BETTIS BELIEVES BELL CAN DEVELOP INTO STEELERS ALL-TIME BEST BACK
Four Steelers running backs have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And then there is Le’Veon Bell.
One of those Hall of Famers thinks Bell could be the best of them all.
“I think if he continues on his course, I think he can be one of the best that ever put on a uniform—not just a Steelers uniform, one of the best running backs ever,” said Jerome Bettis, the most recent Steelers back voted into the Hall of Fame, where he will be inducted Aug. 8.
Bettis, Franco Harris, John Henry Johnson and Bill Dudley ran the ball for the Steelers and have their busts in Canton, Ohio. None produced as much as Bell did in his second year with the Steelers.
His 2,215 yards running and receiving is a Steelers record, combining his AFC-best 1,361 yards rushing with 854 yards receiving on 83 receptions, 32 more catches than any back in club history.
At 6-foot-1, 225 pounds, Bell has the power, the moves, the hands, the blocking ability and the production that made him an All-Pro in his second season.
“I think he’s special,” Bettis said. “He’s a special player on the field, everything you see him do. He has the frame of a big back but the agility of a smaller running back, which makes him a very, very special player.
“He’s a big back but also able to catch the ball out of the backfield, be elusive, do so many things. Being a three-down running back, that, in and of itself, is a special treat to have.”
Bettis is not prone to hyperbole just because it involves a player from his old team. He has had a teammate or
two unhappy with some things he has said through the years as a television commentator, first at NBC and now with ESPN. He has watched Bell run many times, met him on several occasions and believes in what he says about him.
“What I like even more than his abilities on the field is what type of person he is,” Bettis said. “He’s very humble, very responsive, he looks you in your eye, talks to you and is very, very comfortable with who he is. That’s even a more special trait to have.”
The NFL suspended Bell for the first three games for his marijuana charges in August 2014, and he is awaiting word on his appeal. Bettis said even Bell’s reaction to that was positive.
“Obviously, he’s made some mistakes and he addressed them headon, which you love to see. And he’s dealing with those.”
Bell was pleasantly surprised Wednesday to hear what Bettis had to say about him.
“That’s amazing to hear from a Hall of Famer himself, one of the greatest Steelers and one of the greatest running backs to ever play the game,” Bell said. “For him to rave about me, it’s an honor. It’s really humbling. That’s who I used to watch growing up. He kind of helped me mold my game to where it is now.”
Bettis said Bell “is next in line” of the great Steelers running backs.
“He can definitely carry the mantle. He has all the traits, all the ability, he just has to continue on his trajectory and work as hard as he’s been working and not take it for granted. The biggest problems come in when you have talent and expectations but you don’t work hard. That’s a big disappointment. That’s what you have to watch for in all young football players—can they meet that expectation with work ethic? That’s one thing you can’t know until the moment they reach a certain success.
“He’s reached the threshold, he’s had success, now is he ready to take the bull by the horns and say I am ready to go to the next level? Only he can do that. That’s not something the coach can impress on him.”
Bell promised that Bettis would not be disappointed.
“Now I’m trying to find ways to be better. I’ve watched so many plays of my games last year. I felt I could have done this better, I could have read a hole better, I could have caught this ball, I could have made another guy miss. Who knows?
“It’s something I work on. I always work on getting faster and being more explosive. That’s what I want to do, break off longer runs. I broke off more longer runs my second year than my first year and I’m going to try to do even more my third year. “So, I’m excited about this year.” He’s not the only one.