Jerome Bettis Visits Detroit High School as Part of Pro Football Hall of Famer Program
If you were a fan of any other professional football franchise except for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2005-2006—especially if that professional football franchise was either part of the AFC or happened to be the NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks—chances are pretty good that the name Jerome Bettis still sends shivers down your spine and puts curse words at the tip of your tongue.
Former Steeler and Super Bowl XL champion Bettis, now among the inductees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2015, was representing a different team on September 29 when he visited Renaissance High School in Detroit as part of the Pro Football Hall of Famer™ program, presented by Ford.
The Pro Football Hall of Famer program honors NFL greats by returning them to their respective hometowns and giving them the opportunity to inspire youth. Bettis is a native of Detroit and attended the former Mackenzie High School, now the Mackenzie Middle School.
“I am so honored to have the Pro Football Hall of Fame present this Hometown honor to the Detroit Public Schools,” Bettis shared. “Even though the school I played for—Mackenzie High—is no longer open, this honor belongs to the city of Detroit and all the proud Detroiters that embrace me every time I return home in the same way that they supported me when I played here.”
The Hometown Hall of Famer program originally ran from 2011 to 2013 and returns from its hiatus with Ford as its primary sponsor.
“Ford is proud to partner with the Pro Football Hall of Fame on this great initiative,” said Mark LaNeve, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service. “Ford is dedicated to building strong communities everywhere our employees live and work, and we are excited to help reconnect players with the communities where they began their journeys—starting right here in Detroit.”
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