Jerome Bettis is the running back that defined an era for the Steelers. His size, skill and determination enabled him to have all the assets needed to eventually reach Super Bowl greatness. "The Bus" was traded to Pittsburgh on the day of the 1996 NFL Draft via the St. Louis Rams for a pair of picks. The deal worked out brilliantly for the Steelers, as Bettis would rush for over 1,000 yards in each of his first six seasons in the Steel City. Near the end of his tenure in Pittsburgh, injuries hampered Bettis' effectiveness and he was relegated to back-up duties. A discouraged Bettis nearly made the decision to hang up his cleats following a loss in the 2004 AFC Championship Game, but quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was able to persuade him to come back for one more year. The decision proved to be a good one, as Bettis' storybook swan song couldn't have gone any better: The Steelers won the Super Bowl in Bettis' hometown of Detroit. This black, home jersey was game worn by Bettis during the 1997 season. It has a "97" year tag and size 48 Pro Line tag on the tail. The jersey shows heavy use, with paint transfers, loose threads, scuffs, abrasions and 24 team repairs. It is possible Bettis wore the jersey for the entire '97 season as it has been photo-matched to numerous games that year, including September 7 (134 yds, 1TD), November 9 (114 yds, 1TD), November 16 (101 yds), December 7 (125 yds), January 3 (AFC Divisional, 67 yds) and January 11 (AFC Championship, 105 yds, 1TD). His output during the photo-matched games totals 646 yards and three touchdowns. Bettis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015 and will forever be part of the Pittsburgh Steelers elite players. All jerseys come directly from the Steelers archive and come with an LOA from the Steelers. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Steelers Archives items will be donated to the Chuck Noll Foundation for Brain Injury Research.