There’s another Bus on his way to Notre Dame.
Jerome Bettis Jr, the son of former Notre Dame and longtime NFL running back Jerome Bettis, committed to the school on Sunday.
The younger Bettis is a 6-foot-2, 195-pound wide receiver who played at Woodward Academy in Georgia.
He said he picked the Fighting Irish over schools like Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Duke.
In doing so, Bettis Jr. is aware he’s inviting comparisons to the Pro Football Hall of Famer, who played at Notre Dame from 1990-92 and was a six-time Pro Bowler, spending most of his 13-year career with the Steelers and retiring after Pittsburgh won Super Bowl XL.
“They made sure super early on that it was known they recruited me for me and not my father,” Bettis Jr. said, according to ESPN. “They wanted me to know that they want Jerome Bettis Jr. at Notre Dame because of what he can bring, not just because of what comes along with me and my name. That’s something that was really important to me, because I wasn’t sure how they viewed me and my dad and the entire situation, so for them to reassure me was great.”
Unlike his father, Bettis Jr. doesn’t play running back any longer.
He switched from that position to wide receiver in seventh grade and a year later, changed his jersey number from 36, which Bettis Sr. wore in the NFL, to 4, to further distance himself from his father’s Hall of Fame legacy.
“One of the biggest things was changing my number, and so me really getting my number away from his, that was a big step for me realizing that at the end of the day, I’m my own man,” Bettis Jr. told ESPN. “I love my dad and I love everything that I guess comes with him being my father, but at the same time, I create my own legacy and my own journey.”
Bettis Sr., according to his son, was excited about the decision to follow him to South Bend, Indiana.
“I viewed the pros and cons and took it to my father and asked him what he thought about it and his thoughts on me making the decision,” Bettis Jr. said. “First, he wanted to make sure I was completely certain and after that, he was super happy. Just the initial reaction from him and the joy I could see on his face, that was something super special for me to witness.’’
