Your Vote: Who Was Picked To Make It Into Canton 2012?

Bettis’ character and personality in the locker room also makes him a far more valuable player than most on the nominee list.  He was an obvious team leader on the field and in the locker room.  His fist bumps to his chest fired up teammates and the twirling Terrible Towel fans in the stands.  He was a huge voice in the locker room as well and became a media darling late in his career with his own show locally in Pittsburgh.  His support of inner-city youth with the Jerome Bettis Bus Stops Here Foundation has garnered him local service awards and respect from many in the community of Pittsburgh.  We, as football fans, visit Canton to look at football players as larger than life heroes – and I believe that community service is a big part of completing a football player’s greatness.

So it seems clear that Bettis is a true cut above the rest of the other running backs on the list.  But, what about the other 104 players, coaches and contributors?  Well, Bettis became a finalist last year, and I feel there’s no one new in this class that will prevent him from being a finalist again this year.  He has that stats, he’s won a Super Bowl when others have not, he was a critical leader on a championship team, and he was a strong (and still is) community leader in a city that loves him so.  He helped to further solidify the identity of a team – blue collar, smash mouth football.

Bill Cowher and Darmontti Dawson are greats in their own way.  I fully believe that both of those guys will make it to the Hall… in due time.  But this is Bettis’ year.  I hope the committee sees this too and puts him into the Hall where the Bust of the Bus belongs.