Jerome elected to move forward with the surgery, and following the procedure, he was able to play a full round of golf roughly three months’ post-op after being cleared by Dr. Uribe. Since then, the XLIF procedure has enabled Jerome to live the active lifestyle he envisioned when entering retirement—playing golf two to three times per week! Those are when the ailments start to come, and at that time, you’re not covered. Jerome Bettis had reached the playoffs five times and each of those times, he was never able to reach the Super Bowl. For me, Bettis’ resignation would’ve been a blow to everything I knew. Jerome Abram Bettis, nicknamed "The Bus" is a former American football halfback for the NFL's Los Angeles/St. Bettis weighed at a solid 275lbs at 5-10. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers. Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis on whether or not Ben Roethlisberger is ready to retire and if Mike Tomlin gets enough credit for the Steelers success. One Last Ride on “The Bus” Bettis decided to return for one more season with the Steelers, knowing he’d be a complementary piece and not the featured back. He has remained a familiar face in Pittsburgh since his retirement after the Steelers’ Super Bowl victory 15 years ago and hosts The Jerome Bettis Show on a local television station on Saturdays before Steelers games. Bettis is considered one of the best big backs ever due to his amazing footwork and sheer power, and is fifth on the National Football League's all-time rushing list. After losing to the New England Patriots in the 2004 Championship game, Jerome Bettis was ready to retire. The story goes like this. Jerome Bettis on retiring, unretiring, winning it all. For the second consecutive offseason, the NFL has been rocked by a series of early retirements from high-profile players who seemed to have good years still ahead of them. Jerome Bettis Says Series Of Early Retirements Should Worry NFL. ASSOCIATED PRESS Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis retired in 2006. ... “The NFL protects you for five years after you retire, but the multitude of injuries come 10, 15, 20 years after you retire. Jerome Bettis on his emotional retirement speech to Steelers teammates in 2005, then the decision to come back for one more year and try to win Super Bowl XL, hosted by his hometown of Detroit. After the Steelers were decimated by the Patriots in the 2004 AFC Championship, Bettis contemplated retirement. ... After the game, Bettis was asked about retirement … Heading into the 2005 season, Jerome Bettis considered retirement. Undrafted running back Willie Parker impressed in the preseason and earned the starting role for the 2005 season. After 13 NFL seasons, running back Jerome (The Bus) Bettis announced his retirement following Pittsburgh's 21-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL at Ford Field on Sunday. Bettis owns a Pittsburgh restaurant, Grille 36, within a short walk of Rush Street’s Rivers Casino as well as Heinz Field.