) 10th overall in 1993, he spent three years with them before being traded to Pittsburgh. The Rams gave the Steelers Bettis and a third-round pick for the 1996 NFL Draft. In return, they got the Steelers' 1997 second and fourth-round picks.  

During his 10 years in the Steel City, Bettis played in 145 games. He rushed for 10,571 yards and 78 touchdowns. He had numerous honors bestowed upon him during his time in the NFL. He was the NFL Rookie of the Year, the NFL Comeback Player of the Year, Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, a two-time All-Pro, a six-time Pro Bowler and was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2015. 

Do you remember the hit on Urlacher? What was your favorite memory of Bettis? Click to comment below. 

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