Thursday, October 17, 2002
Bettis finally healthy, productive
The Associated Press
PITTSBURGH — Finally, Jerome Bettis is running the way he usually does — and suddenly, the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense looks a lot better than it did a month ago.
With two Bettis-like performances he has shaken off the worst start of his career, a groin injury that shortened his 2001 season, and the doubts about how effective a power runner could be after eight years in the NFL.
Held to 100 yards over three games, including only 24 against Cleveland, Bettis has gained 193 yards in his last two starts. His 109 yards Sunday in a 34-7 rout of Cincinnati included a season-long 41-yard touchdown run.
That kind of running has ended talk Bettis never fully healed from the groin injury that sidelined him for six weeks last season and threatened to prematurely end his career.
It's also left him only 68 yards from passing O.J. Simpson and moving into 11th place among NFL career rushers, something he could do Monday night against Indianapolis. Bettis never envisioned doing anything approaching that when the Rams drafted him as a blocking fullback from Notre Dame in 1993.
“To pass a name like that, a guy who's done a lot and had a 2,000-yard season in the NFL ...” Bettis said Wednesday. “When I came into the league, I didn't expect to pass the guy in last place. When I look at it, it's really hard to grasp, but I'm trying.”
Bettis didn't practice Wednesday to rest a sore knee but he was expected to return Thursday.
He is 184 yards from overtaking John Riggins and moving into 10th place. That would be significant because Riggins is the only top 10 runner who got his yardage with power and durability, as Bettis does, opposed to speed, snazzy moves, gracefulness and the ability to side step tacklers.
“That definitely would be an honor, being the same type of running back he was,” Bettis said. “To be able to last long enough to produce means I'm doing something right.”
After the Steelers (2-3) did almost nothing right in season-opening losses to New England and Oakland, Bettis' running and new quarterback Tommy Maddox's passing have picked up their offense as they've won two of their last three.
With Bettis running effectively again, defenses no longer can overload against the pass as they did when Kordell Stewart was the quarterback. As a result, Maddox passed for 484 yards and four touchdowns in his first two starts.
“Tommy just needs to keep picking apart the defenses so when they do crowd us up front, that will loosen it up,” Bettis said.
Bettis also seems more relaxed, no doubt because the district attorney in nearby Westmoreland County decided Tuesday to not charge Bettis following allegations he sexually assaulted a woman during training camp this summer.
Prosecutors are investigating whether the woman and her uncle planned to use the allegation to extort money from Bettis. Police said the uncle boasted of a plot to sexually compromise a Steelers player, then get money from him.
“It's unfortunate when people reach a certain level of success or recognition that they become targets of plots and schemes and unfounded accusations,” Bettis said. “To be associated with this type of behavior is uncharacteristic of me as a person and it's awful that anybody would be subjected to the type of criticism that I received. ... I'm just thankful that everybody didn't cast doubt so quickly.
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Bettis finally healthy, productive