Jerome Bettis and Kevin Greene Named Hall of Fame Semifinalists

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Two former Steelers moved one step closer to Canton, OH and the Pro Football Hall of Fame yesterday. According to Teresa Varley of Steelers.com, running back Jerome Bettis and outside linebacker Kevin Greene were named as two of 25 semifinalists for the Class of 2014.

As far as Bettis is concerned, this could be the year he finally is inducted into Canton. After three years as a finalist, “The Bus” might make his final career stop with some of the all-time greats next August.

In terms of numbers, Bettis is almost a shoo-in at this point. During his 13-year career with the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams (1993-1995) and the Steelers (1996-2005), the burly back rushed for 13,662 yards and 91 touchdowns, caught 200 passes for 1,449 yards and three touchdowns, and even threw for three more scores. And as we all remember, Bettis placed the “cherry on top” of his career at the end of the 2005 season when him and the rest of his teammates beat the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL.

While Greene’s career in Pittsburgh was not as long as Bettis’ (1993-1995), he nevertheless made an enormous impact during his tenure with the Steelers. The long-haired outside linebacker racked up 35.5 of his 160.0 career sacks (third all-time) with Pittsburgh, made two Pro Bowls, and was an integral piece of the defense which led the Steelers to Super Bowl XXX after the 1995 campaign.

As someone who grew up watching these two during Pittsburgh’s runs of success during the mid-1990’s and the early-mid 2000’s, I for one am excited to see both guys being recognized for their tremendous efforts.

Good luck, Jerome and Kevin! Both of you guys deserve those gold jackets!

Stats & Contract Info. Provided By: ESPN.com, Steelers.com , Spotrac, and Pro Football Reference

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