Former Steelers great Jerome Bettis feels for Bill Cowher, Troy Polamalu after Hall of Fame postponement

Jerome Bettis was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame five years ago, memorably leading the cheers of the Steelers fans in attendance and thanking his father for helping him to great heights.

“I thought The Bus’ last stop was in Detroit. But now I know The Bus will forever run in Canton, Ohio,” he said.

Bettis is disappointed that some of his former Steelers teammates will have to wait a year to have that same experience.

The induction ceremony for former Steelers coach Bill Cowher and safety Troy Polamalu, as well as the Hall of Fame game between the Steelers and Dallas Cowboys, has been postponed until next summer.

“I feel sorry for those guys who don’t really get that moment,” Bettis said. “They’ve been waiting. They’ve got to wait another year. They’ve already waited five and they’ve got to wait another year.

“To get in and be recognized and have that moment where they’re being received in the Hall of Fame with their teammates and the class and all the pageantry that goes along with it, it’s disappointing that they’re not going to be able to have that moment this year and they’ve got to kind of share it with the next class next year.”

Bettis, who was planning to attend the ceremony, said he expects the coronavirus to affect daily life for a long time to come.

“Those are the times that we’re living in right now,” Bettis said. “We have to make that adjustment. This pandemic isn’t going anywhere, as we’ve seen. The numbers are telling us we’re going to be in this for the long haul.

“So we have to expect things are going to be postponed. You’re going to have changes in schedules. I think that’s the one part we understand. It’s for everyone’s best interest that it’s postponed, because at the end of the day, it’s all about everyone being safe and being conscious about what’s happening right now.”

Bettis made his comments during a conference call promoting the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament, which will be broadcast this weekend on NBC.

He said the return of some sports, specifically golf, UFC and NASCAR, has been good for the country.

“Covid-19 is real. It’s scary. It’s in everybody’s home, in terms of the information,” Bettis said. “Sports takes you out of that realm and gives you something to really look forward to.”

Bettis also addressed the protests for racial equality that have been happening all over the country in the past month. He sounded an optimistic tone.

“Can our country grow? Can we become a better country on this Fourth of the July?” Bettis said. “The issues are in front of us, and I believe we can work towards a better country. I think that’s going to happen. We’re starting to see some of the residual effects of the movement, so that’s good to see.”

As for his chances of winning the celebrity tournament, Bettis is a massive longshot at 500-1. Tony Romo is the prohibitive favorite at 5-6. Charles Barkley brings up the rear at 7,500-1.

“If the players were really smart, they’d all bet some money on me and let me win this thing and we’d break every casino in the world,” Barkley said. “That would be my suggestion to all the players. Put a couple hundred dollars on me and find a way for me to win this thing. That would be a nice little check for them.”