Jerome Bettis: “Lord, If This Is How You Want My Career to End.”

October 8, 2026 Geoff Allen

Hall of Famer and Super Bowl champion Jerome Bettis pulls up on ALL THE SMOKE. The Bus wasn’t even a football kid: he grew up in Detroit bowling alleys and learned to play tailback in one week because Lou Holtz didn’t trust his freshmen. He takes Matt and Stak inside his rookie year in LA, what Michael Jordan told him after he shot 102 on the golf course and the prayer he said on the bench after the fumble in Indy. Hear the real story behind the Thanksgiving coin toss, how a pregame fight launched James Harrison’s career, and why he played in a Super Bowl for free. This one is a reminder of who kept The Bus on the road.

00:00:00 – Michael Jordan golf story
00:04:44 – Linebacker to tailback in one week
00:11:55 – Bowling was his first love
00:14:45 – The coach who told his parents everything
00:22:07 – Off the field life in LA
00:27:55 – Steelers legends: Bill Cowher, Hines Ward, Troy Polamalu, James Harrison
00:36:51 – The infamous Thanksgiving coin toss
00:40:39 – AD Break: DraftKings Sports, Street Fighter
00:41:49 – The fumble and the prayer on the bench
00:45:50 – Playing in the Super Bowl for free
00:50:03 – Retiring on television
00:52:25 – Getting into oil and gas business by accident
00:54:48 – Why he’s donating his brain to CTE research
00:57:36 – Quick hitters

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Read More [[{“value”:”Hall of Famer and Super Bowl champion Jerome Bettis pulls up on ALL THE SMOKE. The Bus wasn’t even a football kid: he grew up in Detroit bowling alleys and learned to play tailback in one week because Lou Holtz didn’t trust his freshmen. He takes Matt and Stak inside his rookie year in LA, what Michael Jordan told him after he shot 102 on the golf course and the prayer he said on the bench after the fumble in Indy. Hear the real story behind the Thanksgiving coin toss, how a pregame fight launched James Harrison’s career, and why he played in a Super Bowl for free. This one is a reminder of who kept The Bus on the road.