BlitzburghRockCity
10-12-2005, 12:28 AM
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/sports/steelerslive/s_383282.html
Rejuvenated Bettis boils over in post-game
By Joe Bendel
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
SAN DIEGO -- Jerome Bettis was still fired up long after the final gun sounded Monday night in the Steelers' 24-22 victory over the San Diego Chargers.
After missing the first three games of the season because of a calf injury, Bettis ran for 54 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. He did his best work late, rushing for 21 tough yards on seven carries during the game-winning field-goal drive.
Later, he blasted those who'd doubted if he would return from his injury.
"The frustrating part for me was listening to everybody in the media, all the fans, talking about (whether) I'm going to play, should I play," Bettis said. "I think I deserve the respect of being the fourth all-time leading rusher (he's actually fifth on the NFL's all-time list, with 13,348 yards) -- and that's what I'm not getting.
"I think I deserve better than that."
Bettis, 33, said it wasn't just one thing that irked him.
"Everything, everything," he said. "After I got hurt (in the second-to-last preseason game), you read articles, you heard commentary, you heard people, fans. I have people betting that I'm not ever going to touch the field again. It's a bunch of garbage; that's what it really is."
Steelers coach Bill Cowher was thankful to have Bettis in the fourth quarter, particularly on the winning drive, when Bettis converted two third-and-1 carries.
On the first, Bettis carried Chargers linebacker Ben Leber with him through the line of scrimmage.
"It was nice to be able to have a fresh Jerome Bettis in the fourth quarter," Cowher said Tuesday at his weekly news conference. "That was a luxury. He was running downhill. The one thing I knew when we handed the ball to him, it was not going to be a negative play."
Bettis' re-emergence means less playing time for starter Willie Parker, who carried just 10 times for 26 yards. Parker had 272 yards rushing in the first two games but has run only for only 81 yards on 27 carries in the past two.
Cowher was non-committal as to how he'll handle his tailbacks Sunday against Jacksonville, although it appears Duce Staley (knee) will remain out of the mix for now.
"Duce, quite frankly, might not be 100 percent this whole year," Cowher said. "He's working to get better, and at some point, we may need him. He understands the situation."
Bettis said he isn't aiming to supplant Parker.
"Willie deserves to start," Bettis said. "That's not the question. But the problem that I have is when people ask me, 'Well, are you going to play?' "
Bettis commended Steelers fans for showing up en masse at Qualcomm Stadium Monday, but when asked if some fans had drawn his ire lately, he responded quickly.
"No question," he said. "It wasn't that they were giving me a hard time, it was just that they were saying, 'Well, maybe he's done.' It's been like that the last five years. And every year, I feel I have to prove myself. Or people will ask me, 'Do I have to prove myself?' I get fed up about it. I'm a nice guy and a good guy, but I reached my boiling point these last couple weeks.
"So, it was good to get back out there and get it over with."
Rejuvenated Bettis boils over in post-game
By Joe Bendel
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
SAN DIEGO -- Jerome Bettis was still fired up long after the final gun sounded Monday night in the Steelers' 24-22 victory over the San Diego Chargers.
After missing the first three games of the season because of a calf injury, Bettis ran for 54 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. He did his best work late, rushing for 21 tough yards on seven carries during the game-winning field-goal drive.
Later, he blasted those who'd doubted if he would return from his injury.
"The frustrating part for me was listening to everybody in the media, all the fans, talking about (whether) I'm going to play, should I play," Bettis said. "I think I deserve the respect of being the fourth all-time leading rusher (he's actually fifth on the NFL's all-time list, with 13,348 yards) -- and that's what I'm not getting.
"I think I deserve better than that."
Bettis, 33, said it wasn't just one thing that irked him.
"Everything, everything," he said. "After I got hurt (in the second-to-last preseason game), you read articles, you heard commentary, you heard people, fans. I have people betting that I'm not ever going to touch the field again. It's a bunch of garbage; that's what it really is."
Steelers coach Bill Cowher was thankful to have Bettis in the fourth quarter, particularly on the winning drive, when Bettis converted two third-and-1 carries.
On the first, Bettis carried Chargers linebacker Ben Leber with him through the line of scrimmage.
"It was nice to be able to have a fresh Jerome Bettis in the fourth quarter," Cowher said Tuesday at his weekly news conference. "That was a luxury. He was running downhill. The one thing I knew when we handed the ball to him, it was not going to be a negative play."
Bettis' re-emergence means less playing time for starter Willie Parker, who carried just 10 times for 26 yards. Parker had 272 yards rushing in the first two games but has run only for only 81 yards on 27 carries in the past two.
Cowher was non-committal as to how he'll handle his tailbacks Sunday against Jacksonville, although it appears Duce Staley (knee) will remain out of the mix for now.
"Duce, quite frankly, might not be 100 percent this whole year," Cowher said. "He's working to get better, and at some point, we may need him. He understands the situation."
Bettis said he isn't aiming to supplant Parker.
"Willie deserves to start," Bettis said. "That's not the question. But the problem that I have is when people ask me, 'Well, are you going to play?' "
Bettis commended Steelers fans for showing up en masse at Qualcomm Stadium Monday, but when asked if some fans had drawn his ire lately, he responded quickly.
"No question," he said. "It wasn't that they were giving me a hard time, it was just that they were saying, 'Well, maybe he's done.' It's been like that the last five years. And every year, I feel I have to prove myself. Or people will ask me, 'Do I have to prove myself?' I get fed up about it. I'm a nice guy and a good guy, but I reached my boiling point these last couple weeks.
"So, it was good to get back out there and get it over with."