He was one of pro football’s most beloved and respected stars, admired not only by NFL fans and his own teammates, but by his opponents as well. Super Bowl champion; six time Pro Bowler; NFL Comeback Player of the Year; NFL Man of the Year; fifth all-time leading rusher in the NFL; future Hall of Famer; now NBC Sports commentator.

You may think you know Jerome Bettis, but you don’t.

In The Bus, Jerome Bettis tells his full, unvarnished story for the first time--from his sometimes troubled childhood in inner-city Detroit to his difficult transition at Notre Dame, to a pro coach who almost caused him to quit the game, to a trade for the ages that resulted in ten glorious seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

As a chunky child wearing glasses, Jerome’s only sports-related aspiration was to become a professional bowler. But growing up in one of the roughest neighborhoods in Detroit, he eventually found his escape on the high school football field, thanks to the devotion of hard-working parents, a concerned coach, and his prodigious talent. He arrived at Notre Dame as one of the nation’s best prep players, but despite his incredible performances, he never stopped worrying that he would somehow blow his chance to make good. Drafted and later discarded by the Los Angeles Rams, it was in the football-obsessed city of Pittsburgh that Jerome found his home and became a legend.

The Bus captures the sweetness and honesty of Bettis, but also details the jaw-dropping, violent nature of the game he loved, the mind-boggling injuries he endured, and the cut-throat NFL business tactics he overcame and later mastered. Through it all, Jerome was also a loving son, an adoring father, and the ultimate teammate and mentor.

The Bus not only takes you under the helmet, but inside the huddle, the locker room, the practice field, the negotiating table, the owner’s office, and the Super Bowl sideline. You’ll learn how Bettis became The Bus, how he helped engineer the greatest trade in Steelers history, how he almost cost Pittsburgh a conference championship, and how sweet it was to win—finally—one for the thumb.

"'The National Football League's fifth all-time leading rusher tells of his journey from growing up on Detroit's mean streets to playing for the 2006 Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. As a child, Bettis wore nerdy glasses and preferred bowling. In high school, he began playing football, but also started running with a smalltime neighborhood gang that sold drugs and carried firearms. He credits his escape from crime to his high school coach and his parents for laying down the law as well as the shock of seeing a friend get shot. A highly recruited high school player, he played three years at Notre Dame before turning pro with the Rams (both L.A. and St. Louis). During the latter part of his 13-year career, he had to compete for playing time and deal with a litany of injuries. For his last pro football game, he returned triumphantly to Detroit, which hosted the 2006 Super Bowl. Writing in an easygoing, honest voice, Bettis gives readers a good look at the inside stories of college recruiting, professional contracts and the agony of NFL injuries. He also dishes out opinions on players, calling former Rams quarterback Jim Everett 'soft as puppy fur' and Denver Broncos linebacker Bill Romanowski a 'coward' who specialized in 'cheap shots.'' Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

“Exciting – entertaining – extra special like the Bus himself!”

-- Dan Rooney, owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers

“This is one Bus ride you won't want to get off.'”

Rick Reilly, bestselling author of Who’s Your Caddy? and Missing Links

Capturing the heart and honesty of Bettis, and the jaw-dropping, violent nature of the game he loved, this account not only takes readers under the helmet, but inside the huddle, the owners office, and the Super Bowl sideline to reveal the many complexities of the man known as The Bus.

Six-time Pro Bowler, NFL Comeback Player of the Year,   Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, Super Bowl champion— for thirteen punishing years running back Jerome Bettis, “ The Bus, ” was one of the most respected players in the NFL. But while fans might  know Bettis’ s stats, they’ ve never before had a chance to get to know the man behind the numbers. Now he teams up with the award-winning sportswriter Gene Wojciechowski in an exciting and revealing memoir in the tradition of such bestsellers as Favre and Payton,

Raised in a rough neighborhood in Detroit, Bettis was a troubled and trouble-making teenager who found a route to escape on Motown’ s high-school football fields. His prodigious talents made him a college hero at Notre Dame, but despite his incredible performances on the field, he always worried that he would revert to Detroit Jerome and blow his chance to make good. Even when he was drafted by the Rams in the first round, Bettis wondered if he had what it takes to succeed. After he was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in one of the most lopsided trades in NFL history, he became the most beloved player in that football-obsessed town. Before retiring in 2006, he topped off his career by helping the Steelers win their record-breaking fifth Super Bowl.

THE BUS captures the special qualities Bettis brought to every aspect of surviving fourteen years playing the most difficult position in professional football. He was a running back with the nimbleness of a ballerina; he played with the kind of injuries that would make other people faint; and he mastered the cutthroat business tactics of the NFL, negotiating some of thesmartest deals in the history of the league.But he was also a husband, a father, a mentor, and a loyal friend to his fellow players. Written with candor and humor, THE BUS is a rare, intimate look at a man who triumphed over unbeatable odds.

Jerome Bettis is now a commentator on NBC’s Football Night in America.. He is the founder of The Bus Stops Here Foundation, which works to improve the quality of life for disadvantaged children, and works with the American Lung Foundation to increase asthma awareness. He lives in Atlanta.

Gene Wojciechowski is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com. He has authored or coauthored eight books, including Cubs Nation, My Life on a Napkin (with Rick Majerus), I Love Being the Enemy (Reggie Miller), Nothing But Net (Bill Walton) and his baseball novel, About 80 Percent Luck. He lives in Wheaton, Illinois.